The 5 Best Spots to Watch the Sunset in San Diego

Experience the beauty of a San Diego sunset as I present to you 5 of the best spots to catch the setting sun.

From pristine beaches, dramatic cliffs, to iconic landmarks, San Diego offers a plethora of picturesque places ideal for watching the sun slowly fade behind the beautiful and vast Pacific Ocean.

The sun is just a small orange dot in the sky right above the ocean casting an orange glow onto the water and into the sky behind it. The waves are crashing onto the tan sand and there are clouds in the sky glowing orange too.

No matter where I am when I’m traveling, I always make an effort to watch the sunset as many times as I can.

You just never know what kind of beauty is going to be unveiled in the sky at the end of the day. It just adds another layer of gratitude for the life we’re living and another element of beauty in this new area we’re exploring.

Let’s dive into these 5 gorgeous and unique sunset spots in San Diego!

Table of Contents:

Mt. Soledad Monument
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
Torrey Pines Gliderport Parking Lot
Ocean Beach
Cabrillo National Monument

1. Mt. Soledad Monument

The Mt. Soledad Monument is located just east of the town of La Jolla.

So if you’re spending the day viewing seals or swimming in the cove waters, this would be a great place to view the sunset from an elevated point of view.

A photo taken in San Diego, California at the Mt. Soledad Monument. This picture shows the orange dot of sun beginning to hit the ocean. There are a few fluffy clouds in the sky above the sun and the sun is glowing orange around it in the sky. In the foreground you can see the silhouette of trees and a road leading you up to the spot where this photo was taken at.

This monument was built in 1954 to honor the living and deceased men and women who have fought for our country.

This monument is filled with hundreds of plaques and photos of veterans. It is one of the most unique and famous veteran memorials in the country.

The memorial is built up on one of the highest points in San Diego. So you get breathtaking views of the ocean, city, and mountains.

With 360° views at the top, Mt. Soledad makes for an amazing spot to watch the sunset in San Diego

This photo shows the blue ocean with the sky glowing a yellow orange from the sun out of this photo. There is a small hill/ mountain filled with houses in between a bunch of trees.

There are various spots around the monument to watch the setting sun. The most popular place is on the very top step of the monument. However, there are also benches scattered around the park and walking trails so you can pretty much view the sunset from anywhere.

This photo shows the glowing full moon just as the sun has set on the other side of the Earth. This photo is facing east so the sky is tinted pink and purple from the sunset and the moon is high in the sky between a few clouds and glowing bright in the sky just before it gets completely dark.

This park is a beautiful place to visit and it’s completely free!

Even if you don’t come in the evening hours to watch the sunset, it still deserves a visit on your trip to San Diego. You do not want to miss the views you get from up at Mt. Soledad.

2. Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

As you can probably tell by its name, Sunset Cliffs is known for being a popular sunset spot in San Diego while sitting atop cliffs about 400 feet above the ocean.

Sunset Cliffs is a completely free destination, but it is popular.

This photo shows the cliffs along the coastline. These cliffs are dark brown and have palm trees growing out on top of them in the distance. There is a small beach formed at the base of the cliffs where the water hits. In the foreground you can see the cliffs that I am sitting on. The sky is tinted pink at the horizon and blue at the top.

Parking proved to be a challenge for us. We ended up having to find an open spot in one of the neighborhoods across the street and take a short walk to the park.

There is street parking all along the coast, but these spots begin to fill up about an hour before sunset. Be cautious of that and arrive as early as you can.

A photo taken in San Diego, California at Sunset Cliffs park. This photo shows the sun as a huge orange ball of light in the sky above the ocean. There are a few clouds in the sky shooting across the sky interfering with the sun. The ocean waves look strong as they wash up and crash onto the shore.

The entire coastline is full of cliffs even outside the park so you can pretty much sit on any of these cliffs and watch the sunset even if it’s not part of the actual park.

With that being said, this is still an awesome place to visit. It’s amazing to see how many people come out and gather just to watch the beautiful art of the sunset.

3. Torrey Pines Gliderport Parking Lot

I know this one might initially sound a little weird, but hear me out.

We randomly found this place while looking for a scenic place to cook dinner out of our car near the Saigon Trail.

This photo shows my black Toyota 4runner parked along the railing on the cliffside. The ground is made of sand/dirt and there are dead looking plants growing behind the railing. The 4 Runner has the trunk open to reveal a small propane ran stove with a pan on it cooking food out of the back of the car. — Making dinner at the Torrey Pines Gliderport Parking Lot in San Diego

After our hike we drove up towards the Torrey Pines Gliderport and found a huge dirt lot.

This parking lot is where you would park to access The Torrey Pines Gliderport; where you can hang glide and paraglide over the Pacific Coast.

It was getting to be about time for the sunset, so we decided to stay a bit longer to watch it. Plus, there was hardly anyone else up there.

A photo taken in San Diego, California at the Torrey Pines Gliderport parking lot. This photo shows me standing on the sandy cliff looking out towards the sunset on the ocean. The sun looks like a small orange dot just above the ocean and it's casting an orange reflection on the water. There are small dark clouds around the horizon line. You can see the pattern of the ocean waves down below.

You can just type in Torrey Pines Gliderport into your Google or Apple Maps and it will take you right to this spot.

Once you reach the end of Torrey Pines Scenic Dr, you will see the gliderport to your left and the large dirt parking lot straight ahead which I assume is for overflow parking to the gliderport.

This dirt lot may look like you’d be able to car camp here, but if you’re wondering, there are “no camping” signs posted.

This is one of the more lowkey sunset spots in San Diego and we only saw a few others sitting on the cliffs watching the sunset. It’s a great alternative to Sunset Cliffs if you want to avoid the crowds.

This photo shows the northern coast of this spot where you can see light tan colored cliffs along the coastline. You can see the waves crashing early on the beach and the sky is blue just like the ocean.

This photo shows the sunset casting an orange glow over the water between a few clouds. The photo is taken from up on top a cliff along the coastline. There are a few small looking people walking along the beach below.

4. Ocean Beach

You can watch the sunset at any beach in San Diego, but Ocean Beach was definitely my favorite one for viewing the sunset.

A pier is built out into the water on this beach, so it’s a very picturesque area. I think this is the perfect place for sunset photo ops.

A photo taken in San Diego, California at Ocean Beach. This photo shows the bottom of a wooden pier built out into the ocean. This picture is taken right from under the wooden planks and you can see the pastel colored sky in the background. There are also large rocks scattered across the sand and the ocean water is rising up by the wooden planks.

This photo shows the wooden pier built out onto the ocean from the side. You can see the sky begin to glow off to the left from the sunset. The pier is long and goes out very very far into the ocean. You can see the silhouettes from the wooden planks and the boardwalk in the center of this photo.

If you walk a little further south of the pier, there are massive rocks along the shoreline that you’re able to walk across and explore.

Just be careful of the tide coming in during the evening! The rocks can get slick when the water splashes on top of them.

These rocks were where most of the people watching the sunset were hanging out. This is a really neat area to explore, there are all kinds of sea critters hidden in the puddles of the rocks. We saw a small octopus in the water which was super cool.

This picture shows the orange ball of the sun in the sky placed right above the ocean. The sky is glowing orange and golden in between the fluffy clouds. The ocean water is crashing onto rocks along the beach.

Plus, Ocean Beach is within walking distance to a very hipster street with tons of cute shops and places to eat.

There’s antique stores, surf shops, and thrift shops all within a 5 minute walk from the beach. You can find everything from clothes, jewelry, souvenirs, and various beach accessories.

We enjoyed browsing the shops and then we walked over to the beach as the sun began to set.

A photo taken in San Diego, California at Ocean Beach. This photo shows the wooden boardwalk that's built out onto the water in the right side of the photo. To the right in the foreground there is a sandy beach and on the left side there are rocks with some moss on them and the sky is glowing on the left side of the picture too.

The closest parking to the beach is on the street next to all of the shops. It’s free but can be limited.

5. Cabrillo National Monument

Last but not least, I want to include the Cabrillo National Monument in this post. This is the only destination on this list that is not free.

Since it’s a National Monument, you’re able to use an America the Beautiful Pass or any other kind of park pass offered by the National Park Service.

This is what we did so we were able to explore this area with no charge. If you don’t have a pass, you will be subject to a $20 entry fee that’s charged per vehicle.

This is another awesome destination you should have on your San Diego itinerary regardless if you visit in the evening for the sunset.

A photo taken in San Diego, California at the Cabrillo National Monument. This picture shows the San Diego skyline from afar on the other side of the bay. The water in the bay in the foreground is blue and has sailboats cruising back and forth.

Along with witnessing the statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, you’ll get phenomenal views of the San Diego skyline, access to a lighthouse which was used in 1855, and view the park’s famous tide pools.

A photo taken in San Diego, California at the Cabrillo National Monument. This photo shows a light house built into a small house. The outside of the buildings are all white with a dark brown trim.

You can easily spend a few hours here walking the trails and exploring all the historical elements of the park.

If you stay for sunset, the best place to watch the sunset will be from the tide pools area. You can explore the rocks on the coastline and find a beautiful place to sit for the evening.

The below pictures show the tide pools in the park. They only happen during a certain few hours of the day so park rangers will have signs placed around showing the times that the tide pools begin.

A photo taken in San Diego, California at the Cabrillo National Monument. This photo shows the tide pool in the water between a circular shape of rock. The water rushes into the circular spot of rock and spins around in a circle creating the tide pool. The water is a dark teal color.

A photo taken in San Diego, California at the Cabrillo National Monument. This photo shows the tide pool area where a bunch of different layered rock along the coastline and there is some water that splashed up on the rocks making a shallow puddle of water. There are large tan cliffs all along the coastline.

That concludes my top 5 sunset spots in San Diego, California. I hope you are able to visit some of these beautiful places to watch the sunset on your trip. Thank you so much for reading!

Soul Summit Travel

Hi! I'm Anna, the human behind Soul Summit Travel. My mission is to make travel more accessible so everyone can experience the joys of connecting deeper with our Earth.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links at no extra cost to you. Some content may also be sponsored. I only recommend products and services that I personally use and believe will add value to my readers.

Comments

Heidi-Marie

April 30, 2024

Awesome 👌

Trike Trek

May 3, 2024

Beautiful but expensive – living in California, that is.

Daniel

July 28, 2024

Thank you so much for this incredible list! I’ve been exploring sunset spots around San Diego and your recommendations are spot-on. Each of these locations offers a unique and stunning view. I’m excited to visit the ones I haven’t been to yet. Your post is going to make my sunset adventures even more memorable. Keep up the great work—this guide is exactly what I needed!