Point Loma ~ Sunset Cliffs ~ San Diego, CA

Point Loma is said to have the best sunset views so that was on our evening visit list. We had no real knowledge about Point Loma but a great sunset is always worth hunting down. A city map is always a great thing to have when visiting a new city and we’ve put ours to good use. We set out for our early evening drive to find the best sunset!

Three harbour patrol boats on San Diego Bay

Point Loma, which is a Spanish word for “the hill” is on the peninsula that separates San Diego from the Pacific Ocean.  This seaside community, seen here across the San Diego Bay, basically fills the whole peninsula but our focus was to drive to the southern tip for that sunset.  



Cabrillo Memorial on Point Loma, CA

We soon learn that we are not going to get to that point, which is the home of the Cabrillo National Monument on a Federal Reservation as the gate has closed for the night.  This point is historically important as it was where the first European expedition came ashore in 1542. It was disappointing to learn this too late to visit, but it is definitely on the list for our next visit to San Diego, it sounds like a must-see.



Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery on Point Loma, CA

What an unexpected yet incredible sight we see as we drive along Catalina Boulevard.  This cemetery was established in 1882 and was renamed to be the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in 1934.  It covers over 77 acres along both sides of this drive.  There are over 100,000 graves of eligible veterans and their family members.



Thousands of headstones in the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery

Point Loma now houses two military bases, a national monument as well as this national cemetery out on the point.  The community also has a university as well as residential and commercial neighborhoods. We brought out the trusty map and drove from here through the seaside town to find another spot to enjoy the sunset.



Sunset Cliffs on Point Loma, San Diego, CA

We would miss the sunset if we didn’t get moving so no time was wasted to find another location. Sunset Cliffs was a great find! A full parking lot is usually a good sign that we’ve found a popular spot but a smart one for a sunset, too. The name tells it all!



The evening sun on Sunset Cliffs

We could look to the north or to the south and see the Sunset Cliffs as a nice warm glow and the waves of the Pacific Ocean splash up against the rock; what a great way to end our day of sightseeing. We watch with several others who have come here to enjoy the last few minutes of the day.  

Pelicans fly over the Pacific at Point Loma, CA

We saw a flock of pelicans make their way past our viewpoint.  They formed a single file line and quietly flew by.  They were the brown pelicans that we’d seen in other areas on our travels, not the beautiful white ones we’d seen recently seen at the Salton Sea.  I am a pelican fan, they follow penguins, my number one favorite bird.  Trouble is, penguins just never fly by!  I digress, back to the sunset!



Visitors enjoying the setting sun

There were several people down on the lower level where the waves were splashing against the rocks, but we chose to stay up top and enjoy the view from here.  The sun was casting an orange glow on the rocky banks of the Sunset Cliffs.



Setting sun in San Diego, CA

The clouds were laying over the horizon but that gave us some great views, with the evening sun burning through giving the reflections on the water.  It was a great sunset and a perfect way to end this wonderful day in San Diego.

See more of the San Diego Bay when you click here.