Planning a trip to Santa Catalina Island
Visitor Information
The Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, 1 Green Pleasure Pier, Avalon, CA 90704 (310/510-1520; www.catalinachamber.com), located on the Green Pleasure Pier, distributes brochures and information on island activities, hotels, and transportation.
Orientation
The picturesque town of Avalon is both the port of entry for the island and the island's only city. From the ferry dock, you can wander along Crescent Avenue, the main road along the beachfront, and easily explore adjacent side streets.
Northwest of Avalon is the much smaller village of Two Harbors, accessible by boat or shuttle bus. Its twin bays are favored by pleasure yachts from L.A.'s various marinas, so there's more camaraderie and a less touristy ambience.
Getting There
Ferry — The most common way to get to and from the island is on the Catalina Express ferryboat (800/481-3470; www.catalinaexpress.com), which operates up to 30 daily departures year-round from Long Beach, San Pedro, and Dana Point. High-speed catamarans make the trip in about an hour. Lounge upgrades are available. One-way fares are around $37 for adults, $34 for seniors 55 and over, $30 for children ages 2 to 11, and $4 for infants. Bikes or boards are $3.50. Fares for Dana Point are $2 more, except for infants. In San Pedro (Berth 95, San Pedro), the Catalina Express departs from the Sea/Air Terminal, Berth 95; take the Harbor Freeway (I-110) south to the Harbor Boulevard exit, and then follow signs to the terminal. In Long Beach (320 Golden Shore, Long Beach), boats leave from the Catalina Landing; take I-710 south into Long Beach. Stay to the left, follow signs to downtown, and exit at Golden Shore. Turn right at the stop sign and follow around to the terminal on the right; parking is in the structure on the left. In Dana Point (34675 Golden Lantern St.), boats depart from Dana Wharf Sportfishing. From San Diego, take I-5 north and exit at Beach Cities Hwy. 1; turn left at Dana Point Harbor Drive, then left at Golden Lantern. Call ahead for reservations. Long Beach or San Pedro are most convenient for LAX arrivals, while Long Beach is best for the Long Beach Airport.
Check-in at the ticket window is required and begins 1 hour prior to each departure. Passengers must be checked in, holding tickets, and ready to board at least 15 minutes prior to departure (I suggest 30 minutes ahead to be on the safe side), otherwise the reservation will be canceled and the credit card will be charged for the full amount of the round-trip fare. Luggage is limited to 70 pounds per person; reservations are necessary for bicycles, surfboards, and dive tanks; and there are restrictions on transporting pets. You can leave your car at designated lots at each departure terminal; the parking fee is around $17 per 24-hour period, so you may find it cheaper to take a taxi or ride share to the port.
From LAX, shared passenger vans by Karmel (888/995-7433; www.karmel.com) to the ferry port in Long Beach costs about $20 per passenger, each way and takes less than an hour.
The Catalina Flyer, 400 Main St., Balboa (949/673-5245; www.catalinainfo.com), the largest passenger-carrying catamaran on the West Coast, departs daily from Newport Beach's historic Balboa Pavilion. The boat leaves once a day at 9am and returns to Newport at 4:30pm daily. Travel time is about 75 minutes each way. Round-trip fares are $70 for adults, $65 for seniors, $53 for children 3 to 12, and $6 for infants. Pets are not allowed.
Island Express Helicopter Service, 1175 Queens Way Dr., Long Beach (tel. 800/2-AVALON [228-2566] or 310/510-2525; www.islandexpress.com), flies from Long Beach (regularly) or San Pedro (seasonally) to Avalon in about 15 minutes. The expense is definitely worth the thrill and convenience, particularly if you're prone to seasickness. It flies on demand between 8am and sunset year-round, charging $104 plus tax each way, or $200 round-trip. The weight limit for luggage, however, is a mere 25 pounds. It also offers brief air tours over the island; prices vary. In Long Beach, the heliport is located a few hundred yards southwest of the Queen Mary.
The 149-passenger catamaran Catalina-Marina del Rey Flyer, 13737 Fiji Way, Marina del Rey (tel. 310/305-7250; www.catalinaferries.com), departs from Fisherman's Village at Marina del Rey. Schedule varies. Travel time to Avalon is 1 3/4 hours. Round-trip fare is $90 for adults, $82 for seniors, $69 for children 2 to 11, and $5 for infants.
Tips for Travelers with Disabilities
Visitors who use wheelchairs should request a room at Hotel Metropole (800/300-8528 or 310/510-1884; www.hotel-metropole.com). One of the most modern properties in Avalon, it has an elevator, a large sun deck that overlooks Avalon Bay, a shopping complex, and a very convenient location in the heart of Avalon. Pavilion Hotel (877/778-8322) also has ground-floor rooms that have been specifically renovated to be accessible. (In fact, one of the ADA-compliant rooms was fashioned out of the room Natalie Wood slept in the night before she died.) Also, the electric buses of Avalon Transit (310/510-0081; www.avalontransit.org) offer free paratransit for people who can't take the standard public bus.
Getting Around
One of the first things you'll notice when you arrive in Avalon, the only city on the island, is the abundance of golf carts in a comical array of styles and colors. Since Avalon is the only city in California authorized by the state legislature to regulate the number of vehicles allowed to drive on city streets (there's a 17-year wait list to register one), there are no rental cars and only a handful of privately owned vehicles. Visitors are not allowed to drive cars on the island, and most residents motor about in golf carts (many of the homes only have golf-cart-size driveways). There's no Uber or Lyft service. Don't worry, though—you'll be able to get everywhere you want to go by renting a cart yourself or just pleasantly strolling, which is what most visitors do.
Take Catalina Transportation Services (310/510-0342; www.catalinatransportationservices.com) from the heliport, airport, or dock to your hotel. Wildlands Express vans (310/510-0143; www.catalinaconservancy.org) also serve the airport; you must pre-book.
If you want to explore the area around Avalon beyond where your feet can comfortably carry you, rent a mountain bike or tandem from Brown's Bikes, 107 Pebbly Beach Rd. (310/510-0986; www.catalinabiking.com). If you'll be exploring, you'll want to rent a gas-powered golf cart from Cartopia Golf Cart Rentals on Crescent Avenue at Pebbly Beach Road (310/510-0369; www.catalinaislandgolfcart.com), or Island Rentals (310/510-1456; www.catalinagolfcartrentals.com), across from the boat terminal. Both companies offer a map of town for a self-guided tour. Rates are about $50 per hour plus a deposit of the same amount. You must be 25 or older to drive.
Also, Avalon Transit (310/510-0081; www.avalontransit.org; $2 per ride) runs electric buses that run a 20-minute loop around the major areas of Avalon, including to Descanso Beach and deep into the canyon where the Wrigley Garden is found. Download the free Garibaldi Public Bus app for trip planning and to keep tabs on the next arrival. Service ends around dinnertime.
