The sea caves at La Jolla Cove are the area’s most interesting geological formations. The first people to live in La Jolla, the native Kumeyaay people, called it “mat kulaaxuuy,” which translates to “land of holes,” referring to the many caves that dot the coast there. When the Spanish arrived, they were similarly enamored with the caves; one potential origin of the name “La Jolla” is a misspelling of the Spanish word “la hoya,” which means “the hole.” To this day, visitors to La Jolla love exploring the sea caves, many of which are open to the public and relatively easily accessed. But what about our furry friends?
The answer is that it depends on the cave (and on the dog). For the most part, La Jolla is a very dog-friendly area – pets are allowed on most beaches and municipal parks in town. However, some areas do restrict access to dogs for safety purposes, including some of the caves.
Some of the most popular and easy-to-access caves, located within the La Jolla Underwater Park, are off-limits to dogs. However, there are some caves outside the park that are only accessible by kayak, and nobody will forbid you from taking your dog there. Some sea cave tour companies even allow well-behaved dogs on their guided kayak tours. Sunny Jim’s Cave, another popular and easy-to-reach cave, is dog-friendly as well.
With all that being said, we wouldn’t necessarily recommend bringing your dog to the La Jolla sea caves, especially if you have to kayak to get there. The caves further out can be slippery, difficult to access, and sometimes a little dangerous, and dogs aren’t usually the strongest swimmers. However, if you’re confident that your furry sidekick can handle the trip, you can certainly bring them with you.
To make the most of your next trip to La Jolla, check out our La Jolla Cove Self-Guided Driving Tour, or you can sign up for Action+ and gain access to over 100 tours for a single yearly price.
