The cliffs of San Diego overlooking the Pacific are really a sight that needs to be seen. This is one of the great freebies of living in/visiting Southern California. Overall it is a really easy sight taken for granted (or ignored) by residents but we bet many visitors miss it completely. The reality is this is a half hour trip from the airport/downtown and for many visitors well within walking distance of the hotels of UTC/La Jolla. We are talking about the Torrey Pines Gliderport across from UCSD.

Torrey Pines Gliderport — The views never fail to impress

A guide to free things to do in San Diego better include watching paragliders. However, many observant travel people researching San Diego will notice is that the Torrey Pines Gliderpoint is located on a nude beach. Indeed that is the case, there may, on fairly rare occasions, be nude people below. Nevertheless, this is one of the great free family excursions that should be on the top of your list on a visit to San Diego. If you want to see what the nude beach looks like from the gliderport make sure and check out the Fun Diego Family 360 video.

Fun Diego Family 360: Check out the 360-degree view from the glider port

The Gliderport is simply that, a place where at first hang gliders, and more frequently nowadays paragliders can jump off the 400-foot cliffs and soar to their hearts content. The naked part refers to the fact that at the bottom lies the famous clothing-optional Black’s Beach. Our family having lived in San Diego for either all their life or a minimum of 25 years can say that of all the many times we have been to the gliderport the ants (are they people?) on the beach far below may or may not have been naked. In other words, Black’s Beach is far away from the Gliderport.

Getting to the Gliderport is a simple matter of exiting off the I-5 at Genesee Ave and going west up the hill to Torrey Pines Rd. Make a left at Torrey Pines go two streets and make a right on Torrey Pines Scenic Drive by the sign to the Gliderport. Go to the end of the street and enter the dirt parking lot for plenty of free parking. If you want to keep your car clean there is usually plenty of free parking space on Torrey Parks Scenic Drive. From the parking lot you will see the main building which houses a shop for serious glider gear, a very good cafe and plenty of viewing room. Activity will vary by season and weather but there are usually a few people out gliding and on Saturdays they say they have live music from 1-4 (we were there at 2:30 on a summer Saturday with no music so take it with a grain of salt). Sandwiches at the Cliffhanger cafe are about $9.

The cool thing about Torrey Pines Gliderport is just walking around. It is on a bluff 400 ft over the sea and is subject to constant erosion. As such it is a great place to explore, making sure you stay clear of the well-marked no trespassing pilot’s area. Kids can climb over fairly rough crooks and cranies that will vary from year to year and it really has a unique, almost lunar landscape feel. It is has just always been a huge hit for out of town visitors and for many San Diego friends we have brought who have NEVER been here despite living there entire lives in this hood!

Oh, so about the naked beach? About a hundred yards south of the Gliderport is the trail down to the beach. And it is a long way down. The parking for the beach and Gliderport are shared and we had a funny time talking to a couple from Miami, Florida hoping to jump on a nude beach and believing that hundreds of feet down was San Diego’s finest. Yes, there are nude people a long walk down but the Gliderport is a separate place and overall Black’s Beach is disappointing as far as the nude thing goes.

The top of the trail. You have been warned!

Overall this is a G rated experience that is a great San Diego freebie. That is unless you want to get into the mix and try hang gliding or para gliding. A tandem glide ranges from $175 to $225 and with no experience they strap you to an expert. Over the years we have seen this move from hang gliding to paragliding and given that we have seen far fewer paragliding incidents we would choose the latter. However, our experts in such areas say that overall this is one of the safest places to learn the sport. It definitely is one of the most spectacular!

For some hikes in this area see: Our 4-mile walk through Black’s Beach Our classic 4-mile Torrey Pines hike The 8-mile Torrey Pines to Black Beach hike Make sure to check out our top free attractions in San Diego. Torrey Pines is definitely on the list!

Go here for a complete guide to hikes in Torrey Pines.

Hiking Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve provides some of the best hiking opportunities in the city of San Diego. This is our guide to Hiking Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. Overview In 1959, a large area of San Diego was set aside as a 2, 000 acres state park, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. This area […]

Where to Stay

Via car, Torrey Pines is convenient to almost any location in San Diego. Torrey Pines is right off the I-5 freeway at the Carmel Valley Road exit. The park is located near the UTC-area of La Jolla by the University of California-San Diego. There are three resorts within walking distance of Torrey Pines that sit on the bluff overlooking Black’s Beach by the golf course. The Lodge at Torrey Pines is right on the golf course

Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, a resort style hotel next to the golf course

Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa is across from UCSD and next to the Salk Institute. This is a longer walk, about a mile from Torrey Pines but near the Gliderport.

For more nearby lodging suggestions check out our guide on Where to Stay in La Jolla.

Where to Stay San Diego: La Jolla

The San Diego area is huge and getting around can be a challenge. Choosing a general location to stay is essential for maximizing the enjoyment of a visit to San Diego. Fun Diego Family has created a detailed guide to each of San Diego’s major areas. This is our guide to staying in the La […]