You don’t have to hop a plane to Europe or Mexico to feel like you’ve escaped Los Angeles. As many in the South Bay know, just 22 miles off the Southern California coast sits Santa Catalina Island, the rocky little paradise that feels a world away yet is only about an hour by ferry on the Catalina Express. On a clear day, we can see it from Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo and Palos Verdes. But as odd as it seems, not everybody from SoCal has gone over and visited. If that’s you, or you haven’t been there for awhile, this article and video is for you.
Avalon, the island’s main town, is compact, walkable, and packed with history, Art Deco architecture, and more activities than you can fit into a single day. You can spend your time strolling the waterfront, renting a golf cart to chase the views, exploring a surprisingly deep Hollywood past, or going full‑adventure mode with horseback riding, snorkeling, and zip‑lining. I like staying overnight, as waking up in the morning on a quiet little island is just priceless. However, hotel rooms can be really expensive during the peak summer months, so sometimes a day trip is called for, leaving early in the morning, staying long enough for dinner and returning home afterwards.
Below is my suggested one‑day itinerary for Avalon visitors. (Remember that the island has one other town, Two Harbors, which is more classic island life, with just a hotel, restaurant, great scenery and not much else. Avalon has all the amenities.)
Morning: Ferry Ride and First Impressions of Avalon
Plan an early morning departure on the Catalina Express from Long Beach, San Pedro, or Dana Point, depending on which is closest to you. The ride takes about an hour each way, on a clear day you’ll get great views of the coastline and, if you’re lucky, dolphins alongside the boat.
- Round‑trip fares generally run around the cost of a short‑haul flight, but you skip TSA and airport chaos—just park, check in, and walk onto the boat. (Don’t forget that you’ll have to pay for parking at the terminal.) Expect to pay around $90 roundtrip from San Pedro or Long Beach.
- Have your phone ready on the boat when you approach Avalon. The first view of the harbor and the Catalina Casino from the water is one of the best angles you’ll get all day.
Stroll Avalon’s Waterfront and Side Streets
Once you step off the ferry, you’re on Pebbly Beach Road, which leads straight into the heart of Avalon. The waterfront promenade doubles as the town’s main street, lined with restaurants, bars, T‑shirt shops, and outfitters ready to sell you a cocktail, snorkel tour, or parasailing trip.
Take 30–45 minutes to:
- Walk the main drag and get your bearings.
- Duck into a side street or two to see the pastel cottages, nautical murals, and that classic “beach village” mix of old houses and modern rentals.
- Grab a quick coffee or breakfast and enjoy the harbor view before the day fills up. Our favorite morning spot is Jack’s, a classic, down homey breakfast diner offering the usual mix of eggs, flapjacks and waffles, and somehow turns into an Italian restaurant at nighttime.
Avalon is largely pedestrian and the main thoroughfare of Pebbly Beach Road is closed to vehicles. Locals and visitors get around on taxis, and primarily via golf carts, which you’ll be seeing (and probably driving) soon.
Late Morning: Golf Cart Loop and Buena Vista Point
While you can walk most of Avalon in a day, you’ll miss some of the best viewpoints if you don’t get wheels. Golf cart rentals are one of the most popular first activities for visitors, and for good reason: the hills are steep, and the loop road quickly takes you to overlooks you’d need serious time and energy to reach on foot.
Expect to:
- Rent a cart by the hour (2 hours is a nice sweet spot for a circuit with lots of photo stops).
- Follow a mapped route that climbs above town, passes the Catalina Chimes Tower, and loops back down along the ridge roads overlooking the harbor.
From the cart, you’ll get some of your best overhead photos of Avalon—harbor, Casino, and those colorful houses stacked against the hills.
(There’s also a new electric taxi service, Ride Circuit which for just $2 will take you all over town, and save you from those steep climbs. To use it, you have to download the app first, and make arrangements to be picked up that way, like you do with Uber and Lyft.)
Buena Vista Point: Romance and Big Views
One essential stop with your wheels (Circuit will take you here too) is Buena Vista Point, a bluff‑top overlook above Lover’s Cove. Locals love this spot for its sweeping views of the harbor and open water, and it’s easy to see why people get married here.
From up here you’ll notice:
- The clarity of the water. Catalina’s rocky shoreline means the sand doesn’t get kicked up, so you can easily see 30–40 feet down on a good day.
- How compact Avalon looks from above—the “big island” you’ll hear about later is mostly outside this little town.
If you’re visiting in the warmer months, this is also a great place to imagine the snorkeling and scuba you can do later around Lover’s Cove, one of Catalina’s best underwater spots.
Midday: Catalina Museum and Island History
Back in town, trade views for context at the Catalina Museum for Art & History. It’s an ideal first‑trip stop because it explains a lot of what you’re seeing around you.
Inside you’ll learn about:
- Island scale: Catalina is about 21 miles long, up to 8 miles wide at its widest point, and covers roughly 76 square miles. Avalon is just a small corner; most of the island is protected open space.
- Wrigley’s influence: William Wrigley Jr. (of chewing‑gum fame) bought Catalina in 1919 and developed it as a playground for Los Angeles and Hollywood. His family still controls much of the island’s commercial activity through the Catalina Island Company, while 88% of the land is held by the Catalina Conservancy for hiking, biking, and nature experiences.
- Hollywood connections: Catalina has hosted Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, John Wayne, and even a young Marilyn Monroe (when she was still Norma Jean), who lived in Avalon during World War II.
- Tile heritage: Wrigley set up a ceramic studio on the island after realizing the local mud was clay. The studio produced tableware and the colorful tiles you see everywhere in Avalon, which have become a visual signature of the island.
After the museum, walk through town with new eyes—those decorative tiles on stairways, fountains, and storefronts are part of Catalina’s design DNA.
Lunch: Descansco Beach Club
My favorite lunchtime eatery on the island, right out of Tom Cruise’s old movie Cocktail, with a bar on the beach, oceanfront seating, and lots of water activities like kayaking and paddleboarding. It’s immediately to the left of the Casino.
Next: Casino!
The Catalina Casino is Avalon’s most recognizable landmark: an 11‑story Art Deco and Mediterranean Revival circular building that dominates the harbor entrance.
Historically, it’s notable as:
- One of the earliest purpose‑built “talkie” movie theaters, designed from the ground up for sound films.
- Home to a 1,100‑seat Avalon Theatre downstairs.
- Site of a 20,000‑square‑foot ballroom upstairs with hardwood floors, where big bands once played for huge crowds.
Today, you can:
- Take a guided tour that dives into the building’s history and spot the Art Deco murals by artist John Gabriel Beckman, who later worked on films like “The Maltese Falcon” and “Casablanca.”
- Lace up for a roller‑skating session on the original ballroom floor. Sessions are typically around an hour and include skate rentals, and gliding under those chandeliers on 1920s wood is a very specific kind of time‑travel. Cost: just under $30.
Be sure to step out onto the outer balcony for 360‑degree views of the harbor and town.
Dive Park, Snorkeling, and Descanso Beach Club
Step outside the Casino and you’re at the Catalina Dive Park, one of the most popular shore‑diving and snorkeling spots on the island. The water here is known for its clarity and abundant fish; people travel from all over the world to dive Catalina’s kelp forests.
If diving isn’t your thing:
- Head back to Descanso, the launch point for the Zip Line Eco Tour, where you soar 600 feet over the canyon on a series of runs that drop you toward the sea. Rides typically start around t$150 per person.
More Activity Options from the Pleasure Pier
If you prefer to stay on—or just above—the water, head back toward the Pleasure Pier near the center of town. From here, you can book:
- Glass‑bottom boat or semi‑submarine tours to see the underwater world without getting wet.
- Parasailing flights for a bird’s‑eye view of Avalon and the island’s coastline.
- Inland bus or jeep tours to the island interior, where you might spot wild bison introduced in the early 20th century.
Where to Stay If You Extend to an Overnight
If you decide to stretch your “day trip” into a quick overnight, staying right in Avalon keeps everything walkable. In the episode we mention a stay at Seaport Village Inn, a centrally located property with a deck and harbor views, which makes it easy to catch both sunrise and your morning ferry. Rates tend to be a little lower here. In summer, prices are high–the Zane Grey Pueblo Hotel, which sits atop a hill and is absolutely stunning, ranges from $300 to $500 a night in May. Most of the hotels in town are within that range, though I’ve found a few in the $200 range, for midweek. Winter is when you get the best rates overall.
Remember that only 4,000 people live in Avalon, but it attracts 1.4 million yearly visitors, so hotel space is at a premium.
Practical Tips for a Catalina Day Trip
- Book your ferry in advance, especially for summer weekends and holidays; boats can and do sell out.
- Arrive at the terminal 45–60 minutes early to park, check in, and board without stress.
- Budget realistically: A family of four can spend several hundred dollars on ferry tickets alone, but it’s still often cheaper and quicker than flying somewhere and dealing with airports.
- Decide your activity style ahead of time. Do you want a mostly relaxing beach and stroll day, or are you packing in golf carts, tours, and water sports? That choice will shape your timing and budget.
- Bring a light jacket: Even in summer, the ferry and evenings on the water can be cool and breezy.
