Shell Beach

This was a really nice beach. It smells horribly of seaweed. Parking is almost nonexistent in one way. We didn’t see a single lot that you could park in for the day. All they have is street parking and that has a limit of 2 hours. Due to the lack of parking I love the 2 hour limit. This gives everyone a chance for a little time at the beach. So, thank you community for putting on these limit. Due to these limits people are constantly coming and going and if you are patient you can pull into a space soon enough. We got a really nice space two blocks away and set our timer. The truth is after you’ve hit 2 beaches 2 hours is plenty of time.
The said is a big course, you only notice this when you visit other beaches the same day.
This is a very small patch of sand on this beach. The place wasn’t crowed, but enough people to remind you that you picked a good spot. Which is ok. It makes it a more intimate beach and when you are only staying 2 hours its fine.
There is a real life guard here. It’s so cool. In SF and Alameda we don’t have lifeguards. Here there are lifeguards in the towers and another below under an umbrella on a chair. I think that is so cool and reassuring. The beach has a sign no boarding due to rough undercurrent. I stayed on shore and waded no farther than my waist. The water was warm and refreshing, nothing like SF. It was so clear. I couldn’t believe how clear it was. This fact made me come back a second time. The sand was a bit damp due to the narrowness of the beach, which was ok. You just don’t put anything you don’t want wet on the ground.
I think there may have been tide pools here, but due to the tide was coming up I didn’t want to venture into the rock area. I did find many little empty shells. It was wonderful. I love finding shells. It’s what I live for on a vacation.
I’ll be back here on our next trip. I don’t want to miss out on finding more shells. The other close shelling beach is silver strand, but it’s a bit more of a drive.

I wish I had brought my bathing suit with me, the waves are huge here and it looks like the kids love it. I could spend all day here!

My mom wanted to take me here and see the sea lions today and see how beautiful this beach really is.
They have some of the best views that I have never seen before and have been captured onto my camera and for everyone to see. This beach is beautiful enough to have photo shoots on or even a wedding.
The only down side to this beach is it’s really crowded and people can get rowdy. We didn’t stay long but there are so many other things I would like to explore for future visits.
We will be back!

Shell Beach is small picturesque beach laying in between La Jolla Cove and the Children’s Pool. Although it is too rocky for swimming. It offers great opportunities to look at tide pools and to watch the seals play on the rocks. It is also a good place for photography. The only problem with Shell Beach is that the sand is really coarse and is full of shell pieces. Which makes it a bit rough on the feet. Also do to its size access may be limited during high tide.

This is a cool little spot to check out but timing is very important. Look up the best times to go because the sea life is not always abundant and present in the tide pools. The pictures you see with tons of sea urchins, fish, and crabs can be misleading. This is not what they always look like. With that being said, when you do catch the abundance of sea life you’re in for a treat!

We hung out for a few hours today in the shade of the rocks. W were able to sit in an alcove & go about waist high in the water. Sand is not as fine so it doesn’t stick like at some of the other beaches. I hope we can come back to this spot, it was great.

Unique stretch of beach and noticeably less crowded than the coves nearby.
It is best to visit at low tide however, so you can take advantage of walking in the tide pools. We visited at high tide and the tide pools are completely submerged by the ocean water.
Be very careful walking down the narrow stairs, especially at the end. It was very slippery and I took a bit of tumble into a large pile of rocks at the base of the stairs. I would not recommend this beach for small children. It is just too dangerous getting there for little ones.

So beautiful! Super fun to bring the kids to check out the tidepools. Best time to come is low tide. The water is clear and there are a ton of different creatures to check out. Sea anemones were all over the inside of the tidepools and my daughter loved to touch them. It’s a nice place to spend the day

LOVE THIS BEACH! It is right on the La Jolla Cove and has beautifully clear water that I’ve only seen in Hawaii and in Laguna Beach. There are plenty of fun rocks to hangout on which is fun. The name of the beach comes from the tiny shells that make up the sand which can be a little hard on some people’s feet especially where the sand meets the water. The little shells and rocks make this beach a particularly beautiful beach and amazing experience overall. It’s not really the classic So Cal beach where people come with a ton of gear and supplies to camp out for the day as it is meant for somewhat short visits with a few people reading on the sand or enjoying the scenery which is exactly my kind of beach. I can’t wait to go back!

Great beach, love love love!
Definitely a great place to bring dogs, family, kids, do a picnic.
Wonderful sunsets here too!!!

I loved that I easily found free parking and was able to walk around for a short while on the beach and through the tide pools. This is definitely a place to take small children as I’m sure they’ll enjoy trying to find the little critters under the rocks.
The spot is picturesque and great for photography. At the time of my visit (late afternoon), the waves were not too strong which is ideal for those with children who’d like to go for swim.
Highly recommended.

An intimate stretch of sand nestled between the Children’s Pool and Boomer Beach, just south of the La Jolla Cove. Shell Beach is an ideal spot for tidepooling, shell hunting, and wading for small kids.
The reef comes all the way up to the shoreline, making it less desirable for most swimmers, and board sports are not allowed.
The seals like the privacy the beach offers, and you’ll get to see them lounging on the rocks 30 feet from shore.
Far less crowded than the nearby La Jolla Cove.

Stunning, breathtaking and THE town I would chose to live in if I moved to the San Diego area.
The beaches are some of the nicest I have ever seen and range from tide pools where you can swim with real wildlife, who needs SeaWorld when you have Children’s Pool in La Jolla?
All the way to cliffs and coves, so much to explore… views all the way downtown, as well as vast, endless ocean ahead, gorgeous.
Everything here is so peaceful, organic, scenic… rich.
That is what you have to be to live here, but I would say it is well worth it.

This is a great place for sitting, having a picnic (above the beach), relaxing, taking photos, enjoying the scenery — I do not recommend swimming there, the waves are quite rough some times (it’s not as calm as at the Cove). This is a great place to see the Tide Pools, I remember coming here as a kid and seeing so much.

Such a nice area with so much to see for kids and family. Shell Beach is so much fun and there is so much to learn and see and do. We spent a day where and could have spent another. It got a bit crowded on the weekend but was nice during the week when we walked by!

Nice place to enjoy the view of the beautiful Pacific Ocean. It’s also a great spot for taking engagement photos etc!

Just beautiful. I loved it. Walking around and seeing the tide pools was pure awesomeness :) I love Sunset Cliffs but this is definitely a close second.

So much fun! It’s never too crowded, so it’s a nice, peaceful place to explore. Be careful though, certain spots are very slippery, so tread with care. It’s so exciting to find different sea creatures and touching the anemones! I’m a sucker for exploring things like this, so it’s definitely a good place to spend an hour or two. Not to mention, there’s also a great view. It’s beautiful. The water is much clearer than up in places like Santa Monica or Huntington.
Also, be respectful of the wildlife!

This is a nice area on the south side of the beach not many people go to this side on the beach.

This is an amazing place to spend an hour! Just a short walk from La Jolla Cove, Shell Beach is an amazing site for children and adults! My two year old and I visit here weekly with her fishing net and explore the various tide pools. We are always able to find amazing sea life, little fish, anemones, limpets, Chitons, crabs, and seals! There are stairs to get you down or cliffs that you can slide down if you are crazy like me. Visit during low tide otherwise you won’t be able to see into the tide pools, but still during high tide a pretty place.