Things to Do in Avalon, Santa Catalina Island
I thought that Avalon, Santa Catalina was one of the most fascinating places to visit in Southern California. It was very charming, with its Mediterranean-style architecture, hillside houses, crescent-shaped Avalon Bay, shops, and restaurants, beachside bars, and a really stunning location right on the crescent-shaped Avalon Bay surrounded by dramatic hills.
We took the ferry about one hour from Long Beach (22 miles, $41–$47 one way on Catalina Express) to Avalon (population around 3,500), the only incorporated city on Santa Catalina Island. Long a resort getaway since the early 20th century, Avalon’s centerpiece is the Catalina Casino (built 1929, not a gambling hall but a theater and ballroom, $19 guided tours).
We strolled along the Mediterranean-style waterfront, visited the Catalina Museum For Art & History, and lingered in seaside cafés. We stayed at the Zane Grey Pueblo Hotel for three days, a boutique historic property perched above the harbor with terraces and ocean views ($295). I’m a huge fan and here are my favorite spots I’d love to share with you.
1. Catalina Island Conservancy Tours
The highlight of my visit to Catalina Island was the sheer sense of untouched natural beauty. The interior of Catalina felt like another world, wilder and more open than I imagined.
What I Loved Most: Riding through backcountry trails on a quiet eco-tour and learning how native plants are slowly coming back.
- Location Map
- Highlights: Nature center, guided eco tours, trail access
- Best Time to Visit: Spring and fall for wildflowers and cooler hikes
Right after I enjoyed... A nature-filled lunch at Café Metropole, a fresh, eco-conscious café in Avalon. I had a grilled veggie grain bowl with lemon tahini dressing and a hibiscus iced tea.
2. Catalina Museum For Art & History
The Catalina Museum for Art & History felt like stepping into the island’s soul — a space where time, culture, and creativity collide in beautifully curated harmony. Nestled in the heart of Avalon, just a few blocks from the waterfront, the museum’s modern architecture of glass and light stood in striking contrast to the old-world charm of the surrounding town.
Inside, I wandered through galleries that told the layered story of Catalina — from its early Native Tongva inhabitants to the glamorous Hollywood era when stars and studio moguls made the island their playground. The rotating exhibits added unexpected depth: one moment I was admiring plein air paintings of the island’s rugged coastline, and the next I was immersed in black-and-white photographs of 1920s film crews transforming Avalon into a movie set.
What I Loved Most: Seeing black-and-white photos of early Catalina and the Wrigley exhibits that made the past feel personal.
- Location Map
- Vibe: Cultural, historical, artistic
3. Airport in the Sky Restaurant
High above Catalina, I arrived at the Airport in the Sky...where the landing strip touches the clouds and history lingers in the breeze. Built by William Wrigley Jr. in the 1940s, it once welcomed commercial flights and served as a WWII training base. Today, it’s quieter, home to private pilots, freight deliveries, and the kind of visitors who come not just for the views, but for the buffalo burgers.
The restaurant (a cozy, wood-beamed lodge with wide windows overlooking the clouds) had a kind of frontier charm. Inside, the air buzzed with a mix of hikers, pilots, and island day-trippers all swapping stories over hearty breakfasts and mugs of steaming coffee. The Buffalo Burger, a local favorite, lived up to its reputation: smoky, juicy, and somehow emblematic of the island’s wild spirit.
- Drive Time: ~30 minutes inland from Avalon (via shuttle or tour)
- Location Map
- Vibe: Remote, panoramic, nostalgic
- Highlights: Airport café, aviation history, sky-high views
- Best Time to Visit: Midday for clear views and lunch stop
What I Loved Most: Eating a bison burger at the DC-3 Grill while watching a plane touch down against a backdrop of endless sky.
4. Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden
The Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden felt like the spiritual heart of Catalina — a place where nature, architecture, and legacy converge in quiet reverence. Set at the top of Avalon Canyon, the garden unfolds like a living tapestry of color and form, each path leading deeper into the island’s native beauty. The slow climb up the stone steps, shaded by palms and prickly pear, feels almost ceremonial — as if ascending not just a hill, but through time itself.
The memorial at the garden’s summit is breathtaking in its simplicity and symbolism. Built in the 1930s from locally quarried stone and handmade tiles, it honors William Wrigley Jr., the visionary who transformed Catalina into a haven for both conservation and recreation. The blend of Art Deco and Mediterranean Revival styles gives the monument an air of timeless dignity, its arches framing views that stretch from the canyon below to the shimmering Pacific beyond.
- Drive Time: ~30-minute walk or 10-minute shuttle from Avalon
- Location Map
- Vibe: Botanical, architectural, peaceful
- Highlights: Native plant garden, Art Deco memorial, ocean views
- Best Time to Visit: Spring for blooming desert flora
- Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden website
My highlight? The peaceful snack break after the garden walk. I picked up a locally made lemon bar and chilled prickly pear soda at the nearby café. Sitting on a shaded bench surrounded by succulents, with views of the stone memorial rising above, I felt completely in tune with the natural beauty around me.
5. Bluewater Avalon Seafood Restaurant
I sat just above the tide, the air salted with sea and citrus. Each bite felt at Bluewater Avalon Seafood Restaurant like part of the harbor, fresh, lively, unhurried. I remember thinking, "This is what dining with a view is supposed to feel like, unfiltered, flavorful, real."
Plan your day trip:
- Drive Time: On the waterfront in Avalon
- Location Map
- Vibe: Coastal, fresh, relaxing
- Highlights: Sea-to-table seafood, harbor views
- Best Time to Visit: Lunch or sunset dinner
- Don’t Miss: Cioppino and outdoor harbor seating
What I Loved Most: The cioppino, the breeze, and watching boats bob as twilight crept in.
6. Hermit Gulch Trail Loop
The climb tested me, switchback after switchback, but the reward was silence and sky. Hermit Gulch offered solitude in wide-angle. The island fell away behind me like a painting. I remember thinking, "Sometimes the best views make you earn them, step by step."
- Drive Time: Hermit Gulch Trail Loop Trailhead near Avalon campground
- Location Map
7. Santa Catalina Island Nature Center at Avalon Canyon
Tucked within the quiet greenery just beyond Avalon’s lively waterfront, The Nature Center at Avalon Canyon is small, unassuming, yet overflowing with learning about nature.
Interactive exhibits told stories of Catalina’s unique ecosystems, from its oak woodlands to the beautiful tidepools.
8. The Green Pleasure Pier
The pier was a patchwork of color and motion, kids licking ice cream, boats bobbing, fishers casting lines. It pulsed with life but never felt rushed. I remember thinking, "This might be the only place where doing nothing feels this good."
What I Loved Most: Watching glass-bottom boats glide out as the sun turned the water gold.
- Drive Time: Central Avalon harbor
- Location Map
- Vibe: Historic, lively, colorful
- Best Time to Visit: Midday to evening
- Don’t Miss: Glass-bottom boat tour and sunset from the dock
My highlight? The classic island lunch at Eric’s On The Pier. I had the fish and chips with tartar sauce and a fountain soda in a paper cup. Seagulls called, waves lapped gently, and kids laughed while fishing nearby. It was nostalgic, no-frills, and everything a pier-side meal should be.
9. The Casino at Avalon
Despite its name, The Casino at Avalon’s not a gambling hall all. Instead, it's a place of culture, built in 1929 as a celebration of cinema, music, and community. I loved how walking through it felt like being transported straight into the golden age of Hollywood.
The Movie Theater on the lower level still plays first-run films beneath a magnificent domed ceiling, its original organ (a 1920s relic) sometimes accompanying silent classics just as it did nearly a century ago.
But it was the Casino Ballroom that left me speechless. The vast circular room, perfectly preserved, once hosted Big Band legends like Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller, and it still radiates that rhythm and romance. Standing in the center of the dance floor, surrounded by 360 degrees of ocean views framed by tall arched windows, I could almost hear the echo of brass horns and laughter drifting through the decades.
Up on the terrace balcony, the view of Avalon Bay was pure magic — boats bobbing in turquoise water, the afternoon sun catching the building’s curves in soft gold. In that moment, the Casino felt less like a relic and more like a living heartbeat — proof that Catalina’s glamour and spirit are still very much alive.
10. Scoops Catalina Island
After a day spent hiking canyons and wandering museums, Scoops Catalina Island was pure joy... a little corner of sweetness tucked along Avalon’s charming Crescent Avenue. The moment I walked in, the air was thick with the scent of freshly made waffle cones.
11. Lovers Cove
Just a short walk from Avalon’s main waterfront, Lovers Cove protected marine sanctuary felt worlds away from the bustle of town.
Although there isn’t much of a beach to explore at Lovers Cove, snorkeling here in July felt like drifting through a living painting. The visibility was astonishing (30 feet or more) and every movement beneath the surface carried that serene weightlessness only the ocean can offer. The rocky reef teemed with life, and the occasional shadow of a sea bass or curious ray gliding past added a gentle thrill to the stillness.
The cove is part of the Lovers Cove State Marine Conservation Area and can be accessed from the Catalina Express landing dock or from town.
Conclusion
What I love most about Avalon is how compact yet full of life it is. I can spend a morning snorkeling, an afternoon exploring the shops downtown, and an evening watching the sunset with some of the best views in Southern California.
Booking Checklist
1. Book Your Flight - I use Expedia because I like their mobile app with my itinerary. They've helped me re-book flights on many occasions. Once you reach their Gold tier, support is especially good.
2. Book Your Hotel - I use Booking.com or Expedia, depending on my destination.
3. Book Your Rental Car - I use Expedia.
4. Book your tours on Viator or Get Your Guide.
5. If you are planning to visit more than three national parks in the next 12 months, buy the America the Beautiful Pass.
