Despite having lived in Los Angeles for three and a half years, I did not experience Catalina Island until a visit back to Southern California in September 2022 (I know!). I won’t make excuses on why it took me so long to cross this one off my bucket list but I will give you some recommendations for a smooth day trip experience so you don’t have to sift through dozens of different websites, like I did, to plan.
First, let’s start with some history –
Santa Catalina Island (more commonly referred to as simply “Catalina Island”) is located just 22 miles off California’s Pacific Coast and is part of an eight-island chain known as the Channel Islands. For at least 8,000 years, this patch of land in the Pacific Ocean was inhabited by various Native Americans tribes (including the Tongva who knew it as the island named “Pimu”) until Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriquez Cabrilla happened upon the land in 1542. Cabrilla quickly claimed the island for the Spanish Empire and named it San Salvador, the name of his ship. This commemorative title did not stick long though as the island was soon renamed by Spanish explorer, Sebastian Viscaino, to Santa Catalina in 1602, in honor of Saint Catherine, a name that would endure for hundreds more years. Over this subsequent period, territorial claims to the island changed hands multiple times and it wasn’t until the 1920s, after being bought out by chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr., that the tourist destination the island is known for began to take shape. Today, it attracts over 1 million visitors annually to its beaches, camping sites, and Europe-resembling cities.
Getting There
Unless you have access to a boat or are willing to shell out approximately $300 for a round-trip helicopter ride, the ferry will be your best bet to reach Catalina Island.
Two ferry services offer round trip journeys to the island from a selection of four mainland ports in Southern California:
The Catalina Flyer services ferries for the Newport Beach port to/from Avalon route but is temporarily shuttering for renovations starting October 3rd.
The Catalina Express offers ferries for four routes: Dana Point port to/from Avalon; Long Beach port to/from Avalon; San Pedro port to/from Avalon; and San Pedro port to/from Two Harbors. Tickets are offered at two different tier levels: General Seating and Commodore Lounge. Offered at a $20 upgrade one way, a Commodore Lounge ticket gives holders access to the upper level, priority check-in and boarding, and a complimentary beverage. Personally, I would opt for General Seating as the one-way ride is only one hour and your $20 can be better spent elsewhere.
As you read, there are two port destinations on Catalina Island: Avalon and Two Harbors. Avalon is the bustling tourist mecca of the island while Two Harbors is a quiet harbor with a campground and just four dining options (picnicking is encouraged). During my recent visit, I solely explored Avalon but was recommended by locals to explore the other side of the island (which can be accessed by shuttle) in the future, as it features long stretches of untouched California camping.
As far as timing, we took the 11am ferry in and 8pm ferry out and those 9 hours were the perfect amount of time for us to explore Avalon without feeling in a rush or bored. There are also a number of hotels on the island if you’re interested in an overnight trip but these can be very pricey!
Getting Around
Avalon has legal limits on the number of vehicles permitted and so, visitors are limited to transportation by golf cart rentals, bike rentals, or foot. Personally, I elected to walk (even to lookout spots located off paved roads) but for those who opt to cart or bike around, there are a number of suppliers available.
What to See and Do
Despite only encompassing 76 square miles of land, Catalina Island is rich with activities for visitors. Tour providers on the island offer excursions ranging from bison expedition tours in the wilderness of the island, ocean tours, zip lining, climbing walls, golf courses, casino tours, and more. For comprehensive lists and to book, visit the VisitCatalinaIsland website or the LoveCatalina website.
In Avalon, we skipped the tours and opted to explore on foot, ending up at the Buena Vista Point Scenic Overlook for an incredible overhead view of the harbor and hiked up to the Catalina Chime Tower which was closed to renovation but still offered a great panoramic outlook.
Where to Eat
On my first jaunt through Avalon, we stopped by Catalina Coffee and Cookie Company for breakfast, Cafe Metropole for lunch, and Steve’s Steakhouse. Vegans can rejoice as all three offer vegan options on their menu! Everything we ate was fresh and delicious and I imagine you can’t go wrong with any of the dozens of restaurants on Avalon.