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The La Jolla Cove
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
127 reviews for The La Jolla Cove
Having lived in San Diego for about 10 years now I thought it was fitting to write my first Yelp review about the place that made me decide to say yes to my husbands marrage proposal and move to a new and strange country. I was just 23 years old when the beauty of this place touched me so much and today my love for the cove has only grown.
There is so much peacfull life happening at every turn, from the squarls that come to eat out of your hand, the seals snuggling on the sand, and the hubub of families and couples having dinner together or just going for a stroll taking it all in.
This place captures the true feeling of what San Diego is and America can be when it learns how to slow down and inhail.
The Cove is the one place I will absolutely take every visitor who comes to SD. Every time I go there I ask myself, "Why don't I come here more often??" It's so beautiful.
I like to stroll along the path, stare at the sea lions, and climb down on the rocks closer to the water. The Cove is one of the things that made me want to live in San Diego. Love it!
WOW MY 100th yelp post. I had to make it sappy and of one of my favorite places!!!
Oh La Jolla Cove..how I will miss thee :( (Currently gonna move up to the bay area in 4 days!...eeks)
I come to La Jolla Cove at least once a month. Why do you ask? Well...I come here to relax and watch the waves and people watch of course. I LOVE people watching!
I was with LUPUS, glomerulonephritis, ITP, and hypothyroid (whew..that was a mouthful) when I was only 8 years old. Throughout my life, I have taken medication at least 4 times a day. It has been stressful. Last year, being the young age of 25, I underwent chemotherapy and various other injections of drugs to help me with my condition. It has been tough, but I will make it through :) I know that I have experienced much more than many of my friends but I hope that day one day I can be an inspiration in little things I do :)
I have even survived about 4 years optometry school being in and out of the hospital and being sick. But everytime I came back into San Diego I HAD to make a stop at La Jolla Cove.
I still remember everytime after chemotherapy, I would try to remember the peaceful breeze of La Jolla cove along with the breathtaking sunset. I come here to de-stress from all my medical worries.
This past weekend I came here on a picnic and I almost cried as I say on the benches eating my sandwich looking into the ocean. This is one of the most gorgeous places in all of San Diego.
Whether you are a tourist looking to take pictures of the seals, a homeless man looking for a place to sleep and cans to collect, a college student who wants to get it on late at night, snorking to see some fishes, or just a simple girl like me, EVERYONE will enjoy la jolla cove :)
Another nice tourist beach. It's not as good as la jolla shores if you're looking more for the beach itself. But this is a nice place to get beach and beach city at the same time. Lots of restaurants just off the coast. Lot's of people walking around. No vollebyall or surfing, but lots of people watching.
The area around this beach is breathtaking..
I like the yuppy restaurants nearby, the little shops that sell random stuff you'll never use, and the kayakers!
There's a cliff nearby that's perfect for taking wedding photos, especially if you're looking for a nice sunset and want to incorporate the water.
If you like snorkeling, this is the best place in California.
The water is calm (most of the time) and you can see fish in about 2 feet of water. This beach is all about snorkeling.
Having said that...do not expect a great place to pitch your umbrella and do some reading...only come here to get in the water!
Bring you camera and enjoy this marine preserve.
Having snorkeled in many beautiful tropical places, I was disappointed with this spot. There is next to NO beach area.
I went on a weekday, which I was informed is the only time to go because you can't even get on this beach on a weekend.
There is a pelican rock to the right, which is uneventful. The water was freezing and murky. You have to swim into a kelp bed to go past to an open area where you see some orange fairly large fish and what appeared to be a sprinkling of bass. The water was warmer in some areas. But generally borderline wetsuit material.
The orange fish get a little aggressive. They swarm you and try to nibble on you when your solo.
That's about it. Crowded small cove, poor snorkeling conditions. Maybe I went on a bad day, I will try again because I love snorkeling.
BEWARE: When walking down the stairs to the cove the last few steps are extremely slippery. We saw at least 10 people slip and almost crack their heads open on the cement stairs.
This is an amazing place to snorkel, particularly on low swell days. Visibility is key to a good experience so check your forecast ahead of time. Go to the San Diego Beach and weather report at http://www.surfingsand... or call +1 619 221-8824 for recorded information on clarity (typically 5 ft up to 20+ ft on a good day), temperature and surge. You can also get text updates, if you are going to be a regular surfer/diver/swimmer.
I've gone several times and when the water is clear, you are in a different planet...dozens of bright tropical fish, leopard sharks, sting rays. I have snorkeled in Belize, Hawaii and Mexico...this is still worth checking out. The harbor seals are really cool too!
During high swells, I suggest boarding or kayaking instead. You will still see schools of 4 - 6 foot leopard sharks if they are swimming a foot below you, but it will be too cloudy to see anything else.
Watch out for the descending stips, and no, don't try to jump the cliffs. If you survive they will fine you. Lifeguards are on duty nearby.
loooooooooooooooove it!
i can seriously go here everyday, every night! but its definitely a tourist trap. but you know what? i still love it, and i still make a trip here as often as i can....of course i try to mix up my beachy routine...
love it, love it, love it!
a great place to simply park your car, catch a few waves and relax.
its basically SD's version of SF's fishermans wharf with the sea lions but i think this is BYFAR better because its FREE parking and you cant get any more closer than THIS view of the sea lions and not to mention, the view, and the waves.... it's san diego... what more can you say?
Went there today for the first time. AMAZING experience.
It wasn't "pristine, or tropical", but we swam with numerous sharks, stingrays, garibaldi, abalone, lobster, crabs, and other lesser fish. My advice is don't do the tourist thing. Get your own gear, and go out on your own- look for other independent snorklers and you will have a blast. The cove is fun, but swim out over to the beach for an exciting journey.
Of course this place is beautiful! It's La Jolla for Gawd's sake!!
My first memory of this was when I must have been about 12 or 13. I was over near the tide pools (wearing jeans and a t-shirt) checking out all of the beautiful scenary. The waves were small. I turned my back not for a second when a HUUUUGE wave comes crashing onto the rocks drenching my entire backside!!! And of course it was in the morning on a day where I was to be at my brother's soccer tournament ALL DAY and of course I didn't have a change of clothes...such is my luck, lol. Looking back now it was hilarious...it was also at the time.
More recently I have been able to appreciate its true beauty, and the fact that the city is so concerned about ridding this area of seals is appalling!! I highly doubt it could be that expensive for their upkeep...if there even is anything that they do to maintain this habitat!! I also find it hard to believe that this is so high on their list of budget cuts that they need to be concerned about animals enjoying their own beach and people coming in to ogle and "ooh and ahhh."
There are over 70 miles of beach in San Diego, so why on earth is the city so concerned about clearing a few hundred feet?!?
What every article I've read pertaining to their dispersal fails to mention is the reasoning behind their doing this. If you look past the cruelty to the animals and past all the discomfort it would cause the nearby residents, what you have is an extremely gross waste of money by the city. $689,000 is the estimated cost of doing this. And this is assuming that their efforts are successful!!!
Seriously wtf mate?!?! Let them be!!! And need I remind everyone that we are in a RECESSION!!! Why in the hell is something so obsolete on the forefront of everyone's minds? There are many other things that need to be addressed before something so miniscule as seals residing on a small strip of beach!!
Mommy look lions!! The great california sea lion rests after a weary day of resting. The sea lions are enjoyable to watch as they don't really do anything and you start to become jealous and I a couple times started yelling at them, "start entertaining us dammit! us humans don't let you live for nothing!!!" They don't listen, ever. Anyway, if you visit San Diego this should be on your list of places to visit as the kids as well as adults will enjoy the ocean views as well as the sea lions. There are plenty of places to eat within .5 miles in La Jolla and it's a very clean area but so is the rest of San Diego....I digress. Have never snorked here but heard it's good?
This place is absolutely beautiful! I must agree with another Yelper, this place is amazing to see at night!
My husband and I go here each and every time were down in the area, it is one of our favorites spots in La Jolla.
There is always a Kodak moment to be had at the cove!
This is an absolute must-see in beautiful La Jolla, California. Even without the seals, the scenery is amazing, but the seals take the cake. You can sit and watch the ocean and beach from a vantage point, go out on a pier to view the seals up close, or walk in the sand along one of the many small beaches.
We stumbled upon this cove one day when driving through town. We did not know the seals were there, but saw crowds of people. For all we knew, it was a surfing contest or something. After we parked, we were very pleasantly surprised to find the cove and all that it had to offer. We spent about 30 minutes there, which is all you really need.
Sort of cloudy water... Guide didn't want to risk any cave, except one... And by NOON it was a parking lot of kayaks... I'll be back, but not what I was hoping for. But Mother Nature is who she is.
Really is like 2.5 Stars, cause I've experienced better, but who's to say on a GREAT sea day. And my friend enjoyed it much more than I did.
TIDE POOLS!
SEA SLUGS!!
SEA ANENENAMENEIES!!!
My 10th grade 'Natural Sciences' class took a "Field Work" (trip) to the La Jolla Cove & Birch Aquarium. Our task was to group up with a 5-gallon bucket and find as many creatures of the Sea as possible.
Needless to say, I had a blast. The good luck and genetics of my water-loving, former-lifegaurding, oceanography-studying mother paid off as I quickly found some of my most cherished sea creatures.
Who cares about Kelp when you have a giant sea cucumber and squishy sea slugs in your bucket?! I felt like Smeagol "my presciouses" ::squeeze:: "my presciouses" ::squeeze:: ... and SQUIRT. Ink everywhere.
I've noticed that a lot of people here are talking about sea lions, yet the seals at The La Jolla Cove are all harbor seals. Sea lions are the stereotypical flipper clapping, xylophone-playing seals while harbor seals look more like big tootsie rolls with small flippers.
Regardless, the cove is beautiful and I wasn't harassed by any animal activist during my visit. The view of the ocean here is unmatched by any spot in San Diego county. The kelp looks so picturesque when it's flowing in the current and there are some cool little tide pools to check out too (I managed to spot some fish). This area is a must for anyone living in or visiting the area.
La Jolla Cove is absolutely gorgeous. It's a small pocket of beach surrounded by these beautiful cliffs. The water is crystal clear with stunning shades of blue and aqua. There are pelicans and sea birds everywhere. There is also a sea cave you can go through and see seals and sea lions that often hang out on the rock cliffs through the cave. There are tide pools during low tides where you can find all kinds ocean life. We saw about a million crabs, a bunch of fish many of which were brightly colored, and even an octopus!
This is the ultimate place for scenery and relaxation and for viewing marine wildlife. This is my favorite place we went to in San Diego.
Ah....
The Cove is just plain beautiful.
Its a wonderful place for the smell of the sea, the mosaic of crimson sunsets, and light conversation. It has an aura to it. Even though the din of nearby spectators are meshed with the sounds of seagulls and seals, there's just a serenity to it all.
I walked down from the shops where there are some lovely chocolates to be had and a cafe to fill the java quota, and strolled along the park and lookout point. The sunset, juxtaposed to the silver sea seemed to just melt all my problems away.
Theres plenty of open grass....... to have picnics, throw a frisbee, or simply read that novel that has been bookmarked, yet neglected.
If the sights and sounds, and smell are not enough reason to warrant a visit here...... check your pulse - you may be too late.
Killer place to do some free diving and snorkeling. Parking is insanity right at the cove, but that's expected. Go on low swell days for good visibility, conditions, but other than that, its a blast. Watch out for the swimmers, they are usually going in and out pretty frequently.
La Jolla Cove is one of the nicest place to go to in San Diego. I use to come here in the day time with my parents when I was young.
At night, it is one of the best if not "The Best" date place. I've had my fair share of dates here. It is really nice to walk around at night. And when you're done walking, you can either sit on the benches or go out and sit on the rocks.
The moon a really a site to see on a clear night at the cove. It's just pleasant to be all around.
I've came here a few times before, but this time, me and my family took 3 hours to actually soak it all in.
It started with us just walking along the water, throwing seaweed at eachother and chasing seagulls, picking up the tiny shells.
Then, by the pier, we saw all kinds of starfish and urchins in the pools around them. It was awesome. The starfish were HUGE and red. I'm from the East Coast, and our starfish are little and tan. Cali has superstar ones.
We wandered further along to the rocks, where we discovered that there were tons of other little tidepools! We saw urchins, hermit crabs, little fish, sea slugs...It was seriously cool, even though I'm scared of anything that lives in the ocean.
On the walk back, we watched the beautiful sunset.
It was perfect and relaxing, unlike PB and MB with it's droves of tourists and crazies.
And like a fellow Yelper said, there is a little grassy area, and also a small playground for the kids.
This is the place where my friends and I used to come and on a perfect night we would sit in the sand in the cove and talk about many MANY hours. This place is glorious day or night. I have brought different friends and family out here on different occasions and never once has anyone complained.
You can go there for picnics, sports, walks(runs) dog walks, swimming and snorkling. I do know that at all the Beaches you can do this but there has been no other place that I have seen that is just this beautiful and the fact that you are able to walk onto a pier where you can see seals in their own habitat while on the back side of you the waves are crashing into the wall is just so cool to me.
The parking can be horrible during the day but anywhere you park along the coast you'll get a wonderful view right in front of you.
I really enjoyed this beach snorkeling was a blast. I like that there was a life guard on duty.
I LOVE La Jolla Coves. It's so gorgeous, the visibility in the water goes up to 30 feet so it looks amazing. It's fun to just watch the seals flop around the beach. Lots of photo opportunities.
Scuba divers can be seen and my husband and I wanted to try it but the seals attract tiger sharks. There haven't been any shark attacks at La Jolla since 1994 but it still scares me a little and tiger sharks can be aggressive.
There's no parking lots, just street parking so I would recommend going early before all the spots are taken. If not you may just have to park downtown and walk a short distance.
If you are in the area and haven't been here I HIGHLY recommend checking this beautiful place, it will take your breath away!
They are the celebrities of San Diego.
Seals on the beach! Mamas and pup babies waddling and napping on the sand makes for a very relaxing and enjoyable visit.
If you ask me, they OWN that beach. I love seeing them having a (somewhat) safe place to hang out. But there's been some public uproar concerning their stay there. Many unhappy beach patrons (some being very violent evil people) want them out of there, so be sure to see them while you can, before the selfish people attempt to take it over again.
Love love love this place. It's a nice place to walk around, go into the stores, and to just relax. I love going to the beach and just unwinding.
We walked around the town, went down to the water, saw the seal lagoon, and took lots and lots of pictures.
So if you are down to just enjoy the view and the place, bring good company and relax! There is a small park near with a good view that you may want to bring a picnic basket to.
Great views of the ocean and seals to marvel at their laziness...ha ha ha
This area is one of the reasons why San Diego is the finest city in the US
Beautiful! Stunning! Amazing!
Everyone makes SUCH the fuss about this place, and I continue going back hoping to discover what all the fuss is about, but I still don't see it. I will take guests from out of town here because it's a nice tourist destination, but to spend any regular weekend day there, I'd never think of it. I think of La Jolla Cove as a place to see at least once, but not somewhere to continually return to.
The parking is horrible, the beach is too small, the caves are cool though... A lot of people choose to snorkel here, but I don't see a whole lot of appeal in that either. Maybe I've been spoiled by Hawaii, but I find the water not so clear, not so warm, and the fish altogether dull and boring. I had a much better time kayaking at La Jolla Shores, and left with better stories to tell: I saw a dozen leopard sharks swimming around our kayak, a HUGE sea tortoise, and a pretty big sting ray - all much more exciting than hundreds of the same dull, gray fish.
If anything, I'd recommend stopping by the cove at night. You can avoid the tourist crowd and it's a nice place to enjoy the ocean and ponder life, or take a special friend and be romantic.
I think we got really lucky because we saw 2 parking spots and nabbed one quick! This is by far one of the most interesting and beautiful beaches i have been to out here. We just walked around taking it all in, sea lions, huge squid, coves and beautiful blue water crashing into the rocks. This place was a good enough reason for the 3 hour traffic filled drive from LA.
Oh and Yay - they had bathrooms here, i cant believe it but i was happy about that, as my bladder is the size of a pea.
ANENENAMEN - what? I have never snorkeled around La Jolla & was told this was the spot. We arrived and found the parking to be an experience in itself - then packing your gear from the spot a mile away wasn't so fun either. The cove is a beautiful place so I don't want to deny the La Jolla sunset or any other sentimental attribute that would make me look like a spoiled silver-spooner that doesn't appreciate, so I will keep my review honest to the experience, not the zen. The snorkeling was not a rich experience in this spot. The water was very dirty. The only fish I saw was a large grey of some sort, which can mostly be attributed to the huge waves and complete dirty mess that was supposed to be a beach. There were also a lot of rocks around the 'tiny to begin with' beach area which had to be navigated if you wanted to get in the water - but don't worry, the water will come to you. This place is dangerous - from cringing as little old ladies try to jump from a broken concrete slab to a rock so they can reach the handle to the stairs (good clapper ad can be inserted here) to the huge waves coming in & knocking kids on their ass. The waves strategically tossed everyone at an angle toward the huge shit-infested seagull rock to the right, where you could see an episode of scariest rescues in the making - this is not a snorkeling postcard by any means. I watched 3 people have to be saved by lifeguards - Maybe it was a bad day for me too, but I have done "the cove thing" now & would not recommend it to the people I like.
How many of you were as cheesy as me and proposed to your wife here? Who cares right? She said yes didn't she? I'd like to meet a woman who would actually say no to a guy on one knee at this place. I'd probably punch her two times in the belly and once on her left kneecap.
I've never left this place in a bad mood. Something about taking a walk along the cliffs, laying down on the grass, and catching a sunset just makes all my troubles fade away.
If I'd change anything about this place, I'd like to see the little green hut things along the walkway cleaned up. Entirely too much bird shit.
great place to get away best time to go is at night
enough said
First, I love that the entrance sign reads "La Jolla Cove Underwater Park." Awesome!
Lately, with the heat, I've been spending a lot of my free time here. I feel endlessly fortunate that it's only a mere 15 minute drive down the coast from my house. The cove is, hands down, the very best free Summer fun to be had in San Diego. Snorkel in lovely, calm water with the fishies and the seals whilst watching the back-and-forth sway of the kelp forest. If you're in pretty good shape, I highly recommend swimming through the cave slightly to the northeast. It's a bit of a haul, but it's a fantastic workout and it's wonderful fun!
Yesterday I was fortunate enough to come upon some other snorkelers who were feeding the fish and because I was so close, I ended up in the center of a swarm of lovely (and very gentle) cove creatures. A large California garibaldi mistook my right index finger for food. He had no teeth, so it actually felt kind of cool. I'll bet those fish like cat food, and I'm going to find out the next time I go.
I love the cove, as well as the nearby La Jolla Shores beach, where you'll run upon many leopard sharks, stingrays, and shovel-nosed guitarfish.
Thank goodness for La Jolla. After a huge disappointment at Mission Bay Park (too crowded / too ghetto / too dirty / too full of tourist traps) in the morning, we are happy to finally find ourselves in picturesque La Jolla Cove.
The water is clear, so clear that you can see hermit crabs everywhere (which does not do anything to alleviate my revulsion toward swimming in the sea). The sand is warm and the cliffs (with the Pacific Ocean as the backdrop) are just simply fantabulous.
Coming from a place where pretty beaches are only 15 minutes away, I could not help but feeling jealous of those who are lucky enough to have beautiful La Jolla at their doorstep.
I used to go snorkeling here when I lived in San Diego. I thought it was great, because you didn't have to go very far, and there were always plenty of fish to see. The only kind of fish I ever learned by name was the garibaldi, however. It is probably the most easily spotted of the species that dwell here, due both to its striking bright orange appearance, and its relative abundance. After snorkeling I'd be really hungry, and there's no shortage of places around here to grab a bite.
Years later, after I'd moved to San Francisco, a friend of mine told me a story in which she stopped her car near La Jolla Shores beach one evening, took her shoes off, walked into the water and swam all the way across to the cove, fully clothed. I responded that, although this seemed possible to do, it also seemed kind of unlikely. She didn't appreciate that answer at all.
I think she still hates me for that, which is too bad, because I don't hate her.
I've been going to La Jolla Cove every Summer for the last 20 years+ of my life and every time I go there it feels like the first time all over again, every time! Meaning: this please will forever be gorgeous, stunning, amazing, breathtaking, etc... The perfect outdoor spot for anything.
Great Place for a Snorkeling or Scuba Tour:
San Diego Scuba & Snorkeling Tours of La Jolla Cove. Snorkeling and Scuba are San Diego's favorite family fun activities and a Guided Snorkel or Scuba Tour of the La Jolla Cove Ecological Underwater Park is as fun for the family as the San Diego Zoo or SeaWorld. Whether your on Vacation in San Diego, just visiting or local treat yourself and your family to snorkeling or scuba diving the beautiful Cove of La Jolla.
Call: (858) 539-0054
http://www.SnorkelSanD...
Gorgeous.GORGEOUS... breathtaking... splendiferous....
I love coming at low tide and walking on the seaweed in certain parts... it feels like squishy carpet... except more ocean-ee.
I also know it might not be kosher - but I like to catch the baby rock crabs and feed them to the anemones...
Don't be all sobby, the little suckers had it coming for running away all the time... I would've been nice if they let me be pals will them in the first place.
Really.
Aside from that... there are plenty of new things to discover each time - I have a pet rock-brontosaurus that lives over by some tide pools... and it's just....... an amazing place to get away.
Plus, there are plenty of places to eat nearby... lots of choices - and the exploding boats at the museum make a GREAT meeting landmark for visitors to the area.
Overall...if I were a bum, I'd dig myself a place into one of these cliffs.
