If a trip to Southern California is on your wishlist, the seaside town of La Jolla is well worth adding to your itinerary. It’s just north of San Diego and is set on a beautiful coastline with rugged cliffs, small coves and views out across the Pacific.
At the centre is La Jolla Village, a compact and walkable area packed with cafés, boutiques, galleries and restaurants. Palm trees line the streets and many of the buildings follow the Spanish-inspired Californian style with soft pink and sandy-coloured façades. The streets are beautiful with manicured lawns and colourful flowers.
A full itinerary for the San Diego area including a map, downloadable itinerary plus links to hotels, restaurants and activities, can be found on the full website page here.
Stay
La Valencia is one of La Jolla’s historic properties and sits in a spectacular position overlooking the Pacific. Built in the 1920s, the building has a classic Southern California coastal look with soft pink tones, terracotta tiles and Mediterranean-style detailing. At first glance it can look slightly dated, but the old-world, lived-in feel is part of its charm.
The location is hard to beat. You are right in the centre of La Jolla village, surrounded by cafés, boutiques and restaurants and just a few minutes’ walk from the ocean cliffs.
The focal point at La Valencia is the pool, set on a terrace overlooking the ocean. The cabana bar serves drinks and light food throughout the day.
Do
MCASD
This is the local outpost of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and is one of our favourite museums anywhere in the world! The setting right on the coast is stunning. It has sleek, airy interiors and views of the Pacific outside. The permanent collection is impressive, with works from iconic artists including Andy Warhol and Ed Ruscha. We loved the fun sculpture from Yayoi Kusama (below right) on show in the lobby!
There are also temporary exhibitions, with A Decade of Pop Prints and Multiples showing on our last visit. This featured over sixty Pop Art prints, offering an impressive survey of Pop’s growth across the United States, England and Europe.
Murals of La Jolla
One of the more unexpected and fun things to do in La Jolla is the mural art trail. The Murals of La Jolla project has brought large-scale contemporary artworks to building walls around town, turning a simple walk through the neighbourhood into an informal outdoor gallery. The murals vary widely in style, from bold graphic pieces to intricate, colourful works that cover entire façades. Some of our favourite murals are show below to give you an idea.
Coastal walk
The best way to start a day in La Jolla is to walk along the coastal path. Start at La Jolla Cove, a small, rocky inlet that is a popular place for divers and swimmers to enter the sea. From here, walk along the coastal path to the Children’s pool, where harbour seals lounge on the beach in the afternoon sun. Carry on down to Wipeout Beach where you can admire the skim boarders and surfers in action. Carry on down to Culver Park, a sandy beachfront park with picnic tables, BBQs & panoramic ocean views.
Dine
George’s at the Cove – dinner
This is one of the most established restaurants on the La Jolla dining scene and one we always book. We dine on the rooftop terrace, which has simply stunning ocean views. We’ve been lucky to have spectacular sunsets on the last two occasions we’ve dined there. Book a premium seating option (not cheap!) if you want a table right along the glass wall. The vibe is buzzy, lively and casual.
George’s serves up polished but relaxed California coastal food, with familiar dishes given a fresh West Coast spin through bright citrus, local seafood and seasonal produce. Save space for dessert with indulgent options like sticky toffee cake, chocolate crémeux and crème brûlée.
Cove House – lunch
Set just steps from La Jolla Cove, Cove House is one of favourite spots for breakfast and brunch. It has a laid back, California coastal vibe and a lively atmosphere. Locals who live in the sunshine are happy to have sit in the cool inside! But we go for a table on the terrace with views of the sea or we pull up a stool at the bar. Cove House serves a sunny, California-style brunch that mixes classic egg dishes and indulgent breakfast favourites, including French toast and several takes on Eggs Benedict.
Blue Whale – brunch
The Blue Whale has a laid-back surf vibe, with a sunny terrace and a stream of locals queuing out of the door for coffee and breakfast: always a good sign! It has a relaxed buzz that feels very Californian. The menu is simple but done well. Breakfast sandwiches and burritos are the main attraction. We went for the lovely açaí bowl which had plenty of fresh fruit and was finished off with peanut butter.
Shop
La Jolla has an impressive array of shops, boutiques and galleries for a town of its size. If you like browsing and shopping you can easily spend a morning or an afternoon doing just that! A good place to start is the lower end of Girard Avenue, close to our favourite breakfast spot, the Blue Whale. You can then stroll up the avenue back towards the coast.
Warwick’s
Warwick’s at 7812 Gerard Avenue is one of those independent bookshops with real character. It has well-stocked shelves covering a whole range of genres, along with recommendations from people working in the store. They also organise regular talks from authors, so worth checking their website when you are there is you like that sort of event.
Aviator Nation
This boutique adds a brighter, more playful note to Girard Avenue. It’s one of the most colourful and fun stores we’ve seen. They sell colourful sweats and T-shirts that feel very much in keeping with Southern California’s casual, surf-rooted style.
Faherty
Faherty at 7824 Gerard is worth popping into even if you are not shopping, as the store really captures that easy California surf mood, It has an area with sofas and books where any non-shoppers can chill out for a while!
A trip to La Jolla is a lovely seaside stay to add to any Southern Californian holiday. It’s only minutes by car from the centre of San Diego but feels like a different world. It packs so much into a small area, from culture, to dining to beaches and coastal walks.
Check out our website for a more detailed itinerary, including weblinks to all the places we recommend here.
