Ferry Services Activity Guide
Kijubi in ParadiseYou haven't experienced Southern California until you've been to Catalina Island. This is where time stands still, where the
native wildlife remains intact, and what the coast of Southern California must have looked like before it was developed. On Catalina Island people commute by golf carts, and they are available to rent. Catalina is a Mediteranian paradise less than an hour away from Orange County. Escape to paradise, and thank us later.
What To DoThere are several ways to enjoy Catalina Island. From Avalon you can rent a kayak, snorkel gear, scuba diving gear, or boat around the island. Because the coastline faces east towards the mainland, the beaches are generally wind-protected and ideal for swimming, boating and anchoring. If you prefer to see the island by land, there are many wonderful hikes, and with a permit you can ride the island by bike. Be prepared for some steep climbs, but rewarding views. There's also a
bus that regularly traverses the island from Avalon to the smaller port of Two Harbors. Along the way you'll see the rugged windward side of the island, and the campgrounds of Little Harbor and Sharks Cove. This is a great place to camp and surf, but you need to secure a permit first.
There is limited ferry service to the Isthmus, also known as Two Harbors, because harbors from both sides of the island nearly touch each other. There is a tiny village boasting one store, one restaurant/bar, one inn and a campground, but it comes alive on
Summer weekends with the revelry of the boating crowd. And if you go, be sure to taste a
buffalo milk, a frothy milkshake brimming with vodka and named after the inhabitants of the island that were brought here by filmmakers and have remained ever since. Catalina is an experience you won't want to miss, and our ferry service leaves daily.
Catalina has a rich
history of Native American settlers, Spanish invasions, pirates, smugglers, mining, ranching and military occupancy. In modern history it became a favorite Hollywood filming location. With its emerald waters, pristine bays, untouched mountains and endless vistas, it could stand in for virtually any location, and did so for the likes of Ten Commandments (1923), Ben Hur (1925), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), Rosemary's Baby (1968), Chinatown (1974), Jaws (1974), Waterworld (1995) Apollo 13 (1995), among many others. Catalina became the playground for the Hollywood elite, who would summer off the island on their yachts, and regularly attend the Catalina Casino, built in 1929.
The big event in modern times, however, was the purchase of the entire island by the chewing gum magnate
William Wrigley. Besides bringing his beloved Chicago Cubs to the island for spring training, he also built a Georgia Colonial style mansion that has been converted into the island's only four-star mobil hotel (
The Inn on Mt. Ada). Legend has it that he also build a home for his mistress on the other side of Avalon, but within eyeshot of his home. Mr. Wrigley is responsible for many of the improvements in Avalon, but most significantly he deeded the remainder of the Island as a nature preserve in perpetuity. Hence Catalina's rugged and pristine coast.
Close Activity Guide
