La Jolla Cove & Wildlife Refuge

Sitting within the 6,000-acre San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park, the cove benefits from a strict no-take rule that allows marine life to thrive undisturbed. Framed by sandstone cliffs containing seven sea caves, the sheltered beach is reached by stairs off Coast Boulevard, opening out to open-ocean water where harbor seals and dense schools of sardines drift past. During summer, harmless leopard sharks also gather in the warm shallows off neighboring La Jolla Shores, expanding the stretch for shore-accessible wildlife encounters.