la valencia hotel in la jolla

I recently celebrated my birthday at one of my favorite places, La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla. La Jolla at any time of year is a fantastic idea!

 

La Valencia Hotel, also known as "The Pink Lady," is a Mediterranean-style oceanfront resort located in La Jolla, California. 

This iconic hotel has breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and is the perfect destination for a romantic and quick overnight getaway.

 

I love this little stretch of La Jolla and the hotel's prime location, with stunning ocean views and easy access to nearby attractions.

We had dinner at Georges at the Cove, known for its yummy contemporary American cuisine and seafood. The stunning ocean views are breathtaking from the very top of this restaurant, and our dinner was perfect.

 

Another great breakfast, brunch and lunch spot that we love is Brockton Villa. It’s such a little cozy spot, and of course I love the old Spanish architecture of the building and courtyards. The breakfast sandwich on a croissant and the Coast Toast are out of this world!!

My husband and I always enjoy the hotel's historic charm and unique character, especially sitting in the bar for breakfast. 

 

Our favorite is a breakfast of fresh muffins and coffee with a gorgeous floor to ceiling view of the La Jolla beach and the Pacific beyond.

It was a foggy morning, but as you can see the day before was amazing! Look at the blue sky and sea! 

 

La Jolla Cove is a beautiful coastal area known for its stunning views, marine life, and unique sea caves. 

In fact the sea lions and seals make a point of sunning themselves on the rocks everyday, right down the block from La Valencia.

We always make a point of heading to the Sunny Jim's Cave for a stunning and unique view of the cove. It's a great little morning workout too! 

 

The La Valencia Hotel Pool

Sunny Jim’s Cave is accessible through the Cave Store, this cave features a tunnel with 145 steps leading down to the cave. It offers a unique perspective of the coastline and is a popular spot for visitors

 

After breakfast, we headed home but stopped at the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas for a little hike around these stunning gardens.

 

This botanic garden features over 5,000 plant species and I love the Mediterranean and cactus areas a lot. There’s so much history there, but also it's a great source of inspiration for my own garden.

 

I hope you’ll follow along with me on Instagram for all the latest projects and décor I will be sharing in 2025.

 

ciao fabiana

 

 

a gorgeous day in la jolla

Last weekend, we had a chance to getaway for the day to La Jolla. It’s just a 90 minute drive here from Newport, so getting there is not a big deal, and when we arrive….  

I love to stop off at La Valencia for a peek at the view and a yummy cappuccino – with almond milk. They also make amazing blueberry muffins, but I was just an muffin observer this time around, you see I’m on the Paleo diet. More on that later…

Seriously, the day was absolutely flawless! Look at the view looking down at the pool and at the Pacific beyond.

This is the kind of place I love calling "home". We didn't stay here this time around, but I do have another longer trip planned soon. 😉  

Here’s a look at the lounge area that’s so cozy for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

This is the view from that same lounge. I just LOVE it here!!

So, after a quick pick-me-up at La Valencia, we headed down the street for a walk around the always stunning La Jolla Cove area, high above the cliffs, and looking down at the incredible wildlife and ocean below.

There are seven caves in this area, but the most famous one is my favorite, the Sunny Jim Cave that’s accessible through the Cave Store.

The Cave Store’s been around for more than a hundred years, and for a small fee, you can descend 145 steps into the underground world of the beautiful Sunny Jim Cave.

This little journey feels sort of like you’re walking down into a mine, but the end result is just absolutely breathtaking!

Do you see the profile outlined in the cave? He's so cute!

From there we continued our walk around the cliffs, around the bend to see the seals and sea lions that nap along the smooth rocks there. Do you see how well they blend in to their surroundings?

As long as you don’t bother these guys they’re harmless, and how lucky are we to get so close to this amazing wildlife?

And speaking of wildlife, how cute is this loggerhead sea turtle? She lives at the Birch Aquarium which is just around the bend from downtown La Jolla.

I hadn’t been to the Birch Aquarium in ages, and it was really a fun visit and so calming to get a glimpse of just a little bit of the fascinating underwater world.

This is the view from the aquarium, looking back at La Jolla in the distance.

I'm so thankful for such a beautiful day and can't wait to visit again soon. It's was the perfect little getaway!

ciao! fabiana

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la valencia in la jolla

Continuing from my Tuesday post on La Jolla, just up the street from the Brockton Villa and the La Jolla Cave shop was our next stop, La Valencia hotel. Also known as the Pink Lady, La Valencia has always been one of my favorite places to visit for lunch, and this time, we actually got to stay here for two nights!

La Valencia was opened in 1926 and has the most amazing location overlooking the beach in the area known as La Jolla Cove. It even became a great getaway for Hollywood stars during the 1940’s and 50’s.

As you walk into the lobby, your eye is drawn to the gorgeous view straight back out of the shapely picture window of the “living room”. The living room is the coziest space ever and the vintage 1920’s details are spectacular. 

Here’s a shot of the ceiling, looking straight up.

  

And right outside the living room is the luxurious dining patio. Look at the views! It sits right above the pool area too.

It’s so fun to explore all the nooks and crannies of La Valencia. Hand-painted tiles and cheery pink geraniums are around every corner of the outdoor spaces!

The restaurants are really good too. We had breakfast each morning at The Med, where the ambiance is calm, the views are breathtaking and the food is soooo good! 

They serve the best cappuccinos and blueberry muffins! I loved sipping my coffee while watching the waves break on the shore and all sea gulls and pelicans drifting about. This is a view of the patio adjacent to the street, and the other side, of the great room has the amazing views of the pool and ocean.

The rooms are quite comfortable.

Here’s where we spent quite a bit of time, poolside.

Until tomorrow...

ciao! fabiana

first stop in la jolla

Last week my family and I spent a few days in one of my favorite little California cites, La Jolla. (Pronounced "La Hoya") Our first stop for breakfast or lunch when we get into town is the Brockton Villa. It's a charming little cottage restaurant right across from the water and has amazing food!  

As you go up the front steps, you’ll notice the amazing masonry wall that has inset abalone shells at the front of the restaurant. So pretty! 

The seating indoors and out is equally as fabulous. The views are great just about anywhere in the place.

As you can see, the location is right across for the blue Pacific, and just down the hill from the famous La Jolla Cave!

The clam chowder and the ‘Coast Toast’ are two of their most popular menu items. We had both! What makes the chowder so good is a little hint of saffron that turns it a pale yellow. 

Here’s a shot of the ‘Coast Toast’ and the recipe. Please try this at home, if you don’t get a chance to try it at the Brockton Villa! It's crispy on the outside and a little custardy on the inside. A delicious take on traditional french toast... really yummy!

Brockton Villa’s Famous Coast Toast

Ingredients

One loaf of soft French bread (sliced)

One quart of whipping cream

10 eggs

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup of sugar

A pinch of salt

2 tbs. vanilla

2 tbs. orange flavoring

Instructions

1.   Combine liquid ingredients and pour over bread slices.

2.   Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

3.   Remove bread and discard liquid.

4.   Spread butter on flat grill.

5.   Cook bread until golden brown, then bake at 450 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until bread is puffed up like a soufflé.

6.   Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Serves: 6 people

The inside space is darling, and you can’t miss the amazing abalone shell fireplace. It’s perfect for when there’s a little chill in the air. 

Here’s a little Hollywood fact. Gregory Peck was born and raised in La Jolla and started the renown La Jolla Playhouse. Here he is sitting right near where the Brockton Villa is, in the area known as La Jolla Cove.  

There's so much history in this little town!

Brockton’s location is amazing!

And right across the street you'll find a few of these little guys!

La Jolla is very close to San Diego, 

so if you're in the area, make sure you stop by! 

ciao! fabiana

a morning in la jolla

We had a quick visit to the La Jolla coastline one recent morning, and I took a few snapshots of the gorgeous views. We enjoyed a home-style breakfast at the famous Brockton Villa Restaurant, which is located a historic 1894 house that was built right on the coast. 

A quick walk up the street took us to another one of my favorite places, the La Jolla Cave Store. Inside the store, you have access to the only land entrance to a sea cave known in California. When you get to the bottom of the steep stairway, you are greeted by the silhouette of "Sunny Jim", named by L. Frank Baum after a cartoon character from the 1920's.  

The Brockton Villa Restaurant is the small white house located in the center of the above photo.  From the restaurant, you have views of snorkelers, kayakers, and native sea lions.  They’re quite vocal!

ciao! fabiana