Sunny Jim Sea Cave, La Jolla

Clam's Cave, La Jolla, CA

For Labor Day weekend 2019, we were interested in seeing the sea caves of La Jolla, but not so interested in paying to kayak a family of 3 around to see them; so we decided to go to the only sea cave accessible by land for just a few dollars, the Sunny Jim Sea Cave.

We drove 23 minutes northeast of our San Diego Mission Valley resort to the Village of La Jolla and found $10 public parking in a structure on Ivanhoe.  Then we walked down streets lined with plenty of shops, boutiques, and restaurants, down some stairs from Prospect to Cave St (a warm up for what was coming) to the Cave Store that is the opening to the Sunny Jim Sea Cave.

When we got there, we had to electronically sign some waivers (enter at your own risk!)  It only cost $5 for adults and $3 for kids to go into the cave.

Descending into the Cave... 

There happened to be a crowd of bikers in the cave when we went down, so it was crowded.  It helped that the tunnel was lit with lamps.  It was muggy and slippery inside.  I had to hold on to both handrails going down, only letting go of one handrail to step aside for people coming up.  The ceilings were very low.  The biker in front of me, who must've been taller than 6', had to walk sideways hunched down just to get through.

When we finally got to the bottom, 145 steps later, there was a crowd of people taking their photographs, so we had to wait our turn.  There were also a lot of kayakers and snorkelers just outside the cave.  It was a busy day!

Kayakers out to see Sunny Jim

When it came to photos, it was hard to take one of my family because they appeared as silhouettes against the light pouring through the mouth of the cave.  So we just took in the scenery outside the cave, the crashing waves inside the cave, and the rocks that made up its structure.  We also spotted a spider web and an itty bitty crab before heading back up the tunnel.

Oh, those Stairs! 

I didn't think the 145 steps going down was a big deal, but the 145 steps going up was an entirely different story!  Heed the warning on the Cave Store website; this tunnel is not for the faint of heart!  If it hadn't been for my workouts, I don't think I would have made it!

Besides shopping around inside the store, there is actually more to see from the cliffs outside the store.

Seals Around the Corner... 

Awww!

Just around the corner to the right of the Cave Store is a gate leading to some cliffs overlooking the sea.  There we caught sight of some pelicans, birds, seals, and, of course, more kayakers and snorkelers.  There were people all over these cliffs and no safety anything, so we had to keep a close eye on our adventurous 9-year old daughter.

If you look really closely enough, there are actually pelicans on those cliffs.

By the way, the white "caps" on all the cliffs are not exactly snow.  Here's a bird among them now.  Let's just say... you don't want to touch those.

All in all, it was a physically exhausting trip because we still had to hike back to our car!  So grateful for that elevator...

Next year we plan to actually kayak, so if you've been kayaking in La Jolla, let us know how it went in the comments below.  Happy Trails!