Day Trip To Santa Catalina Island
If you are ever staying in the Long Beach, Los Angeles area or within the vicinity, here is a day trip that is a MUST NEED!
For fresh seafood, caring people, and breathtaking views, Catalina Island is your answer. First things first, you can only get there by sea. The Catalina Express is the way to go. For about $76 round trip, ports at San Pedro, Long Beach, and Dana Pointe it is your best choice. Even though the island is only 22 miles away from the coast of Southern California, it is about a 70 minute boat ride. If you or anyone in your party has a weak stomach, make sure you pack some anti-nausea medication (my girlfriend I was traveling with was miserable the entire way, horrible.) Also, bring a jacket! It is chilly, especially from here on into the colder months, and if you want to sit up deck or stand outside its going to be quite nippy!
Once you arrive, you will be right in the middle of downtown Avalon (Avalon is the city on Catalina.) The history is there. It looks like heaven, local shops and restaurants everywhere. On your right will be hundreds of sailboats that are docked either seasonally or year-round, then to the left is all the shopping and eateries. We were craving some good brunch, which needed to include one or two adult beverages of course. Bluewater Grill is the name, if you were curious, lol. AMAZING seafood and drinks, champagne was about $40 a bottle, for those that are mimosa drinkers. After brunch, we were advised by our waitress to walk to the Descanso Beach which was about half a mile. Beautiful walk, saw the Catalina Theatre, and enjoyed a few hours on the beach! The Descanso Beach Club is located right on the water, which has changing rooms, drinks, snacks, and seating areas. I also highly suggest bringing sandals, you will step on quite a few rocks to even reach the sand (you’re welcome from saving you from the pain of rocks stabbing the bottle of your feet, hehe.) We then walked back to the downtown area, stopped by a local bar, went in a few shops and it was time to head back to LA.
I do recommend staying for at least a few nights, we were told by the locals there are plenty of fun activities and events. But you can see and do as much as you can in a day if that’s all the time you have available. I will attach some pictures, if you have any questions about the island or comments feel free to email me or reach out to me on Instagram!
Tata for now, XOXO
