Looking for the best beaches in La Jolla? You’re in the right place.
I’m a San Diego local, and this guide covers the best beaches for sunbathing, exploring underwater wonders, tide pooling, and surfing. Trust me, there’s something for everyone in this tiny town!
La Jolla is Spanish for “the jewel,” and the city lives up to its name. The upscale town has high-end hotels, restaurants, and shops. But its spectacular coastline is the real standout, even compared to San Diego’s other awesome beaches.
Let’s explore!
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13 Best Beaches In/Near La Jolla
La Jolla Shores Beach
La Jolla’s longest stretch of sandy beach is perfect for a family beach day.
📍 Google Maps | 🅿️ Parking: Public lot that fills up quick | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: La Jolla Shores Hotel
Most of La Jolla’s beaches contain small pockets of sand bordered by jutting rocks and cliffs, but La Jolla Shores is a picturesque long and flat stretch of sandy beach.
Its accessibility combined with lots of space to spread out makes it one of the most popular beaches in San Diego. The beach is home to the iconic Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier and the charming Kellogg Park, which has a grassy playground ideal for kids.
The beach’s proximity to La Jolla restaurants and recreation shops on Camino del Oro and Avenida de la Playa means it’s easy to grab snacks and rent gear. That simplicity makes La Jolla Shores Beach a favorite for families looking to experience some of the best things to do in La Jolla.
👉 Pro Tip: Feeling adventurous? Book a kayak tour to explore the gorgeous cliffs and hidden caves between The Shores and La Jolla Cove.
La Jolla Cove Beach
Visit the beautiful cove along La Jolla’s seaside cliffs and catch a glimpse of the many seals and sea lions up close.
📍 Google Maps | 🅿️ Parking: Street parking, can be tough to find a spot | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: La Valencia Hotel
La Jolla Cove Beach, located in downtown La Jolla, is one of the town’s most iconic sites. The cliffs and rocky reef create a half-moon of protected sand that’s a favorite destination — not just for humans, but for hundreds of playful seals and sea lions too.
The Cove is a short walk from restaurants and shops, as well as the grassy clifftop Ellen Browning Scripps Park. Pay a visit to The Cave Store. It’s a normal-looking store that hides secret access to a tunnel that leads to the interior of one of La Jolla’s iconic sea caves.
Children’s Pool Beach
The manmade sea wall that extends well into the ocean makes this one of the most unique beaches on this list.
📍 Google Maps | 🅿️ Parking: Street parking only which fills up fast | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: Pantai Inn
Children’s Pool Beach is a small cove protected by a sea wall. It was constructed in the 1930s to create a safe place for kids to swim.
However, the sea lions and harbor seals had other plans. They quickly took over the beach and surrounding rocks. There’s no beach access during harbor seal pupping season from December 15th to May 15th.
While the seals and sea lions have claimed the sandy area, visitors can still walk out onto the sea wall. From here, you’ll have unparalleled views of the quirky, playful animals and the beautiful Pacific Ocean.
Marine Street Beach
Visit this small, sandy beach to avoid the crowds that flock to La Jolla Shores.
📍 Google Maps | 🅿️ Parking: Free Street Parking | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: Search Hotels Nearby
Marine Street Beach is a small pocket of sandy shore that’s popular with locals hoping to avoid the more crowded La Jolla Shores Beach.
It boasts a volleyball net and plenty of sand to spread out on, but it’s further from the best restaurants and shops. That said, this is the perfect beach for people hoping for a relaxing day soaking up the sun or playing in the waves.
Windansea Beach
This beach is a beautiful blend of bluffs, rock formations, and pockets of sand.
📍 Google Maps | 🅿️ Parking: mostly free street parking | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: Search Hotels Nearby
Windansea is, in my opinion, the best beach in La Jolla. It lies on the south end of La Jolla, away from much of the hustle and bustle of the touristy areas. It’s a favorite spot for locals and surfers.
The bluffs and rock formations that jut out of the sand are unique and beautiful. They create little nooks that give you a sense of privacy, making this a good choice for couples.
La Jolla Tide Pools
Explore miniature sea creatures in their tiny habitats.
📍 Google Maps | 🅿️ Parking: street parking | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: Search Hotels Nearby
The La Jolla Tide Pools are just south of downtown La Jolla. Here, rocky outcrops and reefs create collections of exposed pools that are miniature habitats for creatures like urchins, anemones, nudibranchs, and tiny fish.
The best time to visit is during low tide when most of the pools are exposed. The La Jolla Tide Pools are especially wonderful to visit during winter when low tide is the most extreme.
📚 Related Reading: Read more about when to go to San Diego for specific weather and events.
Torrey Pines State Beach
Visit the gorgeous beach just below the rugged cliffs of the protected coastal Torrey Pines State Reserve.
📍 Google Maps | 🅿️ Parking: Paid parking lot, $12-$25 per vehicle depending on demand | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: The Lodge at Torrey Pines
Torrey Pines State Beach lies beneath the iconic rugged cliffs of Torrey Pines State Reserve, an easy-to-make day trip from San Diego. What makes this beach so awesome is that the farther into the park you walk, the fewer people there are.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy Torrey Pines State Beach is to hike around Torrey Pines State Reserve (it’s one of the best hiking spots in San Diego!) and take the Beach Trail. The trail conveniently brings you to the middle of the beach!
Black’s Beach
A short hike through the undeveloped cliffs of Torrey Pines leads to this remote, clothing-optional beach.
📍 Google Maps | 🅿️ Parking: paid lot or free parking along Pacific Coast Highway | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby:
Black’s Beach is located beneath the southern portion of Torrey Pines State Reserve. This secluded, hike-in beach has great waves that make it a favorite for surfers. It’s also the only clothing-optional beach in San Diego! The hike to the beach deters many people, so you don’t have to worry about crowds here.
La Jolla Underwater Park
Explore the underwater wonderland of the La Jolla Underwater Park where you can swim in kelp forests and rocky reefs.
📍 Google Maps | 🅿️ Parking: Park at La Jolla Shores lot | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby:
The La Jolla Underwater Park isn’t a beach, but it is an underwater oasis just off the coast between La Jolla Shores and La Jolla Cove.
The rocky reef and kelp forests attract tons of marine life, including sea lions, green sea turtles, bright orange garibaldi fish, leopard sharks, and seven-gill sharks.
There are plenty of ways to take in this incredible underwater habitat, including snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, and swimming.
Torrey Pines City Beach
Accessing Torrey Pines City beach requires a tough hike, which makes this one of La Jolla’s most remote, empty beaches.
📍 Google Maps | 🅿️ Parking: street parking | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby:
Just south of Torrey Pines State Reserve, the remote City Beach is only accessible via a steep mile-long hike down the protective sea cliffs. Those who brave the tough access are rewarded with a beautiful, often empty, long stretch of sandy beach.
Goldfish Point
Enjoy the views of the beautiful Pacific Ocean from this clifftop viewpoint.
📍 Google Maps | 🅿️ Parking: free street parking | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: La Valencia Hotel
While the actual beach of Goldfish Point is only actually accessible via the water, there’s a beautiful lookout spot from the top of the cliff where you can watch tons of seabirds flying around.
You can access Goldfish Point via the Coast Walk Trail. The trail begins on Coast Boulevard, leads to the clifftop, and offers spectacular views of some of La Jolla’s most iconic beaches.
South Casa Beach
An awesome little beach within walking distance of downtown, The Cove, and The Children’s Pool.
📍 Google Maps | 🅿️ Parking: free street parking | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby:
South Casa Beach is a small stretch of protected sandy shore just south of La Jolla Children’s Pool. The beach is popular with people staying in The Village of La Jolla because it’s just a short walk from La Jolla’s main attractions.
It’s also a good option if you want to see the crowd-pleasing La Jolla Cove and Children’s Pool Beach before relaxing on a beach sans people and seals.
👉 Read Next: What to Do in San Diego (Best Things, By a Local)
Wipeout Beach
A small, protected stretch of beach right next to the La Jolla Tide Pools.
📍 Google Maps | 🅿️ Parking: Free street parking | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: Search Hotels Nearby
Wipeout Beach is a picturesque little cove protected from the road by small bluffs that make it feel tucked away and secluded. The beach is right next to the La Jolla Tide Pools, so it’s a great spot to visit to relax in the sand after exploring the rocks.
🏖️ Read Next: 21 Best Beaches in Southern California
FAQs about Beaches in La Jolla
Are La Jolla Beaches Safe?
La Jolla beaches are usually safe, although the surf and rip currents can be strong at all of La Jolla’s beaches, especially during winter. The waves at the small, rockier beaches like Windansea and Torrey Pines City Beach tend to break hard onto the shore. I recommend going to La Jolla Shores, where you can ask one of the lifeguards for information about the day’s tides and currents.
Are La Jolla Beaches Dirty?
La Jolla Cove has a reputation for being slightly dirtier than other La Jolla beaches simply because there is more wildlife found on the shores and rocks. After strong rains, it’s advisable that you stay out of the water at any of San Diego’s beaches, including those in La Jolla, due to runoff and higher levels of bacteria. San Diego rarely receives enough rain for this to be a concern, however.
Why Does La Jolla Cove Smell?
La Jolla Cove has a strong smell due to the many sea lions, seals, and sea birds that converge and congregate in the space.
Are there Great White Sharks in La Jolla?
Great White sharks do inhabit the waters off of La Jolla Cove,Torrey Pines, and Del Mar though they usually stick to the deeper water well past the waves. When the water temperatures rise, sometimes sharks will come in closer to the shore for breeding but white sharks rarely attack humans.
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La Jolla’s beautiful coastline is home to some of the top California beaches, so visiting them is a must when you’re in this stunning city. Leave a comment and let me know which you’re most excited to visit!
