La Jolla’s best sea cave has a walk-in tunnel, and the other six you can only reach by kayak

There’s a gift shop in La Jolla that hides one of the strangest attractions in California behind its shelves of seashells and beach towels: a tunnel, dug entirely by hand, that drops 145 steps straight down into a working sea cave. It’s the only sea cave in the state you can walk into without a kayak or a wetsuit — you just pay at the register like you’re buying a postcard.

---

Psst — we made you a West Coast Adventure Map. Nearly 1,900 of our favorite spots, already pinned, ready to load into Google Maps in two clicks — grab it here.

---

A retired engineer, two laborers, and a tunnel dug by hand

The tunnel dates back to 1902, when a retired German engineer named Gustav Schultz decided the sea cave below his cliffside home was worth charging admission for. He hired two Chinese laborers to dig it out using nothing but picks and shovels.

Early visitors climbed down on a rope before stairs were added. The cave got its name from L. Frank Baum — yes, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz — who thought the opening resembled a British cereal mascot called Sunny Jim. Local legend also claims the tunnel moved a fair amount of whiskey during Prohibition.

What it actually costs to get down there

It’s called the Cave Store now, and it’s open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission runs $13 for adults, $8 for seniors and active military, and $7 for kids 3 to 17 — tickets are sold at the door only, first come, first served, no reservations.

The descent is 145 stairs through a dark, damp tunnel, and you’ll climb every one of them again on the way back up. Wear shoes with real grip, since the steps get slippery from tide spray and there’s no elevator if your legs start complaining halfway down.

Go in the morning if you can. This is a quiet, slightly musty detour worth 20 minutes of your day, not a photo op worth waiting in a long line for.

The other six caves you’ll never walk into

Sunny Jim isn’t the only sea cave carved into these cliffs — it’s just the only one with a front door. The other six sit along the same stretch of coast inside the San Diego–La Jolla Underwater Park, a protected marine reserve, and the only way to see them is from the water.

• Clam Cave — visible right from the coastal path, with openings on both ends that let the ocean flow straight through.
• Arch Cave — roughly 680 feet deep, making it the second-deepest coastal cave in California, with a natural stone arch where two caves eroded into one.
• Sea Surprise Cave — a modest entrance that opens into roughly 80 feet of walking passage lined with rust-orange rock.
• Shopping Cart Cave — named for the debris strong currents have dragged inside over the years.
• White Lady Cave — named for a local legend about a bride swept away by the tide.
• Little Sister Cave — the smallest of the seven, tucked right beside White Lady.

Kayak and paddleboard tours run out of La Jolla Cove on most days conditions allow, and which caves you can actually enter depends entirely on that day’s swell. The reserve is also one of the better wildlife-watching stretches of coast in Southern California, with sea lions, harbor seals, and the occasional garibaldi — California’s official state marine fish — drifting through the kelp below.

Conditions inside the caves can shift fast with the tide and swell, so if you’re not an experienced paddler, book a guided tour instead of going it alone.

Before you go

Pair a morning at Sunny Jim with a walk south along the coastal path — Clam Cave, La Jolla Cove, and the harbor seals at Children’s Pool are all just a few minutes away on foot. Bring cash or a card for the entrance fee, wear shoes you can actually climb stairs in, and budget about 20 minutes for the tunnel round trip.

Trip tips: grab a rental car to get down to La Jolla, or lock in your hotel before the good rooms near the Cove are gone.

Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.

Sharing is caring!