La Jolla Cove is a picturesque cove and beach in La Jolla, San Diego, California. The Cove is a very small beach in comparison to the other beaches in San Diego and is within walking distance of the Children’s Pool Beach. The Children’s Pool Beach consists of a built sea wall that was made to create a safe zone for children and families to come and enjoy the waters without being bombarded by the ocean waves. La Jolla is also known as “the jewel” of San Diego. Up on the bluffs above the beach and stretching south to other nearby beaches including Shell Beach, is Scripps Park, a grassy area with trees and other plantings. The Park is commonly used for picnicking and relaxing.
Part of the beach and shallow water at the Cove
Lifeguards are present at the Cove every day of the year from 9 am until the sun sets. The Cove is a very popular spot for swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. Due to the fact that La Jolla Cove is within the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park (a marine refuge area), swimming devices such as surfboards, boogie boards, and even inflatable mattresses are not permitted, and kayakers are not allowed into the Cove; these rules are carefully enforced by the lifeguards on duty. Because of the ecological reserve, no fishing or collecting of marine invertebrates, (even taking dead specimens or seashells) is allowed in this area. All sea animals in this area are protected by law, including the orange Garibaldi fish, which are unusually common in the Cove. A few sea lions can sometimes be seen in the deeper water of the Cove or basking on rocks.
As is the case at other beaches, the lifeguard’s chalkboard indicates the time of the next high or low tide, and also the water temperature. The water temperature in the Cove is sometimes cooler than in some other areas of San Diego’s coastline because the Cove faces out into deeper water. The weather at the cove elicits its rare microclimate that seldom hits below 50 degrees or surpasses 90 degrees.
Right at the top of the Cove, conveniently, there is a group of outdoor showers, and large public restrooms which include an indoor area for changing in and out of swimsuits etc.
The La Jolla Cave, also known as “Sunny Jim Cave”, is a short walking distance from the Cove and from the local businesses that are situated up above the shoreline. The cave is accessible through The Cave Store, which charges a nominal fee to go down a staircase leading to the cave itself.
The La Jolla Cove is home to the annual “La Jolla Cove Rough Water Swim” which is one of the oldest ocean swims in the world.