The seaside resort of La Jolla California, has a population of around 25,000. Spanish for “the jewel”, and so La Jolla is often referred to as “jewel by the sea”. It borders the Pacific Ocean to the south and extends north to Torrey Pines State Reserve and Del Mar, California.

Along the way, La Jolla encompasses neighborhoods like Bird Rock, Windansea, La Jolla Shores, La Jolla Farms, Torrey Pines, Mount Soledad, and even La Jolla Village.

Residents of La Jolla and business owners refer to the “village” or “town” of La Jolla. The official postal address for the zip code 92037 is actually La Jolla, and not San Diego as it is for most communities within the City of San Diego. Sometimes, tourists get confused and believe that La Jolla is actually a separate city, which it isn’t.

La Jolla is a community of the City of San Diego. La Jolla has several community groups that work to unify the voice of the area, including several non profit organizations.

With it’s palm lined streets, large homes, and tropical climate and atmosphere, La Jolla is like a southern European village with it’s own touch of Beverly Hills along the retail shops on Prospect Street. A lot of the natural charm from La Jolla stems from the presence of the ocean and Mount Soledad.

Several narrow curvy roads follow the contours of Soledad with hundreds of nice homes overlooking the ocean, nestled gently on the slopes. There are several sandy beaches here as well, including the Windansea Beach, La Jolla Cove, La Jolla Beach, and La Jolla Shores.

La Jolla also has the Torrey Pines Golf Course, which was made famous by the PGA Tour Buick Invitational held there each February. Down the steep cliffs from the golf course is the famous Black’s Beach.

The downtown area of La Jolla is well known for it’s jewelry stores, upmarket restaurants, and even hotels. Prospect Street and Girad Avenue also offer several famous boutiques. Well known for its architectural and historical presence is the La Valencia Hotel, which used to welcome movie stars on retreat from Hollywood.

Recently, harbor seals have taken over the Children’s Beach, which is a quiet man made cove near the downtown area. The seals are protected under federal law, so removing them is nearly impossible. Now, the beach is open, as the rope is down. Swimming here is allowed, although it’s not recommended.