Santa Catalina Island
Avalon California

Avalon California beaches on Santa Catalina Island are filled with gentle surf, warm sun and soft sand. They are conveniently located within walking distance from the city's restaurants and hotels. All the beaches offer good swimming and most are close to restrooms.

Beaches in Catalina include:

Descanso Beach
South Beach
Middle Beach
Step Beach

These certainly aren't the biggest beaches or the cleanest but there is just something magical about spending time on an island.

Places to stay

The best way to find a place to stay in the area you're looking for is to compare these two travel sites. They both comb through 100s of booking sites across the net to find the best deals possible.

Click on each link, enter your desired destination and traveling dates. Also, its so important to read the reviews for each hotel you are interested in. Just because the picture might look nice, doesn't mean it is!

trip advisor

Save on your hotel, spend it on anything

Glenmore Plaza Hotel

Catalina Canyon Resort & Spa

Hotel Catalina

Hermosa Hotel

The Avalon Hotel

Aurora Hotel

Catalina Inn

Catalina Beach House

Things to do on Catalina Island

Tour The Island Casino Ballroom. Built in 1929, there is tons of history here. You can't miss it when you arrive in Avalon California as it dominates the landscape from its regal perch along the harbor. I loved touring this place and found it to be very interesting.

Catalina Zip Line Eco Tour Travel close to three quarters of a mile over five consecutive zips at speeds pushing 45mph. Reservations are highly recommended, just call 800-626-1496

Cape Canyon Expedition - Experience Santa Catalina's outback in a a comfortable, open-air H1 Hummer. Lots of things to see on this tour. Call 310-510-8687 for more information.

Catalina Coastal Tours - For dolphin / Sea Lion trips, Eco Tours, Coastal Sightseeing and the Astronomy Experience night time tour. Call 626-290-2888 for more information or to book a tour.

Charter a boat and enjoy a flying fish excursion with Afishinados Charters. They include full day, half day or by the hour and can be customer-tailored to fit the needs of your group. 310-510-2440

Catalina Snorkel & Scuba welcomes divers of all experience levels. Ever tried scuba diving? I have, and it was definitely an adventure but not for a claustrophobic, like me! LOL But hey, at least I tried! I'll stick to snorkeling! 310-510-8558

Catalina Segways make for great family fun and a great way to tour the island and learn about the history of Santa Catalina. 310-510-9665

Getting There

You can get to the Island by sea or by air. Its easy and its fun! By sea takes about an hour whereas by air takes about 15 minutes.

I took the Catalina Express over to Avalon California, spent a couple of fun days then took an Island Express helicopter back. I preferred the helicopter. It was fun and very exciting, my first time in a helicopter, our pilot was super-cool and hovered over a couple of whales for our viewing pleasure! I would love to do that again!

Transportation by Sea, leaving from: