Most people don’t know about Socal’s girl next door Catalina Island…however it has to be one of the most beautiful places in all of California. It’s highly underrated but filled with so much history, charm, and beauty. Walking down the streets you’ll feel like your in a movie. Speaking of movies, it’s also where many celebrities like Marilyn Monroe called their second home. Over 500 motion pictures, television programs, and commercials have been filmed here over the last 90 years because of the island’s natural beauty. On top of that, it’s where the Chicago Cubs used to hold their spring training.

They’re two different destinations to choose from, Two Harbors or Avalon. Two Harbors is beautiful, but is more of a slow pace part of the island with only a handful of hotels and dining. Avalon is my favorite spot filled with activities it’s more of the tourist area with many hotels, restaurants, excursions and colorful homes.

Outdoor Adventures

Zip lining

Try the Zipline Eco Tour (my personal favorite). You get to zip through 5 different lines with incredible views! Traveling close to three quarters of a mile, you get to see so much more of the island. Starting at the top of the hills of Avalon make your way through Descanso Canyon and end at Descanso Beach. The scenery will truly take your breath away… Prices starting at $129 a person is pricey, but if your up for the adventure it’s definatly worth it.

Boat Tours

For this you have a number of options available….There is the Glass Bottom Voyage, Ocean Runner Tour {in search for dolphins}, Undersea Expedition, Cyclone high speed boat, or the Flying Fish Boat Trip {Yes, you literally see flying fish}. It just all depends on your preference

Golf Carts

If you decide to do any activities on the island, this is the biggest must! It lets you expierence the island and all of its beauty on your own. As you may know there is not many cars on the island…{fun fact: it’s actually a 10 year waiting list to get a car there!} So most of the islanders who live there get around on golf carts! Which I think is so unique and peaceful…especially if you wanna get away from that LA traffic lol. So there are numerous rental places along the island to rent one. Make sure you ask them for a map and the best routes because they will draw it up for you and show you the best path to follow for the best experience. I couldn’t even believe how huge the island actually is and all the views I saw that I would of never known about! It’s great for picture taking also. The rentals don’t come cheap at $40.00 an hour (Cash Only) but I have to say if you do anything, this is the thing to do!

Descanso Beach Club

One of the prettiest spots on the island! Just a 10 minute walk from downtown is the Private Beach Club, but everyone on the island does has access to it. The area has all high end amenities such as Private Cabanas, Lounge Chairs, and a Attentive Staff ready to serve you! It’s white sand and clear waters will be the perfect place for you to relax! Right on the sand there is a full restaurant and bar that opens at 8 am for breakfast that you can enjoy all day long and you don’t even have to leave! In the summer on weekends there is also a DJ and live performences on the beach. It’s one of the most heavenly places on the island that you won’t forget!

Casino Movie Theater

If your into anything with charm or vintage this is the place to go! This antique movie theater has been standing since the 1920’s with original art decor. It has so much history and was preserved to it’s natural glory to where you will feel like you stepped back to that time period. Every night at 7:30 they’re are current movies playing and is definitely quite the experience!

Day Pass

If you wanna get that extra bang for your buck then you can try purchasing the day pass for $179 per person. It’ll give you the access to boat and land tours as well as Zipling for one single price.

{ Other activities on the island include the Island Spa, Inland Tours, Ariel Ropes Adventure, Snorkeling, Mini-Golf, and an Arcade with 2 mini lanes of bowling }

Tours

Casino Tours

Take a trip down memory lane and into the history of the Island. You will see the behind the scenes of what made the Catalina Casino building world famous. There’s so much interesting history behind this building you’ll be surprised to find out. Don’t be fooled by the name, it was never really a casino, it was the movie theater featuring the first motion picture with sound! Currently it’s a working movie theater, ballroom, and concert hall to this day. On the tour, visit the back halls and dressing room’s of famous Hollywood legends that were closed to the public for over 70 years. They’re two options to choose from; a 40 minute tour that gives you an overall glimpse of it or the 90 minute in depth tour featuring more behind the scenes looks.

Scenic Tours

Travel through Catalina’s hidden parts on the Skyline Drive in the cutest vintage bus! You’ll enjoy the beauty of both Avalon and Two Harbors in a 2 hour in depth tour taking you out into the inlands. Stopping at Several historical stops you learn the history behind the beauty that is Catalina Island. Featuring a stop at the islands Airport in the Sky for breathtaking views.

Haunted Tours

If your interested in these types of things there’s a ghost tour every evening that is suppose to be ranked in the top 10 Ghost Tours in the United States. Find out about the local and famous ghost sightings of the island.

{Also enjoy Catalina’s Food Tasting Tour, Happy Hour Tour, Jeep Eco Tour, or Segway Tours}

Hotels

Portofino Hotel

This is where I stayed and is a personal favorite! It’s located right in the heart of downtown on the main street so it has easy convince to all restaurants & shops. However it is the last building on the main street so you have a little privacy and don’t have to worry about about it getting noisy. Another plus is you don’t have to waste money taking a cab, since it’s walking distance from where the ferry drops you off. The room’s inside are standard, nothing spectacular but what really makes this hotel is the charm it has. You room keys are actual keys to unlock the door, it’s so cute and old fashioned! All the hotel room doors are painted a lovely pink and surrounded by so many beautiful flowers. It really makes you feel like your on vacation and has a vintage vibe I just adore. The part that I fell in love with of this hotel was the sun deck. It has the most sunning view that will leave you in awe of the whole island and has the cutest lounge chairs to relax and take in the view on. {Also includes free breakfast and free bike rentals}

St. Lauren

This hotel is like a living doll house! It’s painted pink and if your looking for character this is definitely it! Even if you don’t stay here, you still need to check it out because it’s so photo worthy. It also has a sun deck with lounge chairs and gorgeous views as well. It is a little hike from the downtown however, and sits on a hill so if your not huge on walking with your luggage you might wanna consider a cab.

Pavilion Hotel

This is probably the most desirable places to stay on the island, it is always sold out because of it’s perfect location. Located right in the middle of downtown it has the perfect beach vibes. This hotel will remind you of Hawaii or Miami from it’s clean and sleek modern touches. It has a whole garden area filled with lounge chairs and tables to hang at which makes it feel so high-end. And for breakfast, it has a great restaurant with a stunning view of the water.

Morning’s & Night’s

Mornings

The morning’s on the island are typically the busiest times. With all the new tourist coming in everyday from the ferry’s and cruise ships it can get a little hectic. Especially around 9 am. So I suggest getting a head start to your day, and have all the activities you want to do booked. However, start with grabbing some breakfast. The most popular spots have to be between “The Pancake Cottage” a sit down restaurant, which always has a wait for it’s tasteful food, or “Catalina Coffee & Cookie Co” for the on the go coffee drinker, with refills for only $1 for the whole day!

Nights

Night’s on the island are surprisingly a lot slower. A lot of people come just for the day and leave, so the night’s you have all to yourself. I have to say it was truly so relaxing and serene. You can walk around the downtown without the crowds and just take in all the beautiful scenery. My favorite thing to do at night was to watch the sunset, it was truly well….magical! However, the “hot spots” at night have to be either “Bluewater Seafood Grill” or “Avalon Grille” for fine dining. Oh, and of coarse you have to stop at “Lloyd’s of Avalon” after for the best chocolates, fudge and ice cream! It’s to die for!

Transportation

Ferry

The ferry has 3 different ports to choose from; Long beach, Newport Beach, and Dana Point. Personally, I’ve always done Long Beach for it’s easy convince. I’ve always had a great experience and never had any problems. It’s located 3 minutes from Downtown Long Beach so you have options of tons of restaurants to eat before or after your trip. To park your car, the garage is located right across so you have easy access and was $15 a day. I recommend getting their early because the garage is usually full and you also want to leave time to check in and such because the seating on the ferry is first come first serve. On the way there and back we got lucky and got to see dolphins and even a whale swimming around which was definitely a great part of the experience The ferry ride is about an hour and fifteen minutes and a person is $73.50 round trip.

Helicopter

This is definitely a more expensive option at $400 a person, but if your willing to splurge it gives you that private overview of the island and is only a 15 minute ride.

When thinking about your next vacation, try Socal’s little getaway. For an expierence filled with Beauty, History, Charm, and Fun! You won’t find these unbelievable views anywhere else. It’s architecture reminds me of a mini Italy! All that’s needed here is night or two and you’ll still see and be able to do so much!

Remember to enjoy the peacefulness and serenity the island has to offer. With temeptures of 68 in the winter and 70 in the summer it’s the perfect getaway year round. I can’t express how beautiful the island truly is…..you’ll just have to see for yourself! Hopefully you have some inspiration for your next adventure… enjoy your trip!

Till next time…