La Jolla Shores vs Coronado Central Beach

Do you prefer keeping active with fun activities to lounging on the sand? I’m the same way! Luckily, there’s lots to do at both locations.

Plus, want to save on beach gear rentals and admission to close by attractions? Don’t forget your Go City San Diego pass, and use our discount code GVSD5OFF to snag it for even cheaper!

Climbing Over Seawall to Go Scuba Diving at La Jolla Shores

Activities at La Jolla Shores

La Jolla Shores has tons of things to do. You can keep it laid back by sunbathing and strolling along the boardwalk, or you can hop in the water!

The water here is protected by the bay. This makes it an ideal swimming and paddle boarding spot with calmer waves, similar to La Jolla Cove. It also lends itself well to scuba diving, as the La Jolla Underwater Park is right offshore, plus kayaking at the La Jolla Sea Caves.

It’s no surprise for a La Jolla beach to attract surfers, and this is no exception. The waves here are fairly beginner-friendly, making it a popular spot for surfing lessons. That said, if you’re looking for larger and more challenging surf, you’re not far from Windansea Beach or Blacks Beach.

Recreation at Coronado Central

Coronado Central Beach also has good conditions for many classic beach day activities, though not quite as many. Still, the paddle boarding there is excellent, and it’s got a boardwalk too. We recommend renting a bike in Coronado so you can ride along part of the Bayshore Bikeway.

Lots of people flock to the beach to sunbathe, so if you’re more interested in working on your tan, this might be your preferred pick!

Trying Out Surfing at La Jolla Shores

More Things to Do: La Jolla Shores

There’s simply more to do at La Jolla Shores, making it the winner in this category.

Both of these beaches are very busy on an average day, but there are some key differences in their atmospheres.

Side Walk Cafes in Encinitas

The Ever-Popular La Jolla Shores

La Jolla Shores is one of if not the most popular beach in San Diego, up there with La Jolla Cove Beach, San Onofre, and Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas.

It’s very accessible, which helps cement its popularity especially with families, but this can be off-putting if you’d rather go somewhere a little quieter.

Crowds at Coronado Central Beach

Generally, Coronado Island sees fewer visitors than La Jolla, and that’s reflected with thinner crowds at the beach. You certainly won’t have the place to yourself, but you won’t be fighting for a spot most days.

The boardwalk has a lively atmosphere, and I’ve often seen live music around the northern end of The Del, especially on weekends. There are also plenty of places to grab lunch.

Jetty at Coronado Central Beach

The Winning Beach: Coronado Central

With fewer visitors and a pleasant atmosphere, Coronado Island’s Central Beach is better for crowd-averse beachgoers.

Let’s take a look at the parking situation at both beaches, plus their amenities.

Front of the Fred Shuttle in the Gaslamp Quarter

La Jolla Shores’ Accessibility

La Jolla Shores is about a 30 minute drive up the freeway from Downtown San Diego given normal traffic conditions.

La Jolla Shores has a massive parking lot. On the off chance that it’s full, you can often find additional spots in the neighborhood nearby.

Not only is this beach accessible, but it has lifeguards and bathrooms. On the grassy area next to the beach, you’ll find barbecues and picnic tables, plus people playing volleyball and soccer.

Reaching Coronado Central

Coronado Central Beach can be found just a short drive from Downtown San Diego over the famed Coronado Bridge. With reasonable traffic conditions, you should expect a 15 minute drive or Uber/Lyft ride.

Compared to La Jolla Shores, Coronado Central Beach has very limited parking. You likely won’t find much if you arrive later in the day outside of parking at the hotel lot, which is expensive, or finding a street spot, which are further away and harder to find.

One major upside at Coronado Central Beach is that the Hotel del Coronado, Curio Collection by Hilton - one of our most recommended places to stay - borders the beach. If you’re looking for a beachside hotel with excellent Coronado beach access, you can’t do better than that!

Good news is that there are restrooms and lifeguards onsite.

Inside the Circuit Electric Shuttles

Which is More Accessible: La Jolla Shores

La Jolla Shores is the clear winner in terms of both amenities and accessibility.

Both of these beaches have calmer waves, but it always pays to be doubly sure where safety is concerned.

Having a Beach Fire at La Jolla Shores

Waves at La Jolla Shores

La Jolla Shores has enough active waves to allow for surfing, but it’s fairly protected, especially close to the beach. There are lots of lifeguards with towers set up to cover the majority of the beach and for most of the day.

Safety at Central Beach

Coronado Central Beach is similarly calm and the waves there are even more infrequent. There are lifeguards, but not quite as many as at La Jolla Shores.

Walking Out to Go Scuba Diving at La Jolla Shores

The Safer Beach: La Jolla Shores

In my experience, La Jolla Shores has better lifeguard coverage even toward the northern and southern ends.

La Jolla Shores South End of Beach

As we usually say when we write these beach comparison articles, we probably wouldn’t bother to put all the work into comparing two beaches if we didn’t think they both were fantastic options!

These are two of San Diego’s most beautiful beaches with tons of reasons to visit them both. But if I had to pick a winner, I’d give the honor to La Jolla Shores! I love its picturesque layout, variety of available beach activities, and ease of accessibility even on the busiest days!