La Jolla Cove is a cove and a beach in La Jolla, San Diego, California. It is a very small beach within walking distance from the Children's Pool Beach. Scripps Park, a grassy area commonly used for picnicking, is located on the bluffs above the beach.
La Jolla Cove is popular for swimming, scuba diving and snorkelling. However, since 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 this rule is carefully enforced by the lifeguards, specifically in the part of the area defined as the Ecological Reserve.
Just a short swim away to the right on the coast is "Sunny Jim Cave." It is also accessible from a nearby store, which charges a nominal fee to go down a staircase leading to the cave.
The La Jolla Cove is home to the annual La Jolla Cove Rough Water swim. This is one of the oldest ocean swims in the world.
No fishing or collecting of marine invertebrates, (even taking dead specimens or seashells) is allowed. All sea animals in this area are protected by law, including the orange Garibaldi fish, which are unusually common in the Cove.
| To the North: La Jolla Shores |
California State Beaches | To the South Children's Pool Beach |