At about 22 miles south-southwest from Los Angeles, Catalina makes up for a great excuse to get out of the city and head out on a day adventure to the island. Once my fiancé and I moved to Los Angeles we wanted to make sure to check out any hidden gems the city had to offer. We were not disappointed when we came across Catalina. Moreover, it felt like we were on a different side of the world, but really were only hours away from home. Whether you are looking for a day to relax on the beach, a small adventure, or this is your first time visiting the island stay tuned to find out some of the best things to do on a day trip to Catalina.
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Where’s Catalina Island?
Catalina is part of the California Channel Islands and is made up of two towns, Avalon and Two Harbors. Avalon is located on the east end of the island and is the more incorporated town out of the two. The Island is about 22 miles long and about 8 miles wide.
How to get there
The Island can be reached by an hour long ferry ride that departs from Long Beach, San Pedro, Dana Points and Newport Beach via Catalina Express and Catalina Flyer.
Catalina Express
- Ferry ride to Two Harbors from San Pedro ($75 roundtrip fare)
- Ferry rides to Avalon from Long Beach and Dana Points (fare varies between Long Beach and Dana Points, about $75 roundtrip)
Catalina Flyer
- Ferry ride to Avalon from Newport Beach ($70 roundtrip fare)
I highly recommended you make reservations in advance for either of these companies, especially if you intend to explore the island on the weekend. If you’re interested on saving a couple dollars make sure to check out Groupon! At the time there was a Groupon for two Catalina Flyer roundtrip tickets for the price of $73.50! Although, it is a bit more of a drive south from the city, it is cheaper to depart from Newport.
Things to Know Before you Go
- A main reason I create these guides is so you’ll learn from my mistakes and have a better trip. With that being said, make sure you bring a sweater! The ferry ride was colder than I imagined it would be and had to learn the hard way.
- Here’s your heads up if you’re easily prone to motion sickness, there are some bumps on the road so keep this in mind and prepare accordingly
- Arrive about an hour before departure time, this will give you enough time to find parking and get a good spot on the ferry
- Parking was about $20, but make sure you park in the all day parking. The parking lots closer to the buildings are only for a few hours
- The ferry sells snacks and drinks, but feel free to bring a bag with your own to save some cash
Venture off to Santa Barbara on your next weekend getaway!
Day Trip at Catalina Island
One thing you notice as soon as you arrive are the number of golf carts throughout the streets of Avalon. You soon realize renting a golf cart is the best way to check everything Catalina has to offer. This was, hands down, the best way to explore Avalon. It gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace, with flexibility to see some epic views of the Island.
To rent a golf cart all the drivers have to be at least 25 years old. It was about $100 for 2 hours for a 4 passenger cart, which honestly was more than enough time to explore Avalon. Renting the golf cart for 2 hours gave us the freedom to explore at our own pace. You don’t need to reserve a golf cart in advance, but can do so if you like. For more information on golf cart rentals click here.
Lunch
Once we arrived to the Island we were both starving! We didn’t have the energy to explore just yet as we both needed to get something into our bellies quick. Luckily, we stumbled upon Mi Casita Mexican Restaurant ($$$) where we were met with a chill outdoor patio, good portion food and even better drinks.
If Mexican food is not for you, here is a list of some other great places to check out:
More Activities
The Island offers a lot of activities for you to do. We had so much fun exploring the town of Avalon that we didn’t realize the time had flown by! Regardless, make sure you have better time management skills than we do and check out some of the other activities the Island has to offer:
- Zip Line Eco Tour
- Catalina Aerial Adventure
- Undersea Sub Expedition
- Sea life Safari
- Glass Bottom Boat
- Hiking
- Rent bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, snorkel gear
I hope your day trip to Catalina Island is as fun as ours, if not more. If you are looking for more day adventures make sure to check out my Malibu post for more day trip ideas around the area!
