Self-Realization Fellowship

Take a break from the chaos and spend time walking these beautiful gardens, watch the koi fish, and stare at the ocean. This is a beautiful sanctuary located along the coast in Encinitas. Admission is free and you can spend anywhere from 20 min to several hours here. Bring a book and grab a bench to connect with nature and explore the variety of vegetation. Donations accepted to maintain park.

I cannot speak highly enough about this chapel and those who work here. We held my wife’s memorial services here; Brahmachari Wolfgang was amazing, as was Martin. There was another individual there as well, but his name escapes me. I cannot express the support and kindness of these individuals; it made all the difference in the memorial, which went as best as it could. I highly recommend this «chapel» for anyone who wishes to hold any type of memorial service.

Nice, simple temple grounds with several lecture halls, friendly people/​families, reading material, refreshments after Sunday lecture. It’s located on a clean, normal residential street, with a few surrounding businesses. Several volunteers with name tags stand around if you have any questions. Very small parking area, but ample, free street parking.
I came here solo, and it was a very non-​intimidating experience. There’s no main office here, but People smile at you and don’t hesitate to answer any questions you may have. The demographic was mostly older people, few families. They even have a greeter, Naheim, who’s so down to earth and friendly. I sat with her on one of the many seating areas, and we chatted it up, and she made me feel very welcome. She told me a temple location exists in downtown San Diego! Id check out this place in Encinitas though, because the meditation gardens on K St is beautiful and worth checking out.
In between services, I walked down the street to browse the nearby businesses, ordered a Bombay latte and almond croissant at Darshan café, and just chilled out. They have other yoga/​meditation studios nearby, Indian restaurant, a bar, etc.
Check out their website and calender under «events» at
. I’ll be back when I need my fix for spirituality !

I have nothing but good things to say about this place. I go here all the time to get away from my family and have some alone time to myself. It is so beautiful and peaceful. There is a view of the ocean with a nice bench to sit at. The gardens are maintained so well and you are surrounded by nature. Don’t forget to check out the koi ponds!

Love this garden. It’s very well maintained and peaceful. It can be busy on the weekends but if you go weekdays you can get some solitude. The view of the ocean over the cliff is gorgeous. I love to sit on one of the benches and watch the waves and surfers. The koi fish in the little ponds are huge and always come to the surface to say hello ;)

Stunning views inside thegarden and view over the ocean! One of the most beautiful meditation gardens around! A must visit. Not a place for having a chatty meeting with friends but to restore the soul & experience peace within. There is mystical & gorgeous energy in the air; and I find my meditations go deep and wide and I’m quickly centered In joy and peace.

This place is a little hidden gem. Its small but so beautiful! Great views, Koi fish pond & beautiful vegitation. Not a place for handicap people as there is a lot of stairs. Our 90 yr old mom was able to make it up but it was a challenge for her. There is zero parking so most likely you will have to park far away & walk.

This place is amazing. Such a beautiful, serene environment with many little mediation or quiet nooks that you can sit in and self-​reflect or just enjoy a nice sunny day. The views are just superb; this place never ceases to put me in a good mood!

What a sweet gem along the coastal mountains of Encinitas! There’s always a steady stream of visitors throughout the park, so I’m not sure how easy it’d be to meditate here. However it is an excellent place to take a date or out-​of-​town friends for a 5 star view of the coast. It’s great to grab one of the ocean-​facing benches to sit and watch the waves roll in — the sound of the ocean and the green surroundings make for a truly sublime experience!

worth a visit to walk, meditate, reflect etc… I’m a fan.

A beautiful setting to reflect, meditate or just be quiet. The Ocean view is spectacular. The gardens are lovely with little flowers everywhere. Much care and love go into the whole area. Whether you are a spiritual or religious person, it doesn’t matter. This is a welcoming, warm, and friendly place.

Walk. Meditate. Breathe. Contemplate nature. You can do all that in this fabulous place, plus a little bit of more enlightenment if you are into religion or want to disappear for a bit from the mundane. I would change the name of this building-​gardens-​view point (too long, too generic, don’t know who are those fellows). I just call it the cake-​temple, as it looks like something edible and pretty, and just in the heart of Encinitas, so new age, inspirational, mystical and fit town.
Whether you see the light or not, this is a must visit from anyone, local or tourist, because the views of the sea are breathtaking (remember you breathe a lot here, so can have some taken away with these gorgeous seascapes!). Watching the kona fish in the pond or just smelling the flowers is another pleasant activity to do here. Very relaxing.

BEAUTIFUL! My husband took me here on one of our first dates and it was so special! Anytime we have people visiting from out of town I take them here to show them the most beautiful spot in Encinitas :)
* Remember to be quiet & respectful!
** I always try to make a small donation so they can keep this place alive!

I first visited «the Swami’s place» The Self Realization Fellowship over 30 years ago. I would drive all by myself about 50 mi. just to get away from the hustle and bustle of the fast paced, work a day world and clear my mind and be inspired. It is serene and peaceful with places to sit and meditate or read a book. Yesterday I revisited… I now live closer and do not come as often. Came with family who some had never been.
This is a must visit place like no where else. It has the most gorgeous garden settings with Koi fish pond, flowers, plants, walkways, paths and ocean views. It not only has the most visual nature/​natural beauty… the energy is Divine.

Have driven by this place multiple multiple times but never stopped by for a retreat. Absolutely gorgeous garden with lush bright flowers and plants. Beautiful, bright, nice views, one of the examples to justify San Diego’s brilliant topography. Very peaceful, serene setting to relax and let the stress out. They have cute koi ponds and benches to relax. We need more places like this for sanity.

The Self-​Realization Fellowship is a major landmark in the little town of Encinitas. Its gardens have a spectacular view of the ocean. Despite the SoCal vibe and all the surfers, the Self-​Realization Fellowship maintains a pacific presence. The gardens provide a place for serenity. Its onion domes are a sign that you’ve found the place… and yourself.

My co-​workers have been telling me to come here for months and I finally got the chance this past weekend. This place is very easy to find and is right near the beach.
As soon as I walked in, I was blown away at the beauty of this place.
I walked up the stairs to check out the garden and was in awe. It is VERY well maintained and clean. I love the koi ponds and the lil waterfalls they have, the koi are huge!!! And the water was clean, not murky. I’ve never seen koi that big before and my, were they lovely to look at.
There are benches throughout the garden so you can sit and meditate or just enjoy the scenery overlooking the ocean. It’s beautiful here and I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who’s looking to get away from all the chaos they’re going through especially when you’ve got so much frustration built up, this is a good place to clear your head and calm your nerves. It’s also a good place for couples to go and have a romantic stroll.
A few things to point out… please be respectful as this is a santuary and the people who are here meditating would appreciate you passing by quietly. Also no drinks allowed… but you can carry them in a bag/​purse. I thought that was funny. The security guard said i couldn’t bring my water bottle inside but I was able to if i had a bag to put it in.

I’m not a religious person, by any means, but the gardens of this place have a really cool vibe, and if you ever need a place to go to just clear your head for a minute– this is a great setting for that.
There’s private benches for meditation overlooking the gardens, coi pond, and Swami beach.
Great place to chill on the way to or from something and just kind of hit «reset» on your frame of mind.

I like to bring my family from the mid-​west here. Everyone I’ve ever brought here has loved it.
I found this place through a world religion’s class I took over twenty years ago. Anybody can go in, stroll through the gardens and enjoy the gorgeous views. You should probably drop a few dollars in the donations box. Good karma.

This place is super amazing and totally beautiful!!! Just take a look at the photos that are posted!!!
This place is the place to come to when you want to just relax or to just walk around. The sights of this place are amazing and the beautiful flowers are just so amazing.
Also, this place has breathtaking views of the ocean and an enchanting garden to walk around. Recently, I was there with a friend and we had a great time sitting by the edge of the cliffs, overlooking the ocean.
This is an awesome place to come too when you just need to get away from it all and kick back.