Fun place and I was able to find the type of seashells I was looking for all along!! My granddaughter and I played and ran through the rock caves. For those with sensitive feet, you should consider wearing beach shoes. read more

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shell beach is perfect for a day in the beach the san diego weather makes the experience here the best, with the cold water reshot your from the humid heat here. parking is challenging, so be patient as you find a spot i found no shells in shell beach tho read more

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Shell beach is absolutely beautiful. Parking can be challenging, but the beach is a favorite of our kids because of the amount of shells and sea glass! read more

Worth the price of admission. Minutes away from Downtown La Jolla's main businesses and resorts, it's a wonderful spot to sit and relax. I got married a few blocks from here and this place reminds me of that time in my life. Definitely a tourist location. Be back soon. read more

Shell Beach - Beautiful! - Beaches Near Me - San Diego, California

This high-traffic area seems to attract plenty of attention. Not all of it is good. Certainly, there is a kind of beauty here: the ocean crashing against the shorelines consisting of sandy and rocky areas; harbor seals and sea lions hauling out and even tending to their babies here; ice plant covered bluffs creating habitat for ground squirrels and baby seabirds. Those same things seem to also gain the attention of many well-meaning but naive tourists... on our last visit here, we watched hundreds of people getting way too close to the baby sea lions on the rocks. Junior Warden Ben sez: harassing marine mammals is a federal crime. Alas, no one here seems to care. I love the ocean, I love the beach. But at the same time, I enjoy going to natural places to get away from people. No such luck here, no matter how you slice it. read more

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Too many people and not much parking when there are a lot of people. It is a beach though and if you want to get wet you can. Also nice for sunsets wen not crowded. Have been a few times but always people. There are nice rock formations. I have always gone to the beach to watch sunsets and walk in the sand. It is therapeutic but not when there are lots of others there. Sunsets make it worth while. read more

Shell Beach is yet another one of La Jolla's beautiful beaches. Very small Beach as the waves leave little dry area in the sand. Great beach to spend a day at solo with a book and such. read more

Shell Beach - Shell Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Diego, California

Stunning; just stunning. The location is just breathtaking. Beautiful view; beautiful beach; beautiful sunsets. Lots of benches along the top of the cliff if you can't make it down to hike hello. Also a walkway above the beach for those who like to walk along and just hear the beach waves. Like most beaches at sunset though it does get crowded but it's worth it so worth it! read more

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It's a small beach and not accessible if you cannot handle a couple flights of steep, sandy stairs... but if you make it to the bottom alive, you are in for a treat. The Beach is sandy with tons of shells to look through and the water is crystal clear. Lots of rocks so you can't really play in the water very far in without hurting yourself. Stay for the sunset though. It's quite a treat. read more

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Yet another gorgeous beach in La Jolla. This one is more for the humans but don't be surprised to see a seal pop up if you're swimming. The beach area is pretty narrow at high tide but there's still plenty of room to relax here. There are even a few large flat rocks to hang out on. Careful on the stairs, they're very sandy and slippery! read more

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If you're planning to visit the area, check the tides schedule. If you can, it's worth going there during low tide, when tidal pools are accessible on foot. It's very pretty, but also very slippery, so be careful. Did see some ladies in a high heels trying to navigate around the tidal pools, but they are all slimy since they are covered with sea grass, so I wouldn't recommend it. Also, it gets smelly, so if it bothers you, you were warned. Beautiful area to visit, but gets highly congested even on foot, so be prepared to look for the parking. read more

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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. read more

Shell Beach - I was happily shocked to see so many beautiful shells. This place competes with silver strand. - Beaches Near Me - San Diego, California

Beautiful beach along the coast, accessible by stairs, tide pools, rarely crowded. Only minutes away from Scripps Park and Children's Pool. I recommend visiting all 3 spots. Lots of street parking, great restaurants and art galleries in the neighborhood. read more

Very cool spot! Waves were mesmerizing and tons of tiny creatures. Large sand granules so it was easy to brush off our feet and legs. But wear water shoes! Rough rocks and the waves come in hard against your feet and legs. Throw in pebbles and bricks broken shells, kinda stung. But worth the experience. We actually didn't find many whole shells here. Just lots of broken pieces. read more

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Parking is difficult, so you need patience. Trek to tide pool area was tricky, but nice to see. Wish that the walk to the beach was easier... Did see some hermit crabs & sea anemone. Beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. read more

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Great spot for taking the kids. The tide pools were fun although slippery. Get their early for parking. read more

Shell Beach - Seals nearby. - Beaches Near Me - San Diego, California

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A #1 listing when you search SEA GLASS California, but I must inform you there must have been as typo. More like "SEA GRASS Beach" Beautiful but small. Tons of people. Steep sandy stairs followed by a 30 foot long pile of huge rocks before you reach sand. I do not recommend. Look at it from the parkway above and find somewhere far less traveled. read more

We went here twice to check tide pools and look for sea glass. Easy to get to and we had a great time.

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. read more

My family and I enjoyed a day at shell beach, even though it was overcast. It's a great beach with seals that swim near by. The area where we were at was pretty empty, which allowed for my daughter and nephew to run around without bothering anyone. read more

Shell Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Diego, California

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. read more

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. read more

My family's first time coming here. It is beyond beautiful! The steps make it easy to climb down to the beach, the only thing to be careful with is the rocks at the very bottom of the steps. Not a lot of them, but enough to have to walk over to get to the beach. Not somewhere to bring chairs and a canopy to, but the rocks around the beach make for great seating. There are a few tidepools for the kiddos to see. My boys saw several hermit crab and anemones. They (ages 15 & 11) spent the entire time in the tidepool area, which I was amazed how entertained they were by it. There is a beautiful park like area just above where you can sit under a tree and just enjoy the views. The childrens pool is also within walking distance, maybe like a 5-7 min walk. Parking is not bad! Yes there is traffic, but much easier to park then other beaches that I have been to before. Some areas have signs that state 2 hr parking, other designated areas have no signs at all. Free parking near the beach and within the little neighborhoods. It is a gorgeous place to visit, highly recommend it! read more

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

This is one of the cleanest most beautiful beaches ever! Drove 2.5 hours here from Irvine & was not disappointed. There's tide pools eveywhere & it's fun to explore & walk around. Parking stinks especially during weekends so bring someone who is patient & can parallel park for you!! Will come back for the summer :) also remember to bring sunscreen lmao read more

Sea lions everywhere! Children need to be closely watched since there are MANY slippery rocks and a steep staircase leading down to the beach. Also, it tends to get crowded and is a very small beach. Overall, speaking from someone who doesn't like crowds and has two young children-if you're up for it, it's worth the trip at least once! read more

Shell Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Diego, California

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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. read more

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! read more

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. read more

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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! read more

Shell Beach - Gorgeous beach, beautiful waves and lovely weather - Beaches Near Me - San Diego, California

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I love la jolla. Everywhere you go its just so beautiful and clean. We got to swim in thie beach saw a couple of seals. We went into the little cave to the other end and the waves were hitting nicely so we stand there for a bit just looking at the ocean, taking in the beauty. read more

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. read more

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! read more

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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 read more

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. read more

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

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. read more

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. read more

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! read more

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