Torrey Pines Gliderport

This is my ultimate favorite place to go in La Jolla for the beach view. ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! More than that, it’s very calm here … With sounds of chatters here and there. There is a path you can take down to the beach — it’s just an easy trail down. You can look at people paragliding above and around you! (It’s a rare scene that you can encounter every day when you’re at the Gliderport!)

Quite a lovely view of the ocean and also very breezy and nice to just chill. You can follow a trail and walk down towards the beach if you want to but be careful!

The Torrey Pines Gliderport provides great scenic views of the ocean and the jagged hills close by. It is also fun to watch all of the gliders and drones fly in the vicinity. There is also lots of parking and several great points for photography.

I have been wanting to go paragliding for about 6 years now, and finally made it happen a couple of months ago. I was VERY nervous, but the staff were very nice! Fair warning, they videotape you saying that you understand paragliding is a dangerous sport that may result in injury or death which I completely understand why they do that, but it can be a bit nerve-​wracking if you aren’t expecting it.
I had a great instructor who had been paragliding for 10+ years. Your landing and takeoff will be at the gliderport (unless you guys float down too low then you are looking at a hike up Blacks Beach). Parking is super easy and you can also get food at the café!
No need for reservations and all you have to do is call in before you go to see if they are doing jumps that day. The price is about $ 175 (I think a little less, cheaper if you pay with cash), I didn’t do any photo/​video options, but I brought my GoPro and got awesome photos and videos with that! I definitely recommend this even if you are afraid of heights — it is worth it!

Torrey Pines Gliderport is one of the two ways to access Blacks Beach. There is free parking in addition to being accessible by walking from the UCSD campus. Every day you can see gaggles of surfers making their way down to Blacks beach from this scenic overview. You also can see Scripps Pier and La Jolla Cove from the the overpass. It’s a quick stop and well worth the visit if you’re travelling through La Jolla.

Review is for the location itself–
Free and ample parking and amazing spot to see the sun set. Lots of photographers with tripods but definitely enough space to accommodate a lot of people at the edge. Didn’t get to see anyone launch that Saturday night, but I bet it would be amazing to also get to watch the paragliders launch from that area as well.
Great place to relax and admire the breathtaking vastness of the Pacific Ocean.

I had a terrific time on the tandem hang glider with Doug today. Doug is a professional glider with 30 years of experience, and he did a great job instructing me on how to safely take off and land prior to the flight, so that I felt comfortable when we were up in the air.
The views of the beach and the cliffs on the hang glider were breathtaking, and it was an experience that I’ll never forget.
Pro Tip: Bring cash to get $ 10 off of the base price.

This is a Mecca for glider, hang glider, paragliding, and R/​C slope soaring enthusiast, and today was the perfect day to check out the launch!
I was saddened to see that the former landing area that I had read about is considerably condensed. Where there was a «runway» was now half a parking lot and clearly they are developing the former clearway. I had seen and read about glider winch operations out of there, clearly those days are gone.
While there were two hang gliders set up, no one flew them while I was there, which was disappointing. There were over a dozen paragliders up while I was there. It was cool watching this one guy do touch-​n-​goes with them, and also performing mild aerobatics over the water.
Another fun thing to watch and listen to was the slope soaring R/​C gliders. I have never heard an r/​c glider scream like that before! The combination of high speeds, aerobatics, and the way it was moving the wind was mesmerizing!
I was not in the mood to fly today but I was surprised how affordable it is to go up for an hour. If I come back to the area, I will definitely go flying! I just fear that I’ll gain another expensive hobby when I do!
Just keep you kids in close, they can walk in front of the glider area to an extent on a trail, and they could get mowed over by landing paraglider traffic or buzzing R/​C gliders.

Had a bit of extra time in Torrey Pines so we went to the glider port. Don’t let the rocky road leading in scare you from going, just drive slow and watch out for the big holes. It was fun to watch the remote control planes and the gliders. The view is spectacular! They serve lunch, but the line was long so we didn’t have any.

One of the nicest areas in San Diego. Love this spot. So many things to do there. Paragliding, Hang-​gliding, relaxing, having lunch, hiking, watching sunset, etc. Free parking. You can hike to Black Beach (nude beach) from there.

The place is extremely unorganized! They call up people to glide randomly! We waited for two hours while people who arrived before us went on to glide.
I don’t mind waiting but I don’t want to put my safety in a place that can’t even call your name properly!

This review coincides with my recent lunch at the Cliff Hanger Café the other week.
It’s been a while since something has taken this blogger’s breath away. You know those take your breath away moments. It’s similar to the way kids gasp when they’re so taken aback by an event or getting a new candy/​toy or something. I think adults deserve the same lose your effin’ mind moments. Cliff Hanger Café (and Torrey Pines Gliderport) in La Jolla recently gave me that moment. These lose your effin’ minds don’t come often in life so RELISH it when you stumble upon it because that’s what I absolutely did. I’m not usually at a loss of words but the views and gliders made me BE STILL for the first time in a very long time. Which makes me ponder: Can you lose your effin’ mind AND be still at the same time. Yes. Yes, you can.
It was truly such a sight to see all the hang gliders take off from the cliff. I could not believe how I’ve never been here all these years I’ve lived in San Diego.
We even saw a tandem glider with some poor guy probably trying gliding for the first time.
My heart was racing as I *SERIOUSLY* could feel his fear (well, probably more so MY own fear of flying and heights). Sis and I were joking later how if that was me (in pic), the entire place would hear me screaming ‘Nooooo noooo no no no I CHANGE MY MIND I CHANGE MY MIND I CHANGE MY MIND ’ and my feet would be DRAGGING on the grass the entire way to the edge of cliff…
You can see and almost feel the action *THAT* closely to experience your own heart palpitating moment.
The meal here at their Cliff Hanger Café was one of the coolest lunches I’ve ever had. It wasn’t just about the food but it was about the combination of everything. I’m not going to get all kumbaya on you but the hour that I had here was something that I needed, right then and there, when I didn’t think it would happen ‘right then and there’. If that makes any sense. Absolutely come here for a new perspective on flying/​gliding.

Torrey Pines Gliderport is one of the place I always take out of towners to visit. There’s just something magical and mesmerizing about seeing people take flight that people… young and old love to watch.
I always recommend them to do it as well if they have the stomach for it. There is hang gliding as well as paraglading (fixed wing vs chute based flight) and to go tandem requires no experience, just a sense of adventure! My experience with it was calm, soothing and yet at the same time thrilling and fun! A must do for San Diego!

Pretty cool place to stop by and watch the Gilders. I have meant to stop here for a long time and hadn’t been here for so long. I drive by all the time and finally remembered to pull off the road and check it out last weekend. It was a beautiful day and there were plenty of gliders out. My son loved climbing all over the rocks and crevices which was fun. The view is amazing up there and I like that there is Ft lifeguards on watch. It would be a great place ot take a picnic and sit on the grass and hang out for a little while. They have a little store if you need a drink or some snacks. Warning, the only bathroom is the outhouses and they are gross! So be prepared!

OMG paragliding was so much fun!
We didn’t plan on doing it at first when we came here and just wanted to watch. The morning was deceiving since we just saw a few people struggling with these big paraglides and never taking off. Were they just that bad? We were about to leave when the winds suddenly changed and this guy who has been just sitting on one of the lounge chairs literally leaped up, go his smaller paraglider set up in 2 minutes flat and off he went into the air! Then death spirals and all these other tricks ensued, it was incredible!
Now having seen what it could be, we decided to sign up. A tandem ride lasts about 20 min and costs $ 175 a piece, which certainly isn’t cheap. But think of it as a more affordable sky diving experience?
I was lucky enough to actually get that same awesome pilot we saw earlier as my tandem person, name in Enlo. Apparently, he’s been paragliding for 26 years and was a world champion in acrobatics before, no wonder… Our flight was fabulous, you get to see the coastline is a completely different angle and into the backyard of all the most ridiculously beautiful mansions ever. Enlo was great and did some scary tricks with me and even let me drive it for a little bit. I had a great time and 20min went by very fast. Definitely worth it!

Out of all of the planned activities we had in San Diego, this was definitely the one we were looking forward to the most.
What probably sucks the most is that you’re only able to fly if weather conditions are permissible. We were only in La Jolla for 2 days, and we were lucky enough to fly on the day we were leaving. We actually wanted to go hanggliding, but the wind was only strong enough for paragliding. Even so, it was great.
Paragliding was such a great experience. My flight instructor was extremely kind and made the flight very enjoyable. The views were breathtaking, and it was such a surreal experience. I’m so glad that I was able to do this.
I definitely think that everyone should go to the Gliderport if they’re in La Jolla. It’s worth the money.

We came out here on a whim just to watch the paragliders and hanggliders and one of the pilot’s wife talked me into taking a flight and wow, just amazing! I would give this place 5 starts for coolness of just watching all the activities here, but actually taking a flight deserves more than 5!
My pilot’s name was Max and he was great, the views spectacular and the adrenaline level pumped! Just great, so great that as soon as I landed I wanted my wife and oldest daughter to do it and they did and loved it! My wife’s pilot was Bob and she thought he was great, and my daughter’s pilot was Enleau she thought he was great too! We were all very happy.
Also the girls behind the counter were very patient, and nice as well. Their pictures came out great and I highly recommend getting the video if you fly!

If you enjoyed the Scripps Reserve (aka the cliffs) you will LOVE this unique little spot. Like the cliffs, this spot has a cliff you can walk to the edge on for some amazing pictures and for that romantic getaway with the loved one. To add to it, this place offers views of paragliding and hangliding enthusiasts. Watch as they soar across the cliffs against that beautiful SD coastal view.
You can experience tandem rides starting at 175 $
Inside they sell cold and hot beverages for you to enjoy. However, get there early (before 1630) or risk them closing up the café early. When I asked about closing hours they were vague which indicated they close up when it gets slow towards the end of day.

One of the most amazing places in the United States. Three things are needed in order to obtain the Slope Soaring effect needed for Paragliding and RC Gliders.
1. A Flat Surface where the wind can pick up speed (AKA the Ocean)
2. A Tall Steep Precipice adjacent 90° to the Flat Surface (AKA the Cliff)
3. Wind! The eastward wind going the direction of the cliff is forced up and LIFT is created in front of the cliff. This LIFT is strong enough to allow a person to literally float as they cruise in front of the cliff while paragliding. Astonishing!
Finding these elements together is rare but finding them together in a place as beautiful as the San Diego Ocean View is absolutely amazing!
Please take in this wonder of San Diego and enjoy one of the most amazing spots to see the sunset in the world.

Torrey Pines Gliderport is undoubtedly one of the prettiest, most picturesque, and scenic places in San Diego. It’s actually my very favorite place in this beautiful city.
You’ll get amazing amazing views of the La Jolla coastline to the left and North County to the right. You’ll get a grasp of the wide, stunning, incredible Pacific Ocean. And you’ll get to see the sunset.
I come here to relax, unwind, stare at the sea, and let my thoughts go. I see people meditating, taking pictures, watching the gliders, or walking down the steps to the beach.
As mentioned below — perfect place to bring visitors to give them something jaw-​dropping. It’s something that explains the beauty of this city in a way no words can describe.
Not even this Unilocal review.