Sunny Jim's Sea Cave

Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave isn’t just a hole in the cliff—it’s an improbable passageway to California’s wilder side, where history and geology conspire beneath the tourist bustle of La Jolla. You enter through the Cave Store, dodging racks of seashells and trinkets, before you’re swallowed by a creaking wooden tunnel dug by hand in 1902. The descent is steep: 145 worn steps, slick with sea mist and echoing with the sound of distant waves. Midway down, the air turns briny and cool. At the bottom, you emerge onto a small platform carved from stone, facing the green-blue glare of ocean light as it pours through Sunny Jim’s gaping mouth. This place has always been a little subversive—rumors swirl about smugglers running whiskey through these damp halls during Prohibition. Today, it’s mostly families clutching ticket stubs and snapping photos, but there’s still an undercurrent of mischief in the way locals steer their friends here for something off-script. Kids count steps and marvel at sea lions barking outside; older visitors pause to catch their breath or swap stories about La Jolla’s bohemian past. The cave connects landlubbers to ocean lore—a rare spot where Southern California’s sun-baked surface peels back to reveal saltwater secrets. There are easier ways to enjoy La Jolla Cove: kayaking with seals in the open water or sunbathing along the cliffs above. But this tunnel is its own rite of passage, a bit of old California grit tucked beneath gleaming boutiques and ice cream shops. Whether you’re drawn by curiosity, nostalgia, or simply an urge to see what’s hidden below, Sunny Jim’s gives everyone a taste of adventure—one careful step at a time.