Anything about nature has to be 5 stars. The ocean, the waves, the tide coming in and out, the…read moreocean spray. This visit to the tide pools was more of a walk along the trails. The views and trails are spectacular. Portions of the trail can be steep with large steps, take your time while you're trekking along. You will need to visit during low tide if you will explore the actual tide pools rather than traveling on the trails. Tide pools are best accessed from the 1st / main parking lot. I opted to park at the farther north parking lot and explore the trails heading south. If you review the map you can see the first parking lot with restrooms marked, then if you take the fork to the right, there are 2 more smaller parking lots. The walk from the farther north parking lots, to the mail parking lot is a distance so best to decide before you get there if you need to use the restroom. The entrance road is Cabrillo Road, and it makes a sharp turn towards the farther parking lots. To get to the Point Loma Tide Pools and the trails you are entering the Cabrillo National Monument and there is a fee for admission; I opted to purchase an annual pass for a small amount more than the daily fee. There are several different National Park Passes; if you like to visit many, consider the America the Beautiful pass and you can save a lot. I do recommend the Point Loma Tide Pools and trails, you can visit the Tide Pools and Cabrillo National Monument with your 1 admission price and there are so many things to see. Use caution and review the signage at the tide pools/trails, keep kids close and don't stand at the edge for photos and turn your back to the ocean. You'll be able to set up a great shot even if you're not near the edge. There are plenty of plants and squirrels around, remember you're in a National Park so nothing should be disturbed while you're there. Keep it nice for years to come. Add this to your places to see when you are in San Diego. Even has a local, I hadn't been here (that I can remember) and I've been back a few times since my first visit in March 2025. fthathteoi ncntehthe ht ajdhtgthae ihatie hait he inghggti nadh

Yes, you should absolutely visit the Point Loma Tide Pools but know before you go:…read more 1. Only come during low tide. There are two low tides and two high tides a day. The information is available online. I believe the tide pools are closed during high tide and for very good reason. 2. The tide pools are located within the Cabrillo National Monument park which means you will have to pay to visit them. This isn't like going to the beach for free. We paid $20 and you can visit both the tide pools and the monument/lighthouse, if you like. 3. Yes, parking is tough but the lot is fairly large and the spots turn over regularly. Apparently, there are two lots. I completely ignored the "LOT FULL" sign and found an open spot in seconds. 4. Wear shoes appropriate for climbing on and over rocks. This isn't like going to the beach and dipping your tootsies in the water. If you have decent balance, even better. You don't want to fall on these rocks. This ain't "a day at the beach." This is straggling over rocks to find sea life in tide pools. This is a spectacular location for tide pooling. You will probably see crabs, including lots of hermit crabs, anemones, small fish, and maybe even medium-sized fish. We even saw an absolutely enormous sea hare (or sea slug). It was black as night and easily half the size of a small cat. We also saw a brittle star, which is a type of small, squiggly star fish. You could spend an hour to two hours here and this is a must-do attraction if you live in San Diego or are visiting. You cannot find this kind of tide pooling just anywhere.

What a hidden gem, at least for me! Maybe because it is so difficult to park on that area I never…read moreventured to explore what was there or how to reach there and I was content with seeing the whales from far (as I am not that interested in them that I am with the nature surrounding them). Finally, I had to go to a job interview and the parking nightmare was solved for me so I only had to walk a bit and found the 'hiking' path which is actually more a waking trail (but sturdy shoes are better than light sneakers to avoid slippery terrain). Just gorgeous, sunny, not crowded (again, I didn't go to the seals section, just wanted to walk and admire the ocean and the beautiful houses and the blue skies). Very soothing. There are several benches to stop and medidate if you are into this, as well as a commemorative rock dedicated to the Kumeyaay native Americans that lived here. You should expect to visit this between 30-60 minutes as is not a very long trail.

We lived over the La Jolla Underwater Park for a year. It's like waking up every morning looking…read moreinto a vast aquarium! From our balcony, we saw tiger sharks, green sea turtles, Garibaldi fish, and more ... including more than one whale offshore. We had a 'pet" osprey outside our window who'd share dinner with us -- OK, he was eating his fresh-caught fish while we had dinner.

Not at all crowded here. A good path to walk around on the great afternoon…read more Enjoying the view and some small Sting Rays A few walker and people playing fetch in the water with there dog.

One of my favorite places to stroll alongside in the Point Loma/San Diego area. The little path…read morethat runs in front of the houses is a nice spot to admire the boats while also getting in some steps in a fairly uncrowded area. I've never seen this area very crowded -- then again, I've never strolled through here on a summer afternoon. I love grabbing a tea from the nearby Better Buzz and then walking over to here and walking the path. 2024: 4/100

* catching up on old backlogged drafts so this review may be a bit out of date…read more Stumbled upon this beach after getting food nearby and decided to post up here for the day and had a lovely time. We went in early August and brought our snorkel gear. Saw lots of little crabs and rock dwelling critters along the rocks on the right side, lots of seaweed/kelp/plant matter to swim through but a good amount of bright yellow garibaldi poking out from them as well! The best part was the harbor seals!! There were some lounging up on rock platforms and we had one curious little guy swimming along with us as well snorkeled the area. The beach was relatively empty on a week day although there were a few people being annoying to the lounging harbor seals and getting a bit too close!

Nice free activity. The beach was closed near Sun set time since there were seals on the shore. We…read morelooked at them for quite a while. And not too crazy crowded. Can get a bit chilly towards the night. There are bathrooms on site in case the tea you drank is done brewing. Street parking can be found ....eventually

I can attest -- this is a hidden gem. I've been to basically all parts of La Jolla and stumbled…read moreupon this beach. I know it existed and was able to get to it before, but the other entrance I went to was closed off. So, I finally found the opening and it was great -- not busy at all and very peaceful.

Very pretty and not busy. Does have a lifeguard at least in summer. However waves are rough in…read morethe afternoon especially and there is a pretty steep ledge / drop off making it deep fast -- and those waves crash into that ledge making it a hazard for swimmers and body surfers.

Super fun place to visit, especially during low tide. Bring your pets, friends, and family and…read moreenjoy a nice day at the beach

The entrance to this tide pool starts at the south end of public parking lot at the corner of New…read morePort Ave and Abbott Street. It's a fairly flat route but slippery at some spots (and may not be passable depending on the tides).

One of my favorite beach walks in San Diego for a plethora of reasons!…read more Love people watching? Want to see all the tourists in the water without a wetsuit and claim the water isn't cold? Into window shopping, getting a drink, or just walking along a nice stretch of beach? Mission Beach checks all those boxes! Lifeguard station is front and center. Listen to them when they make announcements....surfers on this side, swimmers on this side... Beach warning flags are clearly posted. Dog friendly with plenty of bag stations along the way. The sun can be unforgiving, so plan accordingly with water for you and your pup! Love this spot! 5 stars!

NICE PLACE TO STAY FOR A BEACH GETAWAY…read more====================================== I found an Airbnb in South Mission Beach with a big garage, so I booked it for a few days for my anniversary. We had kind of scoped out the area a few months in advance when my son and his Army co-workers were staying in a hostel. I thought it would be a great place to take our e-bikes because I noticed the paths around Mission Bay. We were really happy we had a nice place with a big garage because finding street parking would be a royal pain. We avoided riding our bikes on Mission Boulevard like the plague because you would definitely be taking your life in your own hands. One day we rode to La Jolla via Strandway by the beach. I am pretty sure it was the weekend and it was a total zoo. I finally told my husband we needed to go to La Jolla via a street, that wasn't Mission Boulevard. There is also a path around Mission Bay you can take, but you might be dodging pedestrians too. If you want to ride your bike around the area I highly recommend going on a weekday when schools are back in session.

Crystal Pier is one of the most beautiful spots in San Diego! The ocean views are incredible,…read moreespecially at sunset. Walking along the pier and seeing the cottages over the water makes for a unique experience. A must-visit when you're in Pacific Beach. Please check out my video : https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8sEBT8t/

On a little weekender, on the first day, I told my baby I wanted to walk out to the end of a pier…read moreand do some sunset, beach, drinks type stuff at some point over the weekend. We lucked up on Crystal Pier. My sweet baby's selection. More of a locals hangout. Parking is competitive and paid parking is a grip, but we had a beautiful time! The common theme among every person there was the pause to take it all in. Great vibe! Lots of restaurants. Great walking path up and down the beach. All kids of people. Dog walkers, surfers, people in the sand laying, playing volleyball, all kings of things. By the time the sun was ready to slip away, we were in the perfect spot at the end of the pier. We lucked out of the best weather imaginable. The lightest cool breeze, not overly humid and clear. What a special time!! Holding hands. Sweet kisses. I loved it. Romantic. Refreshing. Relaxing. All the things I love and a fantastic way to start our evening.