Visiting San Diego? You have got to come out to the beach and explore La Jolla tide pools and the Children’s Pool! Check out the animals and sea life in the best place to discover tide pools in San Diego.
Visit the tide pools in San Diego!
As a San Diego native, I can totally vouch that there are a ton of fun things to do in San Diego. There are plenty of wonderful San Diego attractions, the San Diego Zoo, Belmont Park, Wild Animal Park, Birch Aquarium at Scripps, plenty of museums, Historic Balboa Park, and so many more. These are great but often cost a pretty penny.

The Children’s Pool, La Jolla, CA
One of the most popular things to do in San Diego is paying a visit to any of the San Diego beaches. They are beautiful, free, and a great place to enjoy the weather in San Diego, some quiet time, or some swimming and sandcastle building!
Come on out to the beach
One of the top San Diego beach destinations is the La Jolla area. Along the coastline, you can hang at La Jolla Shores, do a little seal watching at the Children’s Pool (not for human swimming), and explore natural marine life at the tide pools. When you visit San Diego, the tide pools are a must-see! The seaside in La Jolla has some of the best tide pools in San Diego.
Photos of the La Jolla tide pools in San Diego
Here are a few shots from one of our visits to the tide pools in La Jolla…
MJ and I, exploring the tide pools in La Jolla
A few sea urchins have found a home in a little hole between the rocks.
These live and swimming shrimp will have to wait until the tide comes back in to get out of here!
This rock was completely covered in live muscles. You can barely see that it’s a rock!
A couple of hermit crabs we found. Don’t worry, we put them back.
My little tide pool explorer…
Looking out at the Pacific Ocean…
So, you want to know what to do in San Diego? HELLO! Have you been reading? When you visit San Diego, you must see the tide pools! There are plenty of tide pool animals, birds, seals, underwater plants, and other sea life. You can check to see when the tide is in/out here, it would totally suck to go there when the tide is in and everything is underwater!
A few tips for visiting the tide pools
- Want to know when to visit the La Jolla tide pools? The best time to go to the tide pools is when there is a low tide in La Jolla. Check the tide here before you go!
- Don’t get too close to the edge, there are cliffs in many areas and it would be quite painful if you fell into the water where there are a bunch of rocks below.
- This area in La Jolla is super rocky, some of which are unsturdy, and can be slippery when wet! If you see green mossy-looking grass in any area, DON’T step on it! You’ll slip for sure.
- Follow all posted signage and warnings. There is lots of wildlife to be protected and unsafe areas for you.
- Leave everything the way you found it. Do not attempt to relocate sea animals, take them home, etc.
Have fun on your San Diego vacation!
Spending a little time in Southern California? Here are some fun things to do in San Diego and beyond!
- 17 Of The Best Breakfast Spots In San Diego
- Family Whale Watching Cruise with Dana Wharf Sportfishing: Dana Point, California
- Staying at the Disneyland Hotel in California – It’s Part of the Disney Magic!
- Family-Friendly Hike In San Diego: Torrey Pines State Beach Was Awesome!

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The La Jolla Shores in San Diego looks like a fun place to visit! I haven’t seen it mentioned by many other people as a top place to visit, but I’ll definitely be adding it to my list. Thanks for sharing!
I absolutely adore The Children’s Pool! Took the kids the other weekend to just sit and watch. Best part was the kids getting to see mommy seals nurse their babies. The kids thought that was amazing because they’re like me & their baby brother lol