Scripps Beach
La Jolla, CA
Scripps Beach sits below the real research pier of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, with the Birch Aquarium's coral displays and outdoor tidepool tanks a short walk up the hill. The surrounding water is protected as a marine conservation area, with genuinely good tidepooling by the pier at low tide.
A genuine working research institution and real aquarium paired with a protected, tidepool-rich beach, unusual depth for one stop.
How we score beachesPair a beach stop here with the Birch Aquarium, it's a real, worthwhile institution and not just a gift shop attached to a tank.
Weekend and holiday parking in lots on El Paseo Grande, one block west of La Jolla Shores Dr.
A path through the Scripps campus leads to the beach; the route can be steep in places.
Dogs are allowed on leash only before 9am and after 6pm from April through October, and before 9am and after 4pm from November through March, under San Diego's standard beach hours.
San Diego County's water climbs into the upper 60s and low 70s by late summer, the most comfortable window for swimming.
More Pacific Coast beaches
Zuma Beach
Malibu, CA · Pacific Coast
A wide stretch of sand backed by the Santa Monica Mountains, with reliable swells that draw surfers year-round and plenty of room to spread out even on busy weekends.
Huntington City Beach
Huntington Beach, CA · Pacific Coast
Known as Surf City USA, with a mile-long municipal pier, consistent breaks for surfers of every level, and a laid-back boardwalk scene along Pacific Coast Highway.
Main Beach
Laguna Beach, CA · Pacific Coast
Tucked between rocky headlands, with tidepools to explore at low tide, calmer coves for swimming, and an arts-town backdrop of galleries and cafes just steps from the sand.