Santa Catalina Island

It was a fun island with very good food. I would recommend going to Luau Larry's. The food was so good.

This is wonderful destination with so many water activities to do around. The restaurants are good but little on the pricey side. We spent around 5hrs and covered multiple spots and tried couple of restaurants. Highly recommend golf cart rentals way advance since they might not be able to accommodate everyone. Very important note: there are no golf cart rentals after 5Pm

Wonderful place to visit! Very low key. We went off season but it didn't feel like a tourist trap to me. Just a small community on an island that people can come explore and enjoy!

This is a great island that I totally recommend visiting. It was so much fun and you can rent a golf cart to tour the island yourself. It is so amazing and you can even take a cruise there. I totally recommend you take a cruise to Catalina Island off the coast of California. I hope to see you there!

Beautiful island! We took a day trip to Avalon but planning to come back to check out Two Harbors next!

Catalina offers a delightful escape for a brief getaway. While the dining options may not be top-notch, the pristine beaches more than make up for it. Perfect for a day or two of relaxation

Santa Catalina is a fantastic and romantic escape located just an hour from LA's Long Beach. The island features charming, European port city-like scenery that feels wonderfully exotic. It's perfect for relaxing, eating, and enjoying activities on the narrow beach alongside the port. While the weather was unfortunately cloudy when I visited, the island's beauty and tranquility still stood out. However, the hotel prices are incredibly high compared to their quality, which is a significant downside.

Great scenery with a small population. Get a golf cart to tour the island.

I have been going to Catalina for many years. Catalina is a beautiful island about 30 miles off the coast of California. It has an east end with the city of Avalon which has lots of shopping, restaurants and hotels. The west end is a less touristy, more natural end with Two Harbors and Catalina (Cat) Harbor. So you have the best of both worlds. I'm sad to say that the west end is becoming geared more to tourists which takes away much of the natural feel. Both Avalon, Two Harbors and, to some extent, Cat Harbor have mooring balls for boats to hook up to to safely spend time. They have a great system. Now, they have an online site to book mooring balls. The Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce does a good job of encouraging new businesses and getting the word out on what businesses are doing on Catalina Island. You can find advertisements with discounts on the Catalina Express boat which takes you over and hotel stays.

Catalina was really fun we rented a golf cart and drive all over the place following a designated map they give you. We went almost all the shops and there is plenty of food and restaurants to choose from. Its a good fun day. We were on a Cruise ship snd Catalina is one of the stops.

This is truly a beautiful location on the island of Catalina, about 45 min on the Catalina Express. Talk about a relaxing time!!! The island is secluded, however, there are quite a few things to do. Shopping, restaurants, a spa (massages). Rent a golf cart and you can really get to explore the beauty. Along with a small beach and area to boat......this is a really fantastic spot to get into!!!

I visited the island this Sunday 09/15/2019. I had the most awful experience and felt profiled and extremely discriminated against. I am contacting the BBB to follow up on the businesses that had alarming and racists employees. I have never been treated so bad and experienced such bad customer service from not one but several of the businesses on the island. A tourist place like this should be filled with positive and exceptional customer service. I recommend looking into this quick and creating a new marketing plan to be aligned with Catalina express booking. After spending $75 on the round trip to the island we arrived to Avalon to realize Sundays they close everything early. How horrible is that with a party of ten family members to get mistreated in every business every restaurant and have to walk around since no golf cart location wanted to rent us a golf cart at least . It's very sad and I can't imagen what other people that visit the island have to deal with. We speak English and could at least try to look past the ignorant people that work on the island. But unfortunately I'm sure several others have left the island with this same thought and feeling. I hope the chamber of commerce has some type of game plan to make a difference in what has been the reputation of this island for a while now. After this weekend I spoke with several friends and co workers that stated the same thing I witnessed. They went on stating that Catalina island is simply over rated and filled with racism and negative people. It's 2019 Catalina Island chamber of commerce step forward to make a difference.

Came here for my Birthday!! It was my 1st time. Honestly, there's not a whole lot to do here. If your gonna come here I recommend the following: 1. Bring bottle waters or make sure to buy bottle waters as the restaurants do not provide water there is a cost associated. 2. Rent a golf cart and tour the island 3. Take a Tour We stayed here for the night and overall it was a good time. I'm glad we rented a golf cart and did our own little sight seeing there was some nice picturesque views and we even saw some deer. There are certain spots you cannot take the golf cart which there will be signs that display. We walked around and had a good time and ate, went to the arcade, browsed around. All in all I had a great birthday something different. I would come back again in the summer and probably do a tour and some snorkeling. Remember on your Birthday take the Catalina express and get a free ride. =)

Catalina is definitely one of the most relaxing places to go if you happen to want to escape the hectic SoCal traffic. I booked the Catalina Express and left the long beach port at 8:15AM it was extremely early but it was definitely worth spending an entire day on the Catalina Island. Upon you land to the port of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, you will be greeted by shops and food places within a mile. At Catalina, the majority of people (visitors/ tourists/ some resident) all drive golf carts to places. I would recommend explore the shops and food places around on foot and rent a goal cart to explore the city of Avalon. Golf cart rental is $45 an hour. They also ask for a deposit of $45. Some of the places that you might want to visit is the powerplant for the city of Avalon, the veiwpoint to look at the port, the botanic garden, the casino, and the pier. Besides the port of Avalon, I would also recommend driving the golf cart or walking to Descanso Beach, which is only a mile next to Avalon. The beach of Descanso is amazing! They have a juice bar/ drink bar right next to the beach. Literally! you get to sit right next to the beach to enjoy the amazing view in front of you. You also have a variety of different water activities such as kayaking, pedal boating, motor boat rental, and more. They also have ziplining as well! For us, we spent only a day on the island and I would say it is very doable! However, if you do want to spend the night and enjoy the island then I would recommend staying at mt. Ada as it sits on top of the hill and it has the gorgeous Catalina port view.

Oh Santa Catalina Island, what a beautiful place to come and visit for the day or to spend the weekend at. Known for the natural beauty of the land, this place once placed home to celebrities, gangs, and still currently plays home to bison on the land. Just a quick hour long ferry ride over from Long Beach is Catalina Island. A beautiful town where walking maybe at most 30 minutes gets you to where you need to be. Golf carts make up majority of the vehicles here so watching where you are crossing, and don't get run over, because they usually don't stop. Known as a popular tourist getaway now, Catalina is a beautiful area where you can "get away" for a nice vacation. I recently spent time on the island for a bachelorette weekend with friends. It was a great trip over and I had the best time. Literally walking everywhere gets you to where you need to be. You can rent a golf cart, but that's about $86 a day... where as a cab from the house we were staying at to the main strip area was about $15 a ride. Fun activities to do around the island include parasailing, snorkeling, riding on a half submerged submarine, mini golfing, zip lining, and even taking a ride on a glass bottom boat! Great restaurants line up the "Boardwalk" area and the night life is great for people watching. Honestly, grab an ice cream from Scoops and watch the drunks hit the Boardwalk!

Kid friendly-Adult getaway- Family Vacay friendly- Came here as a kid and now I came with my husband. Beautiful island that is a must see!! The boat ride is only 1 hr long. They've added an obstacle course and some other fun actives if your going to stay for a couple of days, so there is plenty of outdoor activities. I'm excited to come back with my goons, who I know will enjoy it as much as I did from when I came as a kid!

After 61 years, born and raised in Los Angeles, a trip to Catalina Island was long overdue. And we enjoyed the whole experience, from the Catalina Express ride over from San Pedro to the Glass bottom boat and Discovery tour; an expedition into the Island's back country. With plenty of great restaurants and shops too. We plan to return in the not too distant future. A great birthday getaway.

I lived in California for many years and feel like I went most everywhere you possibly could. But I never did make it to Catalina Island. So for my birthday this year, we traveled to SoCal from Vegas and we finally went. It was a holiday weekend, so prices for hotels, etc. were through the roof. Thus, we only got to spend one day here. It's a beautiful island with many, many things to do both in the water and on land. There's really only two towns, so there's a lot of undeveloped, natural areas. It's beautiful and cool. And it's just an hour by boat from Long Beach. This is definitely a California must-do!

Happy Mother's Day, Yelpies. Wanted to write a quick review to add to my Holidaze List. Decided on Catalina Island cuz it's a nice day trip for MoDay, a weekend staycation or a fun port to visit on a Carnival cruise. The last option is my favorite, as I love cruising, The little island has quaint shops, restaurants, and water activities you can partake in. Lots of beautiful photo ops. When the weather is perfect, it makes spending time on the island even better. Every time we go on a Carnival cruise, Catalina Island is one of our fave ports to visit. A great little spot to visit in So. Cal.

This island is pretty, you just need a couple days to explore the whole island. You can rent a goft car for 2 hours to drive around the island. Also can do snorkeling, scuba diving within a day if the water is good, not windy. Only Thing is not good here is whenever you need to go to drug store, any convenient store, they charge super overpriced which is understandable because there is tourist attraction. So get ready everything for yourself, don't buy stuffs on the island. I got a charger in the drug store, which normally costs 5$ in target. They charged me 15$ and it doesn't even work with my phone.

Love coming to catalina/Avalon ! It really is a spectacular place to spend a night or w weekend ! If only for the night , take a early more boat and leave the next day in the late afternoon...it feels like a whole weekend ! The shops are great and my opinion no more expensive than the malls on mainland. If your having s birthday, even the boat ride is free for you ! Avalon has great history and the experience feels like your in a Caribbean so a little day or two here and you feel like you have been away for a week ! Lots of tours, great restaurants and just walking around makes for quite the entertainment here !

Catalina is a hidden gem! What a wonderful day trip/weekend getaway from LA/long beach/the mainland. You can take the Catalina Express 1 hour from Long Beach and emerge in a totally different world. If you land in Avalon, you can go scuba diving at Casino Point Dive Park, a stellar marine reserve and beautiful dive park full of fish and marine life. You can rent golf carts and zip around the island, exploring the trails or the cute town of Avalon. You can snorkel or chill on the main beach for free. They have tons of aquatic rentals too -- paddle boards, snorkel gear, dive gear, etc. Avalon is full of cute shops, restaurants, and bars that will show you a wonderful weekend getaway and a fun time. Very quaint, very kitchy. There's also a zipline. Many of the hotels will give you a free pick up/return to the ferry. There's several festivals and concerts throughout the year, so time your visit for a lively town block party. The bars feel very local and divey, in the best ways possible. If you land at Two Harbors on the other side of the island, life is calmer and slower. You can camp on the beach (literally on the sand) if you reserve your spot in advance! There are trails, hikes, and mountain bike paths all around. It's literally a world of difference just an hour away from bustling LA. If you come by private charter boat, there are several other stellar dive points and places to visit, like Ship Rock, etc. It's a beautiful, lush, quiet island that is totally removed from LA while being so close! Definitely worth a visit! Pro Tip: Catalina Express is free on your birthday (for everyone)! Book your tickets in advance as they do get sold out, especially in the summer months.

so cute... its like a mini San Diego on an island. Would love to come back and explore the entire island. I can't imagine living out here though. Definitely worth visiting.

So I began my birthday adventure of exploring what Avalon had to offer by taking the first boat out. Most businesses were closed so I went full gear on the role of being a tourist by taking several photo ops as I walked through their quaint neighborhood. There were quite a few parked golf carts at street side, so it seemed to be the vehicle of choice in this small town. Took note of several great gardening designs while strolling along with coffee in hand from Lloyd's of Avalon (recommend coffee from Catalina Coffee Co instead). Stopped by the Visitor's Center for a free map of Avalon and found out that the local Drug Store's willing to charge up your smart phone for a small fee (there's also the library and a couple outlets I was able to locate...ahh, the pros and cons of upgrading to a smart phone....even my external charger didn't last very long). The Discovery Tour office gave out a free passport to savings, courtesy of Santa Catalina Island Co. I highly recommend you pick this up on your trip to Catalina Island. (great savings on activities and comp drinks). Book your free 30 minute walking tour of the historic Avalon Casino as soon as possible because they sell out (only two tours per day). It's $9.50 admission if you can't make it on your birthday and totally worth checking out. Don't let the name fool you into thinking it's a gambling establishment. Back in the day, Avalon Casino was known to be a place for gathering and entertainment. This ornate building houses a grand ballroom, a domed surround sound theatre (movie still playing on Fri/Sat), museum (closed on Thurs), and art gallery. The front desk associate at the Pavilion Hotel (gorgeous and swanky; where I'd like to stay on my next trip) was very humble to assist me with the booking. I took the trolley up (about $5 roundtrip) to Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden where they offered free birthday admission and where Sky Hike begins (easy hike). There are several types of hiking trails on Catalina Island, including overnights and require free mandatory hiking permits available at Hermit Gulch campground office. Keep track of your time as the trolley comes around hourly. I enjoyed my hike, met and chatted with a lovely couple but had to run down from the top of Sky hike to the Casino because the next trolley wouldn't get me to my tour on time. After my hike and Casino Tour I took a nap on a chaise lounge while charging my phone at Descanso Beach Club. I believe they were closed for renovations so I wasn't able to take advantage of my comp drink but it looks like they normally charge an entrance fee along with chaise rental fee, which I didn't have to pay for. I took a free shuttle ride to/from Buffalo Nickel Restaurant for my free birthday meal (buffalo burger, fries, and washed it down w/Dos Equis). Headed over to Lloyd's of Avalon for a free scoop of ice cream (known for their homemade taffy confectionary; serves 50 cent coffee (ugh, bitter); loved their ginger candies). Ended my day at Catalina Coffee and Cookie Co. for a free 12 oz of gourmet coffee and discovered their homemade peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie (Oh So Yummy!!). The people there were pleasant to deal with. It was very relaxing and I had a great time spending my day in Avalon. I would definitely recommend going with a significant other or in a group with at least one person celebrating their birthday as there's a lot of BOGO deals offered. It's always much better to share memorable experiences with others. On my next trip, I'd like to take advantage of the Catalina Zip Line Eco Tour. A two hour scenic adventure sailing through the air at speeds up to 45 miles per hour!

Love visiting this beautiful and tranquil island; the serene water view is spectacular from every angle. There are various water and land tours to partake as well dinning options. I love to unwind here by spending my lazy, breezy, and super relaxing day just taking in all the natural beauty that this island has to offer. Cheers to celebrating the good life!

I've had Catalina Island on my list of places to visit for a while now and wasn't sure what to expect. This island is cozy and quaint but also super small and touristy. The town of Avalon at the port is pretty much everything on the island. This small town is pretty much a single street with ice cream parlors, bars, restaurants, and boutiques, You can see everything within a few hours of walking around. The beach is super small to non existent and the round picturesque landmark casino is not a real casino. I was told by our tour guide casino in Italian means meeting place and it is actual a dance hall and movie theater. In the off season I'm sure this place would be a relaxing and simple place to get away for the weekend. Golf carts are very popular as a means to get around and scuba diving is top notch here. I've been told by friends, don't waste your time on the submarine and the ziplines around the corner are a lot of fun. We decided to ride Segways around the island but we were disappointed because they were first generation Segways that were on their last leg and not as fun as riding around on X2 models.

Don't Do ANY of the tours. All are overpriced and you will only see what you would have otherwise seen doing some of the available activities. Snorkeling (all you need is a mask and a snorkel) you will see all fish that you would see going on the submarine tour. Golf carts will show you the island and more that the bus tour would show you To have the best time, avoid anything that involves you interacting with people who work on the island. They are all in such bad moods. Not once was someone polite. It's a beautiful island and the best things you can do are the cheapest.

I would have never thought to write a review for the chamber of commerce anywhere, but after visiting Catalina this past weekend I was curious about some island stats, did some digging, and it makes sense to give some kind of feedback. My wife and I had a great time. It was my first time being on an island so it was a little strange and I know it sounds funny but it made me feel anxious. We took the Catalina Express from Dana Point to Avalon on Friday afternoon. Booking the boat, paying, parking, and even the boat ride itself went really well. The way I see it, Catalina Express is the "face" of Catalina Island - and whatever that entails (leisure, commerce, etc.) So the time on the island went well. There were a few sketchy moments, nothing big though. It was a little disturbing to see so much drinking, bars, etc. Part of it was seeing so many locals buying 12 packs so early in the day. You would think there's nothing else to do. It's an island, it's a vacation spot, there's going to be drinking involved...I get it. But the extent of it made certain parts of the town (errr...street) more seedy than necessary. If you're into some dive bars and some seedy places ok, that's your thing, have that seedy establishment...but don't let it affect the other areas. Or at least minimize the impact. It really didn't bother me that much, but I know it makes my wife uneasy. Anyway, the main reason I'm leaving a review is because of the cancellation/delay policy of Catalina Express due to inclement weather. And it's not just their policy that falls short, it's also that they did a poor job of communicating delays, providing information during the delay, and just plain out being sympathetic to the situation. Our return boat to Dana Point on Sunday was cancelled because of weather so we had to stay an extra night. Kind of cool (at first), but then you take into account all the expenses and it can add up: hotel, food, AND shuttle from Long Beach to Dana Point. And no accomodations or sympathy from Catalina Express didn't help. So my review is mainly of Catalina Express, but the reason I'm leaving it here also is because Catalina Express is the face of the island. First and last that you see. So it affects The commerce on the island. The entire trip was basically pretty cool - except for the poor customer service at the end. Which left a bad taste in my mouth where I'm not sure if I want to go back...at least not soon. We can't control the weather...I get that. It would have been nice though to have some kind of accommodations - AT MINIMUM a paid shuttle from Long Beach to Dana Point - that was ridiculous they didn't pay that. And you don't owe anyone a free hotel room and food because the weather is bad, BUT from a business perspective...what would be more likely to cause the consumer to return? And tell their family and friends?

Loving this island the more I make it out here, has a bit of a charm in many ways. This is my second time and did a bit more every time I have arrived. You could make it a week or weekend or even a day and you will enjoy every minute of it. The first time I came was for a day, and it was cool. This last time I came and stood for two days and had a wonderful time. Did a tour and was amazed at the views. Tried a few more eateries and was pleased. Night walk was very Romantic and a great way to end our evening here. Shop around for hotel rooms, you will be surprised at the rates. So want to leave metropolis ? Get on a boat and hangout in Catalina, you will not be disappointed.

Catalina is one of the more eccentric destinations in Southern California, a 35km-long island entirely owned at one time by the chewing gum king William Wrigley. It is a gorgeous place with the two tiny settlements of Avalon and Two Harbors at either end and a 640m high mountain in the middle. It sits 35km off the coast at Long Beach and is a world unto itself. Catalina is about as relaxed as it gets in Southern California. Autos are for residents only and require years of waiting until someone else gets rid of theirs. Golf carts are the normal mode of transport, but are so restricted that most people just walk. There are several very good hotels in Avalon (Two Harbors is bare-bones), but most people either come over for the day or sail here on their own boat (the mooring facilities are excellent, with regular water taxis to shore, although things can get tricky in a storm). When the last ferry leaves around 19:00 for Long Beach, the island settles down to a quiet slumber. For centuries, the Chumash Indians hung out here, lolling around on the beaches all day and scooping fish out of the sea with their bare hands. The early Spanish, with all their godly bustle and ambition, found this disconcerting. Today, most people get their seafood at the excellent restaurants, but the pace they keep is as lazy and relaxed as ever.

The Bus Tour was great. We took the Skyline Drive Tour to the airport. Charles was a great driver informative and pleasant really did well giving information and being entertaining but not overdoing it and becoming annoying. A great experience! The semi submersible Undersea Expedition was not so great. Was there supposed to be any narration or information? It is ok if you want to just llok out the porthole and look at the fish direct posted overhead. We got brief safety information at the beginning and someone announced the first feeding stop but that was it. Nothing beyond that we were left to look out the portholes and wish there was someone to and answer questions or tells us something about the fish, where the boat was going, something .

Walked around this area during my visit. It's quite a walk from the main area to this area. You follow along a path that takes you right up to this structure. We didn't get to go inside. There are lots of scuba instructors giving lessons right behind the structure and to the sides. Historical building. I can say I've been there.

I love Catalina! I've been twice now and enjoyed it both times. The first time we stayed over one night, which was nice, and this latest time we went just for a day trip, which was also very nice. There is some great hiking that can be done on the island, enjoyable food, little shops, mini golf, ice cream, and beautiful views. My favorite Catalina day is: get off the boat and go mini golfing, walk around a bit, grab lunch at Blue Water outside on the deck and soak in the views, rent a golf cart and drive around the island and take great pictures, get some ice cream...and that's about it! There is a great hike I did the first time that you get to the trailhead through the botanical gardens. I would love to try the zip lining when I go back, and perhaps camp on the beach. There are plenty of great happy hours on the island. It's a great time!

My wife and I, really enjoyed Santa Catalina Islands. We went there three times recently. Loved it And we would both love to live there, work there but need something affordable.

Great place to relax with the family or in a group. We visited the island during our sons' Spring Break for the day, and after a choppy ride from the Catalina Cruise, we were a bit queasy coming off the boat... It was my first time there, and I loved the vibe of the island...Everyone was very friendly and down to earth. I really believe that one day may not have been enough to explore the island, which I understand has lots of things to do. All we really got to do was have a delicious brunch at one restaurant, walk around the main street for a bit, and we also rented a golf cart to drive around and take in many of the breathtaking views...then, it was time to board our charter to return! I believe we will be back, but maybe for the weekend so that we can do much much more.

A really nice place to get away for the weekend or even longer. There's so much to see do and eat here. The water is clean nice and relaxing. Rent a golf cart and really get around the place. It's worth it.

Great place to get away from the mainland, nice beaches with clear water and many water sports and activities. My friends and I frequent Avalon all summer long being that we are all avid sport fisherman out of Palos Verdes, Ca. We always stay right off the board walk at the Mac Rae hotel, it's centrally located to all the bars and restaurants. Hotel also has a great northerly view of the beach boardwalk and our boat. Highly recommend this place to anyone trying to escape for the weekend from all the hustle and bustle of the city.

I recently visited the island on Memorial Day weekend for the first time. We took the Catalina Express for a round trip of about 70 bucks each. Be sure to book in advance to guarantee seating and check Living Social or Groupon for great deals like $39 round trip! It was like any other quaint beach town with lots of shops and eateries. I really looked forward to the Zipline tour but it was sold out so be sure to book in advance. We also rented golf carts to explore the island and it was pretty cool. The Catalina Express arrived at about 8 am and we originally intended to stay until the evening return trip at 7pm but we saw just about all we needed to see and explore so we cut the trip short and returned on the 2pm Express. I think I expected more but it was cool for the holiday weekend. Nothing to write home about.....

17 years ago today my wife and I got married here. How a little over a decade things can change. There are still some very nice people but so far they are far and few between. The Hot Dog place below the Metropole is run by some very rude people. The coffee place in Metropole square the cashier guy was not having a great day, gift shops were hit and miss with debbie downers. It feels like this town has turned into a not so happy place. This morning my wife said "I feel like people dont want us here?" I'd have to agree. For the first time felt like canceling our room and going home. I'm hoping this little gem of an island is only going through a temporary downer. Maybe people dont like rain??? Either way, I work too hard for my money to spend at place that treats us like they dont want us here. when I start feeling like I should have stayed home went to an anniversary dinner and go back to work. You know something is not right.

Amazing place!!! I came here for my 21st birthday and had a great time! Great getaway. . It is pricey so make sure you take enough $$$! If you wanna get involved in activities which most likely everyone does there. The vibe is great! Luau Larry's bar was a great experience! Great drinks and reasonable price. Overall, if you want to escape from the valley and have some fun for the weekend this is for YOU!

Went parasailing first thing once our cruise ship anchored. What a great time we had, the staff was very friendly. The boat crew were friendly with our safety in mind at all time but they made sure we had a great time.

Awesome place to go to get a break from the crazy hustle bustle atmosphere of the mainland. Went for two days, stayed at the very nice, clean, quaint and legendary Hotel Metropole. Had a blast sightseeing on the island with a couple motorized bicycles that zip you around quite quickly. **Just a Note** Do not zip around too fast, you will run out of things to do in no time.

Beautiful mini getaway from the mainland! The island seriously reminded me of Prince Eric's kingdom in the Little Mermaid haha. Bring a swimsuit and be prepared to swim, parasail, shop, eat, or lay by the beach. If you're 25 and older you can rent a gold cart and roam Avalon. If you're underage, you can rent bikes with motors to get by. There's also a casino there! Unfortunately it was overcast when we were there otherwise we would have gone parasailing!

This island is beautiful. When I arrived here, I saw the wonderful harbor, the colorful buildings and the pretty bay. I went to skyline tour and I saw the cows and understood the history of Catalina island. There are a lot of fish in the ocean. When I rode the glass boat, I saw many kind of fish.

Very cute island. Fun to check out for a day or two. All of the food places feel like tourist traps, though. Very underwhelming food and service for high prices. Majority of the shops are typical over-priced tourist junk. Probably won't rush back because of that, but it was cool to do once. I did really enjoy watching a movie at the neat theater they have.

We Love Catalina! From beautiful beaches to Jazz at the casino or great food and art! Enjoy a helicopter ride or a the Catalina express boat from Long Beach to get there!! Take friends and rent a house or condo and don't forget to get q place with a golf cart!!

I recently went back to Catalina for the first time since I was a kid (brought my 13 year old daughter this time). While a lot of it is unchanged and it was still a very nice place to relax and hang at the beach there were a couple of things that really bothered me. - The transportation options are awful. When I was a kid there were no cars on the island but there were golf cart taxi services that were easy and reasonable and it's small so walking around Avalon is the natural way to go. But now taxis are crazy expensive and the small shuttle bus service is horrible - they don't follow the schedule at all and the drivers are incredibly unfriendly. The route is very small and can't possibly take more than 20 minutes to drive but we waited over 30 minutes every time we tried to use it even after calling twice. - Also be prepared to pay for small plastic bottles of water at almost every restaurant. Even in a drought this is so environmentally irresponsible especially for a place that relies on the ocean for most of its tourism I was appalled. There are filtered water bottle filling stations around town and restaurants will give you ice so that's what we did but to see so many plastic bottles filling trash cans (not even recylcled) was horrible. So we had a good time and enjoyed some of the new activities and spent a fortune for a close quick getaway. Glad we went but probably won't go back again soon.

My first trip to Catalina. Stayed at the Edgewater hotel suite #1 overlooking the green pier right on the boardwalk and beach. Fantastic. The hotel is very nice is you get suite 1 the other rooms are nice but no view. We stayed two nights and loved it

I LOVE Catalina Island. Only about 26 miles from LA and you feel like you are worlds away! A must visit. I have been here several times. Always a wonderful experience.

I do not understand the hype around this place honestly. First off you have to overpay for a ferry boat to take to the island, when I went it was around 75 dollars a person which is outrageous. When you get to the island everything is extremely overpriced. The air is filled with smog from those stupid golf carts, you wake up in the morning to get some fresh air but all you smell is gas, its honestly nasty. The beach isn't even a real beach theres fake sand and theres no room to sit because its so small. Last but not least the tours are overpriced and boring. I do not understand how a bus ride going through the mountains costs 65 dollars a person thats unreasonable, plus the ride was pretty boring occasionally you see a sitting buffalo wow fascinating. Overall, this place is extremely overpriced and instead of actually enjoying your vacation you will be stressed out and broke by the end of the trip. Never going back

Excellence is so important and hands down Santa Catalina offers just that! We started our adventure with "Bear" and the 4 hour tour of the Island! His thorough knowledge and excitement about his job made it infectious for the entire group and we all had a blast! He is a keeper! We then zip lined and were terrified! Ray and Yafet were absolutely hands down the best to help us quickly get over our fear(s)! A fun time was had by all as well. Lisa at the photo/gift shop was a doll as well! To my horror, the next day I realized I misplaced my zip line photo and called and spoke to Toby who rectified the situation by quickly emailing me a copy! Like I said, the excellence was great! Two thumbs up as we will be back to the Island and will sign up for a few more tours when we return! Thank you!

Catalina is my absolute favorite place to vacation! I live in San Diego, so it's great for a day trip or a weekend away. Avalon is a small town, so you might think there wouldn't be much to do, but that's very wrong! There's stuff to do with your kids, your friends, your parents, etc. There's lots of outdoor activities to do, as well as a museum, spas, lots of restaurants, and shopping! Perfect weather year round too!! I'd recommend a trip to the island to everyone! Make sure to check out the town of Two Harbors as well! It's more for just relaxing and exploring. There's less to do with your kids, as there is only 1 restaurant, and a bar. But if you like camping, hiking, kayaking, boating, relaxing on the beach, etc. this is he town for you!!

The culture of the staff at the visitor center of Two Harbor is not inclusive. I was discriminated against when I went to ask questions about hiking. When I called the visitor center, they said they would be happy to provide me hiking information when I got there. Once I got there, after a few minutes, they said they couldn't help me anymore because the boy scout troop campers were coming up. There was nobody behind me in line yet. I noticed that everyone in the staff was white and the boy scout troop was primarily white. I can only think they discriminated against me because there was no reason not to help me. I was very polite and with my 10 year old daughter for her birthday. We also rented wetsuits for $32 that had holes in them. When we were in the water, my daughter and I were both very cold. Her lips turned blue and her teeth were chattering so we swam back in. The way the director of Two Harbors addressed this was to tell me that the inside of the wetsuit had holes but it wasn't on the outside, and she checked every single wetsuit. When I told her my daughter and I both saw our swimsuits through the wetsuits from the back, she said that wasn't true. She is either lying or she didn't bother to put the wetsuit on a person to see if it had holes all the way through since the neoprene was 7mm thick. It didn't matter because she insisted there was no holes, basically implying that I was lying. I will never visit Two Harbors again.

Breathtaking sunrise and the ocean view is amazing! We saw a hundreds of dolphins just having fun ! Beautiful island to visit! If you're mooring your boat it's $38.

If you've never been on a helicopter, do it!! We took the Catalina Express to Avalon and helicopters back. The pilot was awesome, and they even upgraded our helicopter! It was such an amazing experience!!

This is one of the eight california channel islands.It is open daily but like many tourist attractions in the area the opening hours where not that great.It was cheap to visit it but then the places to eat there were expensive and since no cars are allowed you have to use the public transport which is rather annoying.The avalon casino was the best thing on the island as it had a cool art deco ballroom which i liked taking loads of pictures of.There is also a museum where you can find out about the islands history.There are some really lovely views of the shoreline.

Hadn't been to Avalon in years but my husband and I visited for a couple of days earlier this week. The town looked great! Lots of new shops and eateries, and everyone was so nice! We had such a relaxing visit...we will definitely be back soon!

My husband and I just spent 3 nights in Catalina during the jazz festival. While there, booked two tours with the Santa Catalina Island Company, the Avalon City tour and the 4+ hour outback adventure tour. The tour guides, Cindy and Bear were fantastic and knew all about the respective turf and history of the island. I would highly recommend using them.