Clam's Cave
What's Clam’s Cave?
The Clam’s Cave is the only cave opening in La Jolla that is visible from the street along Coast Blvd. The Clam’s Cave is double-sided, hence the name “the clam,” since a clam also has two sides.
The other caves in La Jolla are visible only from the ocean and the only way to explore these caves is by kayak or to swim. Kayaking to the La Jolla Caves is usually the most efficient, fun way to explore the La Jolla Cave area.
You must be on our kayak tour in order to enter the Clam’s Cave. We enter this cave on our kayak tour if the ocean conditions permit. The lifeguards require a guide certified in this area specifically, and you must be wearing a kayak helmet, which we provide for all our tour participants.
To book your kayak tour, call (858) 454-1010 or save money online. Special pricing for advance tour reservations!
The La Jolla Sea Caves are made up of compacted sandstone and are naturally formed. Over the years, the sandstone slowly eroded by wind, water and rain, creating seven caves that have been an attraction for over 100 years. The Clam’s unique shape allows kayakers to paddle through the cave’s entrance during calm ocean conditions.
Sea lions are usually found sunbathing nearby the Clam’s Cave on the rocks. Take a closer look at these California Sea lions while kayaking along side them on your La Jolla kayak tour or in your stable sit-on-top ocean kayak rental.
The seven sea caves of La Jolla have a lot of history associated with their names, and the La Jolla Caves are a point of interest for many visitors to the San Diego area. The La Jolla Caves sit within the Ecological Reserve off of La Jolla Shores and nearby La Jolla Cove.
Arch Cave
What is Arch Cave?
La Jolla Shores is part of an ecological reserve, also home to the La Jolla Sea Caves.
Arch Cave is accessible most of the summer months. It also serves as a safety marker, as it illustrates the middle of cliff side. The portion of the cliff side to the east of Arch Cave is usually inaccessible and often dangerous. This portion includes White Lady, Little Sister and Shopping Carts. Visit our other pages to read more about these treacherous caves.
Arch Cave gets its name from the bow of the rock formation that had eroded over time. The eastern part of the cave has a sandy entry point; on calm water days this can easily be turned into a secluded hideaway. The cave itself isn’t too deep, so we can only paddle around the arch on certain days, but we generally don’t focus on the eastern caves on our Kayak Tour of the Seven Caves.
How Can I Visit Arch Cave?
We concentrate on the three western caves during our kayak tour. Entering the caves is forbidden to the general public, but you can enter in the accompaniment of one of our tour guides. If you would like to visit the caves, we invite you to join our guided two-hour tour. Reservations are required, and we offer a discount for advance reservations. No experience is necessary; however, we do require kayakers to be at least 6 years old and able to swim. Kayakers on our Tour of the Seven Caves in La Jolla get one of our stable sit-on-top ocean kayaks. The seven sea caves of La Jolla have quite a history, and is a focal point of interest for many visitors and locals to the San Diego area. The La Jolla Caves sits within the ecological reserve of La Jolla shores and the nearby La Jolla Cove.
The waters within La Jolla Shores are all part of an Ecological Reserve that is protected by law. The Underwater Ecological Reserve prohibits the removal of any archeological artifacts or marine life, including sea creatures, mollusks, fish, etc. Lobster trapping is allowed by permit and only during the lobster-trapping season from October to March. Local La Jolla restaurants will advertise on their menus these spiny lobster from the kelp beds and Ecological Reserve. This lobster-trapping reference lends the name to the sea cave, Shopping Cart, although this limited “shopping” for lobster is very strictly monitored by the Fish & Game Department.
The best way to witness these spectacular naturally formed sea caves is to do so by kayaking La Jolla. Make reservations for our La Jolla Sea Caves Kayak Tour to witness this spectacular scenery.
