Day Trip to Catalina Island

From the beach towns lining the Pacific Coast Highway, like Santa Monica, Venice, and Palos Verdes, you can see Catalina Island looming in the distance. For people like me, boat-less and helicopter-less Angelenos, it seems like an unreachable place. Unlike Seattle and other cities with islands in their zip codes, Catalina isn’t a place you can get to on public transportation. Here is my experience on a day trip to Catalina Island.

Going without a plan

Going to Catalina was something I felt like I should experience as a resident of Southern California, especially since it has been staring me in the face for so many years. All I needed to do was figure out a way to get there.

My knowledge of Catalina Island was very limited before I set out on my journey. I kind of wanted it to reveal itself to me when I got there. I hope this post shows you some options for what to do with some foresight to come better prepared than I was.

Getting there

The best way to reach the island is by ferries running from places like San Pedro, Dana Point, or Long Beach. There are two options, the Catalina Flyer and the Catalina Express. 

• The Catalina Flyer–departs from Newport Beach. (Average cost $70 roundtrip) Which you may remember from my whale-watching post.
• The Catalina Express–departs from San Pedro (closest to Los Angeles,) Long Beach, and Dana Point. (Average cost $77 roundtrip) Avalon is the tourist area of the island.
• Avalon is also one of the stops for the 3-7 day cruises that leave Long Beach or San Pedro.

The ferry I took, was an outfit no longer in business departing from Marina del Rey. It would have been the longest route of the three, but closest to Los Angeles.

The journey

Our early morning boat ride took an hour and forty-five minutes. For me, and I will get back to that at the end of this post, it was a relaxing and contemplative journey. There is nothing I love more than staring into the expanse of the ocean and feeling like a tiny little speck. It always gives me perspective, which at that time was something I needed.

We passed flotillas of birds, watched planes depart from LAX and Long Beach, and were greeted by a Blue Whale who kept us at a safe distance. I sat huddled in my hoodie, a cup of coffee from the ferry’s snack shop, as hundreds of dolphins welcomed us into Avalon’s yacht-filled harbor.

Arriving in Avalon

Avalon is a pretty touristy place. The main area is lined with t-shirts, postcards, and beach shops. It feels a lot like what you can see on Santa Monica Pier or the main streets of most Southern California beach towns. 

The city of Avalon is pretty walkable. The main area is compact with shops and restaurants. If you want to venture out of that area your best method of transportation is the golf cart or bicycle. There are a lot of places you can rent either. I don’t have any recommendations because I chose to walk. 

Nature seeker

My first stop was the Catalina Island Conservatory to get information on tide pools in the area –excited to get to this island before low tide hit that afternoon, especially since Catalina is a popular scuba and marine biology destination. Two Harbors to the north/east has a lot more to offer if you are looking for this–I was told by the helpful people at the information desk. It was disappointing to find out that there were in fact no tide pools in Avalon.

The staff at the conservancy recommend going to the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden a couple of miles from downtown Avalon instead.

The Catalina Island Conservancy, other than being an information office for what to do on the island, is where you can book eco-tours.

Hours, costs, and other information

• Website: https://www.catalinaconservancy.org/
• Address: 708 Cresent Ave
• Cost: Information is free. Eco-tours should be booked in advance and cost $139 per person.

Memorial to oneself

The Wrigley memorial was a half an hour’s walk up and west of the city. We saw deer grazing on the golf course and stopped at the Catalina Island Nature Conservancy Center on the way.

Walking up to the memorial and seeing its impressive size reminded me a lot of the monuments of victory that line southern Europe in the name of Julius Caesar. The Trophy of Augustus sprung to my mind immediately.

Wrigley’s Memorial is large and an imposing monument Romanesque in style with California tilework. It honors William Wrigley Jr., of chewing gum fame, and one of the first owners of the Chicago Cubs. He bought Catalina Island in 1919 and was responsible for the development of the island. This monument is meant to be impressive and Catalina Island a demonstration of his legacy and financial prowess. What a legacy to have, an island with you interned at its heart and center. 

Wrigley wanted to do to lure young Hollywood and the general elite to the island. He built hotels, infrastructure, and attractions like the Avalon Casino, which you can see in postcards and countless photographs of the island. It once hosted the first theater built for “talkie” movies and famous big bands like the Glen Miller Orchestra.

Now named the Catalina Casino, it hosts events. I didn’t get a chance to see inside the building but was really impressed with the mosaic tile work that circles the entrance. It is aquatic themed with dazzling mermaids and dancing seahorses that frames the doors to the casinos entrance. You can now go on tours. When I was there last, it was still a movie theater.

Botanical garden

Wigley’s wife, Ada, planned the garden, which I feel is just as impressive. It is filled with succulents, cacti, and indigenous plants that can only be found in the Channel Islands, like Catalina Mahogany. 

From the sign, I learned that you can survive on the water inside of a barrel cactus if you were ever stranded in the desert.

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: https://www.catalinaconservancy.org/
• Hours: Daily 8:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
• Tickets: $10 for adults with discounts for seniors and kids

A note for next time

There is a lot of nature on the island if you step outside Avalon’s main area. There are several hiking trails, like the Garden to Sky trail, that leads into the mountain range of the island. Tourist-focused jeep excursions bring you farther inland, where a herd of abandoned bison roams. They were brought to Catalina in 1924 for a western called the Vanishing American, but it was too expensive to bring them back.

I was completely unprepared for what was available on the island wearing sandals instead of hiking boots. 

A little note about seasickness

Sometimes the only way you know you have that condition is to get out on the sea. Fortunately, I do not. It seemed to me, however, that on the way back to Los Angeles, a lot of people found out that they were. All I could do was peer out in the distance and try to unhear what I was hearing. I thought for sure we would run out of sickness baggies. At least the view and sunset over the ocean didn’t disappoint.

This day trip to Catalina Island is one of my day and weekend trips outlined on my blog. For more options close to Los Angeles, go here.

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