Hospital Beach

Located in the community of La Jolla, Hospital Beach - also known as Hospitals - is a rocky beach with some sandy parts. Hospital Beach is located below a blufftop park known as Coast Boulevard Park. This beach has a rocky reef along its shoreline. 

While Hospital Beach does not have lifeguards, the blufftop area above this beach has picnic tables and benches. The beach allows dogs on a leash before 9 am and after 6 pm between April and October. Between November and March, dogs are allowed on a leash before 9 am and after 4 pm. 

Hospital Beach offers many fun activities including tide-pooling, sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, surfing, swimming, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing, boogie boarding, kayaking, canoeing, boating, scuba diving, and snorkeling. The water near Hospital Beach offers some great surfing waves, which makes it popular among surfers. In addition, the water near this beach is extremely popular with divers and snorkelers, who often explore the vibrant underwater biodiversity and interesting marine topography present around the reef near this beach. In addition, the San Diego Council of Divers also organizes a safety and education program near this beach known as The Rocks, Rips, & Reefs Program, which seeks to sensitize divers and snorkelers about ways to safely enter and exit the water near Hospital Beach and other La Jolla beaches. You can visit the San Diego Council of Divers’ website for additional information regarding this program. The water near this beach is home to many marine mammals including seals, sea lions, and migrating grey whales (generally between December and April). However, if you are planning to go into the water near Hospital Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have frequent rip currents. In addition, the rocky shoreline along the beach can inflict grave injuries. It is also important to note that the significant presence of seaweed in the water around the beach can also make aquatic recreational activities here difficult. Hospital Beach is a popular tide-pooling spot - during low tide, you can explore many tidepools present along the beach, which are home to a variety of interesting creatures including sea anemones, crabs, barnacles, mussels, and lobsters. These tidepools are present in beautiful naturally formed craters and crevices, which offer a great place to click some excellent Instagram-worthy photos. The blufftop Coast Boulevard Park above the beach offers a great picnicking spot, along with excellent Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean.

Getting to Hospital Beach is easy - there are multiple access points for Hospital Beach near 445 Coast Boulevard, where street parking is also available.

As an interesting fact, Hospitals Beach gets its name from a nearby building that used to generally accommodate pharmaceutical and medical businesses. 

There are many attractions near Hospital Beach. La Jolla Historical Society’s Wisteria Cottage Gallery offers many interesting artistic and historical exhibitions. The Ellen Browning Scripps Park is a great spot for hiking, picnicking, and photography. In addition, the park offers wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean and the San Diego County shoreline. If you are looking for another attraction near Hospital Beach, the Map & Atlas Museum of La Jolla exhibits an interesting collection of antique maps, some dating back to more than 500 years.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Hospital Beach.  Eddie V’s Prime Seafood is an upscale restaurant that offers a variety of delicious seafood dishes and steaks. The Cottage La Jolla offers excellent traditional American and Southern Californian dishes. In addition, the restaurant also has a vintage ambiance. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Hospital Beach, Don Bravo Grill & Cantina offers delicious chimichangas, tacos, and burritos.

If you are looking for a hotel near Hospital Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 5-Star The Lodge at Torrey Pines offers many amenities including two restaurants, a pool, a hot tub, a spa, and a golf course. As another upscale option, the 4-Star San Diego Marriott La Jolla offers many amenities including two restaurants, a pool, and a fitness center. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Empress Hotel La Jolla which offers many amenities including an Italian restaurant, a gym, and complimentary breakfast. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Hospital Beach, the 2-Star La Jolla Biltmore Motel has a snack bar and is located conveniently close to some of the major attractions in the city of San Diego.