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May 3, 2026You don’t have to hop a plane to Europe or Mexico to feel like you’ve escaped Los Angeles. Just 22 miles off the Southern California coast sits Santa Catalina Island, a rocky little paradise that feels a world away yet is only about an hour by ferry on the Catalina Express.
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.
Below is a suggested one‑day itinerary for those of you new to Catalina Island.
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, and 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.)
- Have your camera or phone ready 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.
Avalon is largely pedestrian, with very few private cars. Locals and visitors get around on 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, which for just $2 will take you all over town, and save you from those steep climbs.)
Buena Vista Point: Romance and Big Views
One essential stop 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.
Afternoon: Casino, Roller Skating, and Water Activities
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.
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:
- Walk to Descanso Beach Club, just beyond the Casino. This sandy cove offers lounge chairs, beachfront dining, and rentals for kayaks and other water toys.
- Descanso is also the launch point for the Zip Line Eco Tour, where you fly 600 feet over the canyon on a series of runs that drop you toward the sea. Rides typically start around the mid‑three‑figure mark per person.
Descanso is an excellent lunch stop: eat on the sand, sip a drink, and watch the waves before heading back through town.
More 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.
Late Afternoon to Evening: Views, Photos, and Golden Hour
Catalina’s permanent population is tiny—roughly 4,000 year‑round residents island‑wide versus over a million visitors annually in a typical year. Locals will tell you that in peak summer, especially when cruise ships call, Avalon can feel intense enough that some residents escape to the island’s far side to get away from the August crowds.
But for visitors, that energy means plenty of open businesses, tour options, and people‑watching along the waterfront.
Photo Tips & Sunset‑Style Shots
As the day winds down, it’s a perfect time to switch into “photo mode.” Great late‑day spots include:
- Buena Vista Point: Return here (by cart or taxi) to shoot a time‑lapse of day fading into night. On the Avalon side, you’re looking at sundown (not a direct Pacific sunset), but the Casino lighting up against the deepening blue sky is a killer shot.
- Casino from the ferry area: If your schedule allows, photograph the Casino from near the ferry terminal before you board the boat back. The angle from the breakwater makes a classic postcard composition.
- Via Casino archway: Use the arches and artwork as a frame for portraits or detail shots.
- Chimes Tower: Another overlook that adds a slightly different perspective on harbor and hills.
- Backstreets and tiles: Wander behind the waterfront to hunt tile details, staircases, porches, and little vignettes that capture Avalon’s color and character.
If you’re into phone photography, this is the time for:
- Ultra‑wide shots of the harbor and Casino from high viewpoints.
- Telephoto compressions of tiles, murals, and facades.
- Time‑lapse sequences of boats moving in the harbor and lights coming on across the hills.
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.
Other stays in town range from historic hotels to modern boutique inns, most clustered within a few blocks of the ferry landing.
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.
