Shell Beach

Located in the neighborhood of La Jolla, Shell Beach is a small beach with light brown sand and some rocky parts, much like the scenic and popular Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo. The beach is located below the southern part of a blufftop park called the Ellen Browning Scripps Park. The bluffsides along this beach are composed of sandstone. Please note that Shell Beach should not be confused with another separate beach with the same name called Shell Beach – this other Shell Beach is located in Sonoma County.

Shell Beach, reminiscent of the tranquil settings of Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, has lifeguards, and the grassy park above the beach has many amenities including picnic tables, restrooms, benches, and showers. Shell Beach allows dogs on 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.

Shell Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, tidepooling, wildlife watching, scuba diving, and snorkeling. The water near Shell Beach, unlike the safer shores of Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, is unsafe for recreational water activities including surfing and swimming because the water here has frequent dangerous rip currents and strong waves. In addition, the rocky shoreline can also cause injuries. However, despite these unsafe water conditions, experienced divers and snorkelers often dive near this beach to explore its vibrant underwater biodiversity. In addition to a large variety of fish, you can also see many kinds of marine mammals near this beach, including seals, sea lions, and migrating grey whales between December and April. Please note that seals, sea lions, dolphins, and whales are protected under a law named the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and harming them can result in a civil penalty of up to $11,000 and possible imprisonment. If you are planning to dive or snorkel near Shell Beach, we strongly recommend doing so when the water conditions are relatively calm. The San Diego Council of Divers also organizes a safety and education program near this beach known as Rocks, Rips, & Reefs Program – this program seeks to sensitize divers and snorkelers about ways to safely enter and exit the water near Shell Beach and other La Jolla beaches.

If you like taking pictures with beautiful views, Shell Beach also offers marvelous Instagram-worthy views of a nearby offshore rock formation called the Seal Rock – this rock is known to be a popular gathering site of the local seals. An extremely popular activity in Shell Beach is beachcombing - the beach is known to have lots of shells, much like the shores of Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, making it ideal for beachcombers. In addition, beachcombers can also comb the beach for beautiful sea glass pieces that are found in a variety of colors, including green and blue. If you like tidepooling, you can explore tidepools present on the beach during extremely low tides, which are home to many varieties of animals, including limpets, crabs, anemones, and small fishes. The blufftop area above the beach has a pathway leading to the La Jolla Coast Walk Trail– this trail offers a great way to explore La Jolla’s incredible shoreline and is one of La Jolla’s most popular hiking trails. The blufftop Ellen Browning Scripps Park above the beach is popular with locals and tourists, offering many activities including hiking, picnicking, and photography. In addition, the park offers wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean and the San Diego County shoreline.

Getting to Shell Beach is easy – the access stairs to the beach are located near 1000 Coast Boulevard, where street parking is available. Much like Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, we recommend visiting Shell Beach during low tide because, during high tide, this small beach is significantly submerged. Additionally, we recommend visiting this beach early because the street parking spaces near this beach often fill up quickly.

There are many attractions near Shell Beach.  The La Jolla Recreation Center was built in 1915 and was designed by Irving Gill.  This recreation center has many amenities including playgrounds, basketball courts, tennis courts, and weight room facilities.  In addition, this center also organizes many interesting programs like taechun do classes, gymnastics, yoga classes, and adult fitness classes.  Legends Gallery displays artworks made by renowned illustrators and artists including Tom Everhart, Mackenzie Thorpe, and Dr. Seuss (the acclaimed author of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Cat in the Hat).  Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s La Jolla gallery offers interesting exhibitions that are focused on contemporary art from the mid 20th century to the present day – the museum has a collection of over 5,000 artworks and its collection of temporary and permanent exhibitions includes paintings by Ellsworth Kelly and Andy Warhol and photographs by Lorna Simpson.  In addition, the museum also has a sculpture garden and oceanfront terraces.  If you are looking for another attraction near Shell Beach, Torrey Pines Golf Course is a 36-hole golf facility that offers a challenging and exciting session of golf. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Shell Beach.  George’s At The Cove is an upscale restaurant that has three different portions that serve excellent gourmet dishes that are prepared from fresh and locally sourced seasonal ingredients including seafood, vegetarian dishes, salads, and burgers. This restaurant has been praised by The Washington Post and USA Today.  Herringbone La Jolla is another upscale restaurant that is known for serving delicious steaks and seafood. It also serves amazing pizzas, salads, burgers, poultry dishes, and soups.  Puesto La Jolla offers fantastic Mexican dishes including tacos and burritos.  In addition, this restaurant has also been mentioned in the MICHELINGuide.  Cody’s La Jolla offers 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 Shell Beach, Cafe Vahik offers amazing breakfast dishes including eggs, bagels, sandwiches, and salads.

If you are looking for a hotel near Shell 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 Hotel La Jolla, Curio Collection By Hilton offers many amenities including a pool, fitness center, and a restaurant.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Residence Inn by Marriott San Diego La Jolla that offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast and grocery delivery service, evening socials with snacks on weekdays, a pool, a hot tub, sand volleyball court, outdoor space with firepits, a convenience store, and a fitness center.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Shell Beach, the 2.5-Star The Shoal La Jolla Beach offers many amenities including a pool, hot tub, and a firepit.