Santa Catalina Island

Understand

Santa Catalina is 22 miles from the mainland, despite the lyrics of the Four Preps' song.

Twenty-six miles across the seaSanta Catalina is a-waitin' for meSanta Catalina, the Island of Romance -- "26 Miles", The Four Preps, 1958 Catalina is a world unto itself, a distant asylum from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Southern California. 88% of the island is owned by the Catalina Conservancy which is chartered with protecting its environment. Many visitors to the island come from cruises offered by Carnival. The area codes for Catalina Island are 310 and 424 (these are both shared with Los Angeles).

Climate

Getting there

By boat Catalina Classic Cruises, ☏ +1 562-495-3565, toll-free: +1 800-641-1004. From San Pedro to Avalon. Round trip fares - Adult: $70, Children (2-11): $55, Seniors (55+): $64, Infants (under 2): $5. Catalina Express Ferry, ☏ +1 800-481-3470. From Long Beach, San Pedro or Dana Point to Avalon. There is also a boat from San Pedro to Two Harbors. Fares vary by departure point. Catalina Flyer, ☏ +1 949 673-5245, toll-free: +1 800 830-7744. From Newport Beach to Avalon. Ferries depart Newport Beach daily at 9AM and arrive in Avalon at 10:15AM. Return trips depart Avalon at 4:30PM and arrive in Newport Beach at 5:45PM. Limited service during December, January, and February; check schedules beforehand. Round trips $70 adults, $65 seniors (60+), $53 children (3-12), $6 infants (0-2). $7 surcharge to transport bikes. Reservations required. Private boat - Avalon and Two Harbors have mooring facilities and services. There are also many coves around the island that have moorings or anchorages. A sailboat should make the crossing in no more than seven hours; a ski boat would take about an hour.

By plane Island Express Helicopter Service. Flies from San Pedro or Long Beach into a landing pad at Pebbly Beach, next to the Buffalo Nickel, roughly a mile outside of town. The pilot will ask you if you need a taxi to meet you when you land. Airport in the Sky, ☏ +1 310-510-0143, +1 800-255-8700 (weather info). Open to private aircraft. No fuel is available for sale at the airport.

Getting around

Walking - Most visitors to Catalina usually do their touring on foot. Bicycle - There are several bicycle rental agencies on the island or you may bring your own bicycle over with you (usually for an extra fee). You can rent bicycles at Brown's Bikes. They have electric bikes, mountain bikes, beach cruisers and tandems. 107 Pebbly Beach Road, 310-510-0986 www.catalinabiking.com Carts - Golf carts are commonly used by residents and may also be rented on the island.

See

There are Bison on the island which were brought over for a 1920s film and left behind. Some of the island's tours will take you to see them.

Do

Snorkeling and SCUBA diving Catalina is a haven for SCUBA divers in Los Angeles area. The main SCUBA diving site from Avalon is Casino Point, right next to the Casino building. Concrete steps have been created, so divers (and snorkelers) can step down a few steps and enter the water. Since Casino Point is north-pointing dive site, it is mostly protected from the heavy surf and waves most of the year. Casino Point is a protected area and nothing can be removed from the area. There is an air refill station and tank/weights rental right next to the entry point. Common sightings are garibaldi, bat rays, octopus, giant black sea bass, kelp bass, lobsters and horn sharks. Additional snorkeling can be done at Lovers' Cove, south of the ferry terminal. Dives are by harbormaster's permit only. Many dive boats depart from various ports in LA area, such as Long Beach and San Pedro, for a day diving trip to various parts of Catalina Island that are otherwise inaccessible via car from Catalina Island. The typical cost is $110–150 and includes breakfast, lunch, and three dives with air fills. Some boats have nitrox at additional cost. Known shipwrecks in the waters off the island include the Diosa del Mar (33.462770,N), which was sunk July 30, 1990 near Ship Rock, and the famous Su-Jac (among others) just off Casino point. The yacht Valiant burned and sank a couple of hundred yards out from Descanso Beach. It had about $75,000 worth of jewelry on board which has never been recovered. The oldest shipwreck known on Santa Catalina Island is that of a Chinese smuggling ship off Ballast Point on the west side of the island. Sea Trek uses high tech diving helmets that allow anyone (no diving or swimming skills needed) to discover Catalina's beautiful undersea environment on a guided underwater walking tour.

Glass-bottom boats For those who don't want to snorkel or dive, there are many alternatives to viewing the underwater life - semi-submarine ride and glass-bottom boat r

Go next

Channel Islands National Park - Channel Islands National Park includes the majority of the Channel Islands and is home to incredible marine life, beautiful and rugged scenery, and the wily Channel Islands fox. The islands are remote with very limited services, attracting hikers, backpackers and scuba divers to explore both the above and below-water wilderness.