La Jolla Underwater Park

Always fun way to spend a couple of hours. You will see seals there almost every time. I’ve been in this cove off and on for years. It’s a great location

This place is kind of hard to find, especially with the difficulties of finding parking and crowds. but once you find it, you’ll be really happy that you did!
There are stairs to lead you down to the small beach area. The beach is small, but has little to no waves to make this the ideal snorkeling spot!
I came during a weekday in summer and of course, it was packed. Hardly any space to put your stuff down.
Although it was right in the middle of summer during the hottest part of the day, the water was colder than I thought it would be! Just jump in and get used to it!
I highly recommend wearing flippers or water shoes. I forgot mine in my car that was parked miles away and considered going back. There are plants and rocks that might feel uncomfortable to step on barefooted. If you’re like me, you don’t like your bare feet walking on gooey algae and plants.
While out in the calm water, there are a few big rocks that you can stand on which is kinda cool because you can rest and be in the middle of all the bright orange Garibaldi fishes! I didn’t see any other fish or creatures besides sea lions, unfortunately =[
This is a sea lion hangout area! You will see tons of them. They chill on the beach, by a rock out in the water and swim around the snorkeling area. A swimmer accidentally swam right into one!
The tide pool area is VERYYYYYYYy slippery! I went on the rocks barefoot, slipped, and my foot and knee started bleeding. I witnessed plenty of other people fall too. This is where water shoes with good grip comes in handy!
There are restrooms in the grassy area that you’ll walk to in order to reach this beach.
My friend and I had a fun, good work out swimming out and seeing so many Girabaldi fishes! I recommend checking this place out if snorkeling or scuba diving is your thing!

La Jolla Underwater Park is a wonderful area for anyone looking to scuba dive, snorkel, or just hang out and enjoy some marine wildlife.
The park contains an Ecological Reserve which prohibits fishing, which is a main reason why we decided to do our snorkeling here. Natural kelp beds and artificial reefs attract all sorts of marine animals, from fish to birds to seals.
Snorkling was a lot of fun because of the plethora of fish in the water, everywhere you looked there was something to see. While the water was a bit chillier than I would have liked (I should have wore a wetsuit!), the water was calm which made snorkeling quite easy. The sea caves are a very interesting area to explore.
Numerous seals make this area their home, where locals and tourists come to watch them nap on their rocks and fight playfully with one another. We even saw a seal swimming near us while we were snorkeling!
Paid parking spaces are rather limited, otherwise there is nothing I dislike about this area. A must visit when in the San Diego area in my opinion.

Pros: Exploring sea caves while snorkeling.
Cons: Water temperatures aren’t optimal so wet suits are necessary. Parking can be challenging. Entrance is difficult to find for non resort guests.

Great place to experience all the la jolla coast has to offer. Beach, tidal pools, and seals.