Point Loma

Point Loma extends south past downtown San Diego heading towards Mexico.  On your drive here, you'll pass Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, which is an active cemetery contain the graves of over 88,000 American veterans.  This area does give great views of San Diego harbor, but since this is an active cemetery, please be respectful when visiting.

After driving past the cemetery, you'll enter the Point Loma area National Monument area, which will charge you a $5 parking fee.  Once inside, you'll be able to walk around the Cabrillo Monument area for stunning views of downtown San Diego.  Nowhere else will you be able to get views of the city quite like this.  In addition, the Cabrillo Monument itself is quite impressive and is worth the visit.

A short walk from here is the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, which you may enter.  This is quite a small lighthouse, which is one of the reasons it was de-commissioned, so it's an easy climb to the top for any visitors.  You'll get a much better view from outside though of San Diego Harbor.

Seeking Natural Beauty at Sunset Cliffs

Bring your tripod! If you’re making a trip to Point Loma, definitely make a side trip to Sunset Cliffs, a beautiful location to watch the waves crash and break against the sand and watch surfers catch some waves.

It’s also a great spot to take some scenic pictures of the 400-ft. high cliffs.

Access the beach at Sunset Cliffs at Sunset Cliffs Park, wit an entrance through the Point Loma Nazarene University. The path to the beach is steep from the parking lot along the road, however, there isn’t parking closer than the municipal lot – and parking there is free.

If you’re not into laying on the beach, or hiking back up the steep hill, there is a great overlook with free parking on the corner of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. and Froude St.

Sunset Cliffs Blvd. runs along the cliffs for a portion of it with a few parking areas to get out and enjoy the view, the water, take in some sun and relax. From here, you might also catch a glimpse of a gray whale during their winter migration to Mexico.

Signs warn that the cliffs are unstable, so beware. We stayed pretty far from the edge and still took wonderful photos. While we were there, we also had the pleasure of a few surfers taking the waves, making for an added photo opportunity for us.

This is also a great place to bring your tripod and take some group shots. It’s relatively secluded and picturesque.