Just 22 miles off the Southern California coast lies a less populated vacation oasis -- the beautiful island of Catalina. With annual average temperatures varying between 54 and 75 degrees, and less than 13 inches of rain per year, this is an ideal family vacation destination, even in the off-season. Catalina Island is rich in history, activities, nature, photo ops, natural resources, and relaxation. There is something for everyone.
Recently our family of five enjoyed two days of Catalina Island family fun and adventure. To make planning your own getaway a piece of cake, here is a snapshot of our itinerary:
Getting to Catalina Island
We departed for the island on the Catalina Express, which took us from Long Beach to Avalon at lunchtime on a Saturday. Catalina Express's large fleet of boats make the trip in about an hour, operating every day, year-round (with up to 30 daily departures) from three mainland ports -- Long Beach, San Pedro, and Dana Point.
About halfway to our destination, we encountered a large pod of dolphins and two humpback whales near our ferry. They jumped and played, almost as if they were putting on a show for the passengers. While this apparently isn't an unusual sighting from the ferry, it was a first for me -- and proved to be one of the favorite parts of the trip for the whole family.
Where to stay on Catalina Island
Upon arrival on Catalina Island we found the shuttle to take us to the newly-renovated Holiday Inn Resort Catalina, tucked back in the picturesque hills of Avalon. Equipped with a pool, hot tub, spa, restaurant, and great views, this was the perfect place to call home for our trip.
We were offered a fabulous “kid-friendly room” equipped with bunk beds and a queen-size bed. The room was spacious enough for our family of five (which is a rare find).
During our stay we took advantage of the hotel shuttle, which dropped us off in the downtown area of Avalon, and also "traveled like the locals" walking to several of our destinations.
Activities and adventure on Catalina Island
While the city of Avalon may be small in size, it is large in its number of attractions. Traveling with kids? The Catalina Chamber makes it easy, with a special “Kidalina” web page highlighting 15 family-friendly activities. Beaches, hiking, golf, boating, and fishing are among the more popular activities for those who visit. Our excursions included:
Undersea Expedition
Shortly after arriving, we set sail again, this time for an undersea adventure. During this 45-minute excursion we were able to come face-to-face with Catalina’s abundant marine life by cruising five feet underwater in a spacious, climate-controlled cabin. Every passenger had their own seat and porthole, and we were free to roam about the cabin seeking other viewpoints. We could hardly keep our kids in their chairs as schools of Garibaldi (the official state fish of California), spotted calico bass, urchins, and more surrounded the port windows in a feeding frenzy. It was like being lowered into an undersea aquarium.
Catalina Island Golf Cart
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Avalon is the only city in California authorized to regulate the number and size of vehicles allowed to drive on city streets. Currently, there is a 25 year waiting list to own a car!
Luckily you don’t need a car to enjoy the hills above the town. Instead, you can explore in a golf cart. Golf cart rentals are abundant and make it easy to explore the mountain terrain around Avalon in an hour or so. During our tour, we were able to drive at our own pace while following the map along the coastline. The views were spectacular and it was easy to make quick stops at the Botanical Gardens, Chimes Tower, and the Nature Center. We even found the location of the former Chicago Cubs spring training field. It was a pleasant change of pace from our own local traffic. There wasn't even a single stoplight on our journey to the tops of the hills.
Catalina Aerial Adventure
Just north of the popular Descanso Beach Club, we found Catalina Aerial Adventure. Even though it's near the shore, it feels like you’re deep in the woods, climbing, swinging, and crawling through a series of challenging obstacles suspended in a grove of towering eucalyptus. Five self-guided, self-paced courses are made up of rope ladders, log bridges, balance beams, zip lines, and other elements. They're arranged in beginner, intermediate, and advanced configurations.
We quickly realized our family's course levels varied greatly. My middle son took off on his own, and wasn’t seen again until we reached the end. Even with a double set of safety tethers -- one is always hooked into a safety cable before you can unhook the next one -- my youngest needed some coercing to take on his first zipline. My oldest, though hesitant, completed the beginner course quickly and went on to tackle the intermediate course -- only to get hung up at the final landing point and require some staff assistance.
Luckily our guides were never far from earshot and ready to assist with any obstacle we weren't ready to handle. The whole family was able to participate at their own comfort level, which meant we all felt a sense of accomplishment at the end.
Dining on Catalina Island
Avalon, Catalina Island’s main town, is only 1 square mile. But inside that small footprint sit at least 29 restaurants. During our stay we sampled quite a bit of delicious local fare, experienced friendly and attentive service, and even found items for our little picky eaters. Here are a few of our dining highlights:
Bluewater Avalon
We enjoyed a corner table on the quiet waterfront patio of the historic Bluewater Avalon. While looking out at the ocean where we had spent much of our day, my husband and I sampled some delicious fish and chips and mahi-mahi tacos. The kids munched on grilled cheese and pasta. Our waitress, a born and raised Catalina native, was full of knowledge about the Island and places we should visit. Following dinner, we stepped inside to check out some of the decor, vintage fishing poles, and photos of big catches from former days.
Descanso Beach Club
The Descanso Beach Club is located on one of Southern California’s last private beaches and open to the public. This means you can have a drink in your hand and your feet in the sand at the same time. During the summer this is the most happening place to be, but in the off-season, we nearly had the private beach all to ourselves. We enjoyed a casual lunch while the kids hunted for unique rocks and crabs along the shore. Just watch your food! We nearly lost a burger to a scavenging seagull.
Lobster Trap
A local favorite, the term "daily catch" has real meaning at Catalina Island’s Lobster Trap restaurant, which has been owned by commercial lobster fisherman Caleb Lins since 2008. Fresh fish, ceviche made from local white sea bass, and other indigenous eats are the specialty. The delicious lobster salad was a tasty end to our second day of adventuring and even our picky eaters found a few good things they liked on the menu. The kitchen never closes before 10 p.m., so it’s one of the few places on the island you can hit up for a late-night bite.
Toyon Grill
Bluewater Avalon has teamed up with Catalina Island Conservancy to bring the island this unique new eatery and event space, Toyon Grill. Located in the Trailhead visitor center, the space offers amazing views of the Harbor, Green Pier, and Avalon Casino. A great place to grab a latte before you head out for your day, they also offer a very popular grab-n-go picnic box that you can take to-go while exploring the island. Be sure to also check out the unique gift shop where proceeds from your purchases help support the Catalina Island Conservancy.
In between our adventures and delicious meals we were also able to sneak in some arcade play, park time, and shopping (there are so many places along the main strip where you can pick up a souvenir or a sweet treat!). Before heading back to the ferry for our trek home we stocked up on some Llyod's of Avalon Salt Water Taffy and began making plans for our next trip to Catalina Island.
The author's family was hosted on many of their adventures for the purpose of writing this article, however the views and opinions expressed in this article are her own.
