La Jolla's Best Photo Spots

You can hang out with the nude sunbathers or you can take a stroll along the beautiful Blacks Beach to the Mushroom House. It's hard to see why this elegant seaside structure with its clean, curved lines remains uninhabited. As it is private property, you can't enter the structure but feel free to snap pictures from below.

With sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, the La Jolla Secret Swings should definitely be on your bucket list. Just a short hike from the Birch Aquarium visitor parking lot, these swings are the perfect photo opp for the entire family. What are you waiting for? Get swingin'!

This spot is as pretty as a picture, with a little ocean whiffiness thrown in, just so you remember you’re not using Google Earth for virtual tourism. If you want to get wet, the underwater visibility provided by the cove provides fantastic snorkeling. See also: La Jolla Cave (whiffy), Children’s Pool Beach (mo’ better whiffy) and Birch Aquarium (less whiffy).

In 1931 a philanthropist funded a breakwater to give children a safe place to swim away from the rough waves of the Pacific. However, seals also discovered this peaceful place and over the decades took over. Today, this protected idyllic cove is open to swimmers in summer but swimming is discouraged due to higher bacteria levels. The cove is not without controversy with lifeguards, swimmers, and seal adv...

The best time to go is low tide when you can see marine life floating in the small pools created by the water that is left behind. It's like a natural aquarium where you can observe crabs and invertebrates in a real-life environment. There they wait for high tide to carry them back out to sea. As your walking over the rocks be careful of the algae which can be very slippery. The tide pools are in the tou...

Characterized by geometrically perfect square swatches of color you are sure to find your favorite color somewhere in this mural. The brightly-hued multi-colored wall was painted by Roy McMakin and is sublime in its simplicity. In a way, this mural was a collaboration between numerous people as McMakin took his inspiration from the favorite colors they submitted to him. 

This nonprofit research facility was founded in 1960 by the man who developed the polio vaccine. It was also cofounded by math and science heavyweights Jacob Bronowski and Francis Crick. The futuristic campus, overlooking the ocean, was designed by Louis Kahn and building started in 1962. Visitors are welcome but all must make advance reservations on the website. (Submitted by Alida Bigham)

To visit the largest nude beach in all of the United States head southwest to San Diego. It is more accurately known as a "clothing optional" beach so you can feel comfortable going in the buff or donning a bathing suit. It is named for the Black family who once had a horse farm on the cliffs overlooking the beach. People come here so they can tan without the confines of clothing but they enjoy it for th...

Also known as Ho Chi Minh Trail or La Jolla Trail this unique hiking experience takes you from La Jolla to Blacks Beach. Once you find the trailhead, you'll reach the clothing-optional Blacks Beach about 15-20 minutes later or half-a-mile. The descent to the beach can be a little awkward so good walking shoes are recommended. You might see a lot of people on the trail; it is a popular route to reach one ...

Teetering precariously on the garden rooftop corner of the UCSD Jacobs Engineering Building is a cute little blue house. It is an engineering and artistic feat of Korean-born artist Do Ho Suh. He meant to convey his sense of loneliness when arriving in the U.S. to further his education. The house has been given the fake address of 72 Blue Heron Way and can be accessed by visitors on Tuesdays and Thursday...

Created by Tim Hawkinson, this giant granite statue goes by the name "Bear." The 2005 work of art is constructed of 8 giant boulders, all found locally and pieced together to form Hawkinson's vision. The bear is almost 24-feet high and weighs 180 tons! Still, the rocky and rugged sculpture has a cuddly look to it, amazingly. It sits invitingly in the midst of Warren College, a piece in the Stuart Collect...

On the side of a nondescript office building at Ivanhoe Ave. and Wall St .(no kidding, it's really called Wall St.) is probably the most popular street art wall in La Jolla. It's always changing and has featured murals by lots of different artists including Kelsey Brookes and Sandra Cinto, to name a few.

Remember that moment in The Descent when you first get to see those vicious cave crawlers? That was so cool. There’s nothing like that here. Okay, there are a few tricky steps as you make your way down the stairs to the cave, but you can’t really compare that to being eaten by quasi-humanoids. Did I mention there’s a nice view from the cave at the bottom?

It's known as the best way to see La Jolla, a shoreline walkway that take you through the upscale village as well as allow you stunning views of the ocean and marine life. Free parking can be difficult to impossible to find. It's best to pay for a spot at a nearby garage and spend your time having fun instead of hunting for a parking space. (Submitted by Brenda Rios)