San Diego Quick Guide: the Best of La Jolla Beaches

There are so many beautiful beaches in San Diego, but there is one that I love best: La Jolla Shores.

This is the main beach I grew up going to as it is very family friendly. It is also where I became SCUBA certified and was my husband’s and my first ocean launch for our bright yellow kayak. This was the first beach we took our oldest to when she was a baby and will be a spot we continue to go to for family adventures.

There is also a lot to do in the area with regards to viewing wildlife: head down to the tide pools, take a look at sea lions by La Jolla Cove, and check out the seals at Seal Beach (also known as Children’s Pool Beach). While you are up by the cove, take a detour down into the sea cave.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institute of Oceanography is just up the hill and there are many cute shops and restaurants in the surrounding area.

Quick Guide to San Diego Beaches: La Jolla

La Jolla Shores:

The perfect beach day includes some water fun. If your kids are too little to swim, even just standing on the sand as the waves come up can be an exciting experience. It took a warm summer day so the water wasn’t cold for our oldest to fall in love with jumping the waves. A life jacket or floaters can help the little ones, but be sure to keep an eye on them and not go too far out until they are stronger swimmers.

For older kids or adults swimming, using boogie boards, surfing, snorkeling, and SCUBA diving are great ways to enjoy the ocean. One of my dives showed me a field of sand dollars and at one point a sea lion zoomed by us. I love riding the boogie board in on the waves but never really figured out surfing. It’s harder than it looks!

Of course what’s a beach day without playing in the sand? My favorite type of sand castle to build is a drip sand castles. You pick a spot on the wet sand just out of reach of the tide. Dig a hole until you reach water, using the dirt you dig up to build a base. Then reach into your pool you uncovered and take a handful of water and mud. Let it drip through your fingers for a cool effect. Keep building and try and create windows and towers before the tide comes in to wipe it away. A more can temporarily help postpone the inevitable if the water is barely making it up to your castle.

Another fun sand-related activity is to dig for sand crabs. See the little divets in the sand after a wave recedes? Start digging right away and try to catch a few. They tickle when scuttling around in your hand. Don’t forget to release them back into the sand shortly after finding them.

Pack a picnic lunch (or at least some snacks) and bring plenty of water. Fair warning: gummy worms will melt in the summer heat…but still taste delicious. We typically stop at a Subway on the way to the beach, keep the sandwhiches in a cooler, and eat that for lunch. Chips and grapes are my go to favorite beach snacks. Make sure to pre-cut your grapes for the little ones for an easier snack time while you are there. A roller cooler is a great way to keep your food and drinks cool and also double as a table. Not to mention it is easier to roll it to and from the car. Just be sure to hose off the sand when you get home. If home isn’t nearby, a collapsible cooler bag will be just fine with a bag of ice from the hotel ice machine.

Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier:

Take your walk North along the shoreline to see the pier. We always stop here for an obligatory pier picture on our way past it to the tide pools. 

Once you get to where all the rocks are, start looking for animals. You can usually find sea anemones, sea hares, limpets, and crabs. If the tide is really low, you might be able to see additional animals like sea stars. Take a look at the San Diego tide schedule before you go so you can time your visit around low tide.

Take a look at our video quick guide to the tide pools.

La Jolla Shores Hotel:

This hotel is at the South end of La Jolla Shores. My parents have done a stay-cation at this beautiful hotel and their room was essentially on the beach looking right over the ocean. They are definitely planning on staying there again, and we may need to book a room of our own at some point.

The part of the ocean right by the hotel is where my friends and I went snorkeling with leopard sharks. Late August/early September is typically the best time to do this when they gather in a large group for breeding season. It was so amazing to be surrounded by these harmless sharks. Just make sure to always snorkel with a buddy and be respectful of the sharks. Don’t try and touch or grab at them. It was helpful to bring a boogie board so we could better float at the surface. Take a look at more details about snorkeling with leopard sharks at La Jolla Shores.

La Jolla Cove & The Cave Store:

I recommend driving up the hill to get to La Jolla Cove from La Jolla Shores. There will be a lot of walking once you get up the hill depending on what you want to see. Parking can be difficult to find, so be patient. To get up to La Jolla Cove from La Jolla Shores take Torrey Pines Rd and turn right onto Prospect Place. Make a right onto Coast Blvd and keep following the coast looking for parking.

There are beautiful grassy areas and a sidewalk along the coastline. It’s quite a bit of a walk to go from the Cave Store to Seal Beach, so be prepared with a carrier for the baby or be ready to carry the toddler. A stroller would be OK if you are just going for a walk and enjoying the view, but going down to the beach or into the cave requires steps that are not stroller friendly.

The walk into Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave costs $10 per adult, $7 per child, but it is so worth it to walk down the stairs and look out at the ocean from inside a sea cave.

There is a nice little beach at La Jolla Cove and you can usually see sea lions laying on the sand and swimming in the water. Be respectful and keep your distance. Depending on water visibility you can also see Garibaldi, the bright orange fish which is our California National State Saltwater Fish. Many swimmers swim from here to the pier and back. I’m not quite in good enough shape for that amount of ocean swimming. SCUBA divers can also enter the water here and you can see the kayakers paddling by, looking at the caves.

Seal Beach (Children’s Pool Beach):

Keep walking south to get to Point Mencinger and Seal Beach. The beach may be open for people to walk down to the water, but is usually closed to protect the seals. Again, if you are near any wildlife, be sure to keep a respectful distance. Use creative angles and your camera zoom to get that “close-up” selfie with the sea lions and seals.

The best view and a fun thing to do is actually walking onto the Children’s Pool Observation Walkway. Just be careful as high tide can cover part of the walkway.

There is so much more I can say about the area. We have had the opportunity to eat at a few of the restaurants in the area including a delicious breakfast at Brockton Villa and an anniversary dinner at Azul. My mom and I also went to an author talk and book signing at Warwick’s Bookstore. Anyone else read A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness?

Basically if you are looking to vacation in San Diego where you have access to beach day fun, family adventure activities, a good chance of seeing wildlife, and beautiful views of the ocean from above and at sea level- La Jolla is the place for you.

Take a look at these San Diego Discount Vacation Packages for a nearby hotel that fits your budget.

Print out the La Jolla Quick Guide, and follow our family friendly Top 5 Things for a Perfect Beach Day.

Tag us in your La Jolla San Diego adventures in the comments or on any of our social media accounts. We would love to hear how your San Diego Beaches vacation went.

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