San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. City information for tourist, leisure, business travels

Places to go

Surrounded by aquamarine waters and filled with art galleries, shops and some of San Diego's best restaurants, La Jolla, its name taken from the Spanish "la hoya," which means "the jewel," adorns the shoreline just north of San Diego. It's the San Diego area's most upscale beach town, with elegant homes and businesses gracing the shores of La Jolla Cove.

Things to do in La Jolla

Most visitors walk along the shoreline around Scripps Park, but for a more private walk with places to sit and enjoy the view, take the steps going down next to 1298 Prospect. Follow the wooden fence beside the cave entrance, then walk along the dirt path. You'll find few people here, but you won't be alone. A large colony of cormorants and a seagulls inhabit the cliff face below.

Restaurants include some of the most highly recommended restaurants in San Diego such as Roppongi and Acqua Trattoria. This is a great place for a splurge on a meal. Keep the bill down by going for lunch, or share a couple of appetizers instead of ordering a main course.

Some more of La Jolla's best things to do include:

Museum of Contemporary Art - A branch of the museum downtown.
Birch Aquarium - Run by the Scripps Oceanographic Institute, they have an extensive sea horse collection.
Every summer, music from free Sunday afternoon concerts fills Scripps Park.
La Jolla playhouse - Their productions have earned over 200 awards, including the 1993 Tony for Outstanding Regional Theater.
La Jolla Art Festival - Held in June, it is ranked as one of the best art festivals in the country.
La Jolla Walking Tours - A selection of tours for every temperament. Walk and shop, visit a museum, have lunch or breakfast.

Sleeping in La Jolla

La Jolla is an easy day trip from San Diego, but if you want to stay overnight, plan ahead. There less than 600 hotel rooms in La Jolla, and hotel occupancy averages almost 80%. Be prepared to open your wallet, too - the average vacationer spends $320 a day here.

Getting to La Jolla, Parking

La Jolla is a 20-minute drive from downtown San Diego via Interstate 5 north. Exit at Ardath Road west. Ardath Road becomes Torrey Pines Road. Continuing west on Torrey Pines Road, and you reach the Village when you come to Prospect Place. Turn Right on Prospect Place to enter the heart of town.

On the average, 7,000 people visit La Jolla every day. With so many people in such a small place, finding parking is difficult. There are no parking meters, but many of the streets nearest the water do have a one hour time limit. Go a little further away for two hour parking, and be sure you observe the time limits - parking enforcement is active here even off-season. There is also a well-hidden paid parking lot. To get there, take the one-way street that branches downhill off Prospect Street near Exchange Place.