La Jolla Cove Beach

Located along the La Jolla shoreline, La Jolla Cove Beach is a small yet immensely popular beach with light brown sand. This north-facing beach is situated within a rocky cove - named the La Jolla Cove - below the northeastern part of a blufftop park called the Ellen Browning Scripps Park. There is a rocky point near the western part of La Jolla Cove Beach which protects the water near this beach from strong waves. The bluff sides around the beach are composed of sandstone. 

La Jolla Cove Beach and the blufftop area above it have many amenities including lifeguards, restrooms, showers, benches, and picnic tables. In addition, water-sporting equipment rental facilities are also present near this beach. The beach allows dogs on a leash before 9 am and after 6 pm between April and October. Between November and March, the beach allows dogs before 9 am and after 4 pm. 

La Jolla Cove Beach offers many fun activities including tide-pooling, sunbathing, wildlife watching, swimming, scuba diving, kayaking, and snorkeling. The water near this beach is clear and calmer than other La Jolla beaches, making it ideal for beginner swimmers. However, the water here is also a part of the protected San Diego - La Jolla Underwater Park, which means that activities like surfing and boogie boarding are prohibited here. We also recommend reviewing La Jolla Cove Beach’s water quality before swimming here as it can have high amounts of microbial contamination occasionally. In addition, we recommend that you consult the local lifeguards about the prevalent water conditions as the water here can also occasionally have strong rip currents. However, despite these unfavorable water conditions, scuba divers and snorkelers often enter the water near La Jolla Cove Beach as it is known to have unique biodiversity and underwater topography. You can view many kinds of fish in the water near this beach including barracuda, baitfish, opaleye, and orange garibaldi fish. In addition, you can also occasionally see sea turtles and harmless leopard sharks in the water here. You can also view many kinds of marine mammals in the water near La Jolla Cove Beach including seals, sea lions, and migrating grey whales (usually between December and April). Scuba divers often explore the thick kelp beds present near this beach. 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 La Jolla Cove Beach and other La Jolla beaches. You can visit the San Diego Council of Divers’ website for additional information regarding this program. In addition, there are many private companies that offer interesting scuba diving tours in the water near La Jolla Cove Beach. The water near La Jolla Cove is also used for many swimming events including the Rough Water Swim and the 10 Mile Relay swimming event. If you like kayaking, you can launch your kayak near this beach and explore interesting sea caves present near La Jolla Cove Beach. In addition, there are many private companies in San Diego that organize fun kayaking tours of these sea caves while also offering a unique insight into the local biodiversity and geology.

There is a natural rocky tunnel near this beach which leads to an oceanfront rocky area with interesting tidepools. In addition, La Jolla Cove Beach is also known to be frequented by California seals and this beach offers a unique chance to view these amazing creatures up-and-close. However, we recommend being careful while observing sea lions in La Jolla Cove Beach as they can get afraid of humans very easily and attack at the slightest provocation. In addition, it is important to note that the beach can also be smelly during summers due to large amounts of sea lion excreta being present here. If you like birdwatching, you can see many kinds of birds around this beach including gulls, pelicans, and cormorants. The beach and the blufftop area above it offer amazing Instagram-worthy views of the South California shoreline. As an interesting fact, La Jolla Cove Beach is often considered to be one of the most photographed beaches in San Diego County. It is important to note that the collection of seashells is prohibited on this beach. The Ellen Browning Scripps Park above La Jolla Cove Beach is a great spot for hiking, picnicking, and photography. The La Jolla Coast Walk Trail also passes through the blufftop area above La Jolla Cove Beach and offers a great way to explore La Jolla’s incredible shoreline. 

Getting to La Jolla Cove Beach is easy - multiple access stairways to the beach are present near 1100 Coast Boulevard, where street parking is available along with nearby paid parking lots. However, we recommend visiting this beach early as this popular beach often gets crowded quickly, especially during sunny days. In addition, the street parking spaces near the beach also often fill up quickly.

A popular landmark near this beach is The Cave Store which is a store that offers access (for a nominal fee) to a tunnel leading to a large sea cave named Sunny Jim Sea Cave. The tunnel leading to this cave was built in the early 20th century. As an interesting fact, it was used by smugglers during the Prohibition era to smuggle alcohol into San Diego.

There are many attractions near La Jolla Cove Beach. The Stuart Collection is a collection of 20 public art displays on the campus of the University of California San Diego which features works by reputed artists including Terry Allen, Michael Asher, and Barbara Kruger. La Jolla Historical Society’s Wisteria Cottage Gallery offers many interesting artistic and historical exhibitions. If you are looking for another attraction near La Jolla Cove Beach, The Comedy Store La Jolla offers humorous performances by some of the finest comedians in the country and has also hosted eminent actors including Michael Keaton and Robin Williams.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants near La Jolla Cove Beach. George’s At The Cove is an upscale restaurant that has three different dining areas which serve excellent gourmet dishes. This restaurant has been praised by The Washington Post and USA Today. In addition, one of its dining areas has also been praised by the MICHELIN Guide. Cody’s La Jolla offers a pleasant oceanfront dining experience. In addition, this restaurant serves amazing breakfast dishes including French toasts and eggs benedict. This restaurant also serves outstanding seafood, salads, and sandwiches. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near La Jolla Cove Beach, the modestly priced Brick and Bell offer excellent breakfast dishes including bagels, muesli, granola, wraps, and toast. In addition, the restaurant also serves outstanding sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts.

If you are looking for a hotel near La Jolla Cove Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star La Valencia Hotel has Spanish architecture and offers a variety of amenities including a restaurant, a tapas bar, a pool, a hot tub, and a fitness center. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star La Jolla Cove Hotel & Suites which offers many amenities including a pool with sundeck, firepits, barbecue spots, and pool tables. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near La Jolla Cove Beach, Casa De La Playa is located conveniently close to some of the major landmarks in La Jolla. In addition, this hotel also has a spa and a barbecue.