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La Jolla (pronounced: La HOY-yah) is an upscale beach neighborhood of 48,000 people (2010) in San Diego that, while part of the city, is often viewed as its own distinct community. La Jolla is home to the University of California, San Diego campus, beautiful beaches, and gorgeous scenery. Fans of brutalist architecture will not want to miss two of the world's most significant works in that style, the Geisel Library at UCSD and the Salk Institute.

Understand

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Seals at La Jolla Cove

Visitor information

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Get in

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By car

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La Jolla is off the I-5 freeway, north of downtown San Diego and Pacific Beach. There are several ways to get there:

  • La Jolla Parkway to Torrey Pines Road from I-5 North (there is no exit to La Jolla Parkway from southbound I-5) or westbound State Route 52
  • Northbound Mission Boulevard and La Jolla Boulevard from Pacific Beach
  • Southbound Torrey Pines Road from Del Mar
  • Westbound La Jolla Village Drive to southbound Torrey Pines Road from southbound or northbound I-5. La Jolla Village Drive from I-5 can also get you to University City (east), or UCSD (west).

By public transit

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San Diego's public transit outfit, the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), operates a small hub of bus routes at the UTC shopping mall in University City. Route 30 serves the La Jolla village, connecting to Pacific Beach and Old Town to the south (as well as Downtown on weekdays) and UCSD and UTC to the east, stopping within walking distance of many of La Jolla's attractions, such as the Cove and the Birch Aquarium. North County Transit District's Route 101 serves UTC and UCSD and runs north on Torrey Pines Road and up the coast of Northern San Diego County, connecting to Torrey Pines State Park and other destinations around there.

Get around

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Map
Map of San Diego/La Jolla

When you're in the La Jolla "village" area (near the Cove), the best way to get around is not to drive. This area is dense enough that you can easily walk, bike, or roller skate around the neighborhood. Plus, parking can get a little difficult to find, so once you get a spot you might not want to risk losing it.

For the areas of La Jolla outside the "village", such as around UCSD or Torrey Pines, a car will be the easiest way to get around due to the distances and hilly terrain of the surrounding area.

See

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The spaceship-like Geisel Library
  • 8 University of California, San Diego University of California, San Diego (Q622664) on Wikidata University of California, San Diego on Wikipedia 
    • Be sure to see the 9 Geisel Library, named for the noted author Theodore Geisel (you may know him as Dr. Seuss!) This library is truly outstanding and looks a bit like a giant UFO. Seeing it at dusk is preferable, when the lights are on and the spaceship look is complete. On one side of the library, a sidewalk paved to look like a giant snake brings you down to a sculpture of a book. The floors in the library are quieter as you go higher up, with almost zero tolerance for noise on the eighth floor. The building's design was used for the snow fortress set at the end of the 2010 science fiction film Inception.
    • Also look for some of the campus artwork, such as 10 "Stonehenge", which is a realistic sculpture of stonehenge, and the 11 SunGod statue, which is bright, flamboyant and huge, but somehow camouflaged in a dark lawn.
    • There's also a Che Cafe and Porter's Pub, which should entertain some amount of counterculture. Next to Porter's Pub there's an outside glass blowing facility attached to a coffee shop, so you can sip coffee while watching people blowing glass. Adjacent to that is a blacksmith and pottery workshop.
    • UCSD also has many food joints, dining halls and restaurants that are open to the public. Be sure to hop into the Price Center, which is very close to the Geisel Library and Gilman Drive. There you will find a Burger King, a Subway, Round Table Pizza, Bombay Coast, Rubio's and more.
    • UCSD offers tours for prospective students Monday through Saturday, as well as visitor tours[dead link] most Sundays.

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

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Torrey Pines

12 Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve (Q2365995) on Wikidata Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve on Wikipedia (updated Aug 2015)

A 2000-acre reserve consisting of a plateau with steep cliffs overlooking small canyons and the beautiful Torrey Pines State Beach. There are a number of hiking and beach-access trails, and a variety of wild flora and fauna, including the rare Torrey Pine tree, for which the park is named. There's also a wide variety of animals. Rabbits, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, hawks, hummingbirds, and owls are all a part of the landscape, so sightings are common -- especially as sunset approaches. From agave and freesia, to sage and strand, visitors will also see plenty of wildflowers and plant life along the way.

There is a visitors center with a small museum on top of the plateau. Here you can pick up a map, check out a few exhibits, and gather any information that you may need before preparing for a hike down to the beach. The hike down from the visitor center offers excellent views of the ocean, but there are several other trails, such as the Broken Hill Trail, leading to the beach also with great views of the ocean - if you're lucky, you may spot Gray Whales in the winter or bottlenose dolphins. The beach itself is at the base of scenic cliffs and is excellent for swimming. It is also one of the least crowded beaches in the area, and is also great for picnics, walking, and relaxing.

Do

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Beaches

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A La Jolla beach

Golf

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Buy

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Scripps Institution of Oceanography Pier

There are high-end shops and art galleries along Prospect Place and Girard Streets in downtown La Jolla.

  • 1 Westfield UTC (formerly University Towne Center), 4545 La Jolla Village Dr (just east of La Jolla, in University City), ☏ +1 858 546-8858. M-F 10AM-9PM, Sa 10AM-8PM, Su 11AM-7PM (individual store hours vary). An outdoor shopping mall just outside of La Jolla, in the University City area. Basically anything you'd find in your average suburban shopping mall with the addition of an ice skating rink, called Ice Town. 
  • 2 Warwick's Books, 7812 Girard Ave, ☏ +1 858-454-0347. Independent bookstore with books, gifts, stationary, and author events. (updated Nov 2023)

Eat

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  • 1 Brockton Villa, 1235 Coast Blvd, ☏ +1 858-454-7393. M 8AM-3PM, Tu-Su 8AM-9PM. Well known for their breakfast and lunch menus. $12-$25. 
  • 2 Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 8970 University Center Ln, adjacent to the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine, ☏ +1 858-535-0078. For when you are feeling laissez-faire with the credit card and want some filet mignon or ribeye. 
  • 3 Marketplace Grille, 1030 Torrey Pines Rd, ☏ +1 858-456-9576. M-Sa 11AM-9PM, Su 11AM-8PM. Lebanese grill with kebabs and salmon bowls, etc. $10-20 (Feb 2023). 
  • 4 Shores Restaurant, 8110 Camino del Oro, in the La Jolla Shores Hotel (on the corner of Avenida de la Playa and Camino del Oro), ☏ +1 858-456-0600. Daily 9AM-8PM. Offering seasonal cuisine, oceanfront views and a great selection of wines. Delicious American comfort food. 
  • 5 Caroline's Seaside Cafe, 8610 Charles F. Kennel Way, ☏ +1 858-202-0569, . 8AM-3PM. Casual cafe situated right next to the beach on the UCSD-SIO campus. The cafe serves breakfast items including eggs, pancakes and lunch items including sandwiches and burgers. Seated is first-come-first-served casual setting (so no waiters only servers). Parking is limited and may need a UCSD parking pass on weekdays, however, 2-hr street parking is available. (updated Nov 2023)
  • 6 Don Carlos Taco Shop, 737 Pearl Street Suite 113, ☏ +1 858-456-0462. Small Tex-Mex/Mexican taco shop that also serves burritos, tortas, quesadillas, and enchiladas. Specializes in variants of California burritos including vegetarian ones. Limited parking nearby. (updated Nov 2023)
  • 7 The Taco Stand, 621 Pearl Street, ☏ +1 858-551-6666. La Jolla location of the medium-sized chain of taco shops featuring hand-made tortillas. Also serves burritos and churros and also has vegetarian options. The location typically has long lines, but online ordering and pickup is available. (updated Nov 2023)

Drink

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Sleep

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Budget

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Mid-range

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Splurge

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  • 5 Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, 9700 N Torrey Pines Rd, ☏ +1 858-550-1000. A rancho style conference and vacation resort located adjacent to the University of California at San Diego. $200-350. 
  • 6 Grande Colonial Hotel, 910 Prospect St, toll-free: +1-888-530-5766. A landmark, historic hotel overlooks the shores of the Pacific Ocean and ideally located just steps away from the beach. $200-650. 
  • 7 Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, 10950 North Torrey Pines Rd, ☏ +1 858-558-1500. Bluff-top Hilton hotel overlooking the famous Torrey Pines golf course. 
  • 8 La Valencia La Valencia Hotel (Q56426540) on Wikidata La_Valencia_Hotel on Wikipedia 
  • 9 The Lodge at Torrey Pines, 11480 N Torrey Pines Rd, ☏ +1 858-453-4420. Rustic alpine-style hotel adjacent to the PGA Championship Torrey Pines Golf Corse. This is a high-end resort and spa. The A. R. Valentien restaurant, named for the California artist, overlooks the 18th hole of the Torrey Pines golf course. Works by Valentien are on exhibit throughout the dining room. $400-650. 
  • 10 Residence Inn La Jolla, 8901 Gilman Dr, ☏ +1 858-587-1770. A very pleasant suite-style hotel. It is in a quiet area of La Jolla, very close to the University of California at San Diego. The rooms are spacious, with full kitchens. It includes a pool and hot tubs located close to the rooms. There are BBQ grills in the small common patio between the buildings. Within walking distance there is a nice shopping center with several restaurants and grocery stores. Free high speed internet access. $250-280. 

Connect

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Go next

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  • Pacific Beach lies just to the south, on the coast.
  • Del Mar is to the north, past Torrey Pines State Park.
This district travel guide to La Jolla is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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