Start with Pastry
Sunday mornings in fall La Jolla are made for slow starts and good bread. Begin at Wayfarer Bread & Pastry before 9 a.m., when the croissants are still warm and the line hasn't formed yet. Order the almond croissant and a cortado, then take a table outside. The pastries here are the best argument for skipping brunch entirely.
Books and the Cove
Walk off breakfast at D.G. Wills Books, a few blocks inland on Girard. This is not a browsing shop: it is a committed reader's labyrinth, floor to ceiling with serious fiction, poetry, and Americana. The owner knows the stock. Ask for recommendations or just get lost in the stacks for an hour.
By late morning, head to La Jolla Cove. October means smaller crowds and cooler water, so the sea lions own the rocks and the tourists keep a respectful distance. Walk the coastal path south toward the Children's Pool if you want the full parade of barking pinnipeds and crashing surf. Skip the cave tours today: save your energy for the afternoon.
Lunch and Late Light
For lunch, walk to El Pescador Fish Market on Pearl Street. Order the grilled fish plate or the fish tacos, both of which arrive smoking and honest. Eat outside if the breeze cooperates. This is not a long lunch: you are fueling, not lingering.
Spend the afternoon at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve if you want trails and solitude, or stay in the village and poke through the shops on Girard. Either way, be at Duke's La Jolla by 5 p.m. Grab a table on the patio, order a mai tai, and watch the Pacific turn gold. The kitchen does solid fish and decent burgers, but you are here for the view and the Sunday crowd winding down. Stay through sunset. October light on the water does not apologize.