Catalina Island off the coast of California near Los Angeles is one of the best day trips to do in California. If you are planning a day trip to Catalina Island then continue to read for all the information, itinerary and things to do on the island.
Catalina Island is situated 30 miles off the coast by boat. It boasts a variety of wilderness both above and underwater. The small island only has two towns which are small enough to be explored on foot.
The island is one of the most picturesque places in California. It has rolling hills of green pasture for the wild bison that live there and towns that remind you of Europe. The underwater world at Catalina Island is one of the most unique ecosystems in the world. It has a kelp forest which attracts a variety of animals including the great white shark. To plan your perfect Catalina day trip, continue reading.
How to Get to Catalina island
You can take a ferry to Catalina Island from one of the four ports on the mainland. These ports are at San Pedro, Long Beach, Newport Beach and Dana Point. The ferries from these ports going to Catalina Island are operated by Catalina Express and Catalina Flyer. The ride takes about 1.5h from when you leave the port to when you dock at Catalina Island. The ticket costs $75 for a roundtrip.
You can also get to Catalina Island by air. You can take one of the helicopters operated by IEX Helicopters. The helicopters fly out of Long Beach, Orange County and San Pedro. The helicopter ride from the airport to Catalina Island is just 15 minutes and costs around $300.
Catalina Island ferry from Long Beach
- Catalina Express Ferry
- Address: 330 Golden Shore, Long Beach
- Ferry from Long Beach to Catalina at 6:30 am, 8:15 am, and 11:00 am.
- Ferry from Catalina to Long Beach at 3:00 pm, 5:45 pm, and 7:30 pm.
Catalina Island ferry from San Pedro
- Catalina Express Ferry
- Address: 95 Berth, San Pedro
- Ferry from San Pedro to Catalina at 9:00 am.
- Monday to Thursday 7:30 am
- Friday and Sunday 8:00 am
- Saturdays 7:00 am
- Ferry from Catalina to San Pedro at 9:00 am.
- Monday to Thursday 3:30 and 6:00 pm
- Friday and Sunday 3:30 and 6:00 pm
- Saturdays 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Catalina Island ferry from Dana Point
- Catalina Express Ferry
- Address: 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point
- Ferry from Dana Point to Catalina at 9:30 am and 11:30 am.
- Ferry from Catalina to Dana Point at 2:45 pm and 5:00 pm.
Catalina Island ferry from Newport Beach
- Catalina Flyer Ferry
- Address: 400 Main Street, Newport Beach
- Ferry from Newport to Catalina at 9:00 am.
- Ferry from Catalina to Newport at 4:00 pm.
Tips For a Day Trip to Catalina Island
Choose Avalon rather than Two Harbors
The ferry for Two Harbors only leaves from San Pedro while the ferry for Avalon leaves from all the harbors. For this reason if you are going to Two Harbors you will have to take into consideration the time it will take you to travel to San Pedro before the ferry. Avalon is also much more fun to explore and lots of things to do around the town.
Choose the ferry for going and coming back
If you take a ferry at 9 am be prepared for it to leave ten minutes late and get to Catalina Island 1.5 hours later. For this reason it is best to book the earliest ferry to Catalina.
Ferries can make you very seasick
The ferry ride completely depends upon the swells in the ocean at the time. Our ride to Catalina was very smooth and I fell asleep on the way. Our ride back was incredibly turbulent and a lot of people got very seasick. I recommend keeping motion sickness medication with you for the journey.
Don’t use sunscreen in the water
Most sunscreens have chemicals that harm the local ecosystem in the water and disturb the chemical balance. Even brands that label themselves as safe do a lot of damage.
Where to Stay on Catalina Island
- Catalina Island Seacrest Inn
- Pavilion Hotel – We chose this hotel because it was included in a package with the ferry tickets.
Best Time to Visit Catalina Island
The best time to visit Catalina Island is during the summer, fall or spring. The water is a bearable temperature and the weather is good. Winter is the worst time to visit because of the choppy swells that hit California waters. The temperature also becomes very chilly and the water is too cold to swim in.
Things to do on Catalina Island
Golf cart cruise around town
One of the most fun things to do on Catalina island is to rent a golf cart and drive it around town. If you go up through the hill next to Avalon you come to a look out point. You can then back loop into the town. The whole trip takes about 1 hour. For those that have never driven a golf cart, this is a really fun and safe experience. The rental company will also give you a map of the island and you can use that map to drive the golf cart. Most people rent the golf carts for 2 hours but if you only want to do a fast loop around the town then one hour is more than enough time.
Take a walk around Avalon
The town of Avalon where the ferry dock is the main town on the island of Catalina. The town has lots of restaurants, shops and a really fun arcade with a mini bowling pad. It is an incredible amount of fun to walk around the town and check out all of the shops and have your breakfast and lunch at one of the restaurants on the waterfront. Downtown Avalon also has a mini golfing course where we spent an hour going around the circuit. I would not recommend going to the mini golf course unless you are planning on spending at least one night in Catalina.
Nautilus submarine cruise
If you prefer not getting in the water or if you are traveling with small children then you can take an underworld tour on the Nautilus. The Nautilus is a semi-submarine with port windows on the sides that you can look through to see the ocean life. The trip lasts 45 minutes and you go to Lover’s Cove which is a State Marine Conservation Area where you can see some really cool sights.
Zip line above a valley
Catalina Island has a zip line above a small valley. It is 300 feet above the ground and a different and fun activity for those that have never tried zip lining before. For those that have zip lined before I would recommend skipping this because it is really small and goes over a small valley which will not be thrilling for those that have tried extreme sports.
Aerial Adventure Park
One of my favorite things to do on the island was to surmount the aerial adventure course. This is an above ground playground with swings, zip lines, and ladder balances at the Catalina Aerial Adventure Park. The park is situated 10 feet above the ground in eucalyptus growth. It has courses of different levels and you can choose which level you would like to try. I saw so many couples, families and children having fun here! To do this adventure you will either have to own shoes or rent them here.
Happy hour tour
If trying out local drinks is something that you would be interested in, then a happy hour tour might just be the thing for you. You will join one of the locals on the island who will lead the tour through different bars in Avalon where you can try different drinks, shots and other small appetizers.
Tan on the beach
The people like me that prefer a little bit of downtime during the day can go to the beach in front of downtown Avalon and enjoy some time dipping their toes in some warm water and lying down on the fine California sand.
Tour the casino which is not actually a casino
As soon as you dock you will immediately notice the huge round building in the middle of Avalon at Catalina Island. This is the iconic Catalina Casino. It was constructed in 1928 and was commissioned by William Wrigley Jr. Contrary to its name this has never actually been a casino and the name refers to the Italian term for a gathering place. Catalina Casino has now been turned into a movie theater. You can take a tour of Catalina Casino where you can see the architecture, the paintings and learn about the history of the building.
Search for wild bison
The wild bison of Catalina were left on the island when a movie production imported them from the mainland and never bothered to take them back. The bison multiplied and now Catalina Island has 150 bison that live together in a herd. You can take a tour and go to the middle of the island where the bison can be spotted.
Go on a hike
Hiking through Catalina was one of my favorite things to do. We started at Avalon and hiked all the way up to the Wrigley Gardens. Another really famous trail is the Trans Catalina Trail which you can take to walk across the entire island. You need a permit to do this hike and to go to the interior of the island.
- Garden to Sky Trail – 2.8 miles
- Trans Catalina Trail to Lone Tree Viewpoint – 3 miles
- Hermit Gulch Trail – 3.4 miles
Descanso Beach Club
The Descanso Beach Club right next to the town of Avalon is a really cool spot to hangout. You can spend some time just enjoying some cocktails at the beach. The beach here is uncrowded and the water is perfect to take a quick dip.
Wrigley Botanical Gardens
The Wrigley Botanical Gardens are a short walk or an even shorter golf cart ride from the main town. The gardens are at the top of the mountain and also have a monument dedicated to the founder.
Dining during your day trip to Catalina Island
- Maggie’s Blue Rose
- Descanso Beach Club
- Antonio’s Pizza
- Bluewater Avalon
- Steve’s Steakhouse
- Catalina Coffee & Cookie Co.
- Lobster Trap
Water Sports at Catalina Island
Snorkeling
One of the most beautiful kelp forests in California is right next to Catalina. You can explore this forest and the amazing ocean life that lives in it by going snorkeling in one of the snorkel locations on the island. Catalina is actually one of the dive spots in the entire world to its pristine waters and well preserved ocean life. If the waves are small, you will have good clarity and be able to see a lot of different species. You can go as part of a tour. If you want to go by yourself you can rent the snorkel equipment in town and go to either Casino Point Dive Park next to Avalon or Lover’s Cove which is a State Marine Conservation Area that can only be accessed by boat.
Scuba diving
If you preferred going diving and seeing the ocean life at Catalina even more closely you can dive at either the Catalina Casino Dive Point or Lover’s Cove. Catalina Island is considered one of the best scuba diving spots in all of Southern California. The water is exceptionally clear and the kelp forest makes for beautiful underwater pictures.
Kayaking
Another really fun activity that you can do out on the water is to kayak the coast of Catalina Island. This is a completely different experience because you get to see the island from the water. The waters around Catalina Island are also incredible and filled with ocean life. You might get lucky and see a few different types of ocean life in the water. You can also go paddle boarding. I personally prefer standing up on the board in the water and trying to spot different species of fish.
Dolphin and whale watching
Catalina Diver Supply has a two hour dolphin and whale watching tours from Catalina Island to watch these amazing creatures out in the ocean.
Jet skiing
Catalina Jet Ski rents out jet skis for those that want more thrill and speed from their water sports.
Parasailing
If you are interested in flying in the air opt for parasailing over the waters near Catalina with California Parasail.
Conclusion
A day trip to Catalina Island is one of the best things to do from any of the cities on the California coast. A Catalina day trip is fun and incredibly exciting. Catalina has so many things to do that you can spend your entire day doing all sorts of water sports and exploring the cities. I would definitely recommend doing a day trip to Catalina Island if you go to California.
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