Exploring Avalon, California
In November of 2023, we took a four day Mexican cruise on the Disney Magic. Our first stop out of San Diego was Catalina Island. This island is part of California and only an hour’s boat ride from the mainland.
Tendering to Catalina Island
The port at the town of Avalon was not large enough to accomodate a cruise ship. Instead, we boarded a two-deck tender ship and were ferried to the island. The tender ship loaded onto the upper deck, but to disembark we had to descend to the lower deck – and vice versa on the return journey. It was much easier to navigate the narrow stairway in the calmer waters of the bay, rather than while we were tied alongside the cruise ship. This is worth noting if you are traveling with someone with limited mobility. (You might also ask your cruise ship crew to direct you to the most mobility-accessible tender boat, as there are several in use and they are not all the same.). The boat ride itself was less than 15 minutes. There were four tender boats in operation the day we visited, so the wait for the next boat ride was never very long.
Golf Cart Shore Excursion on Catalina Island
We opted to do a tour on our own rather than booking an excursion through Disney Cruise Line or a third-party shore excursion company. After disembarking the shuttle boat, we found two golf cart rental companies a few minutes’ walk from the pier. The rental costs $60 per hour, with the second hour prorated by the minute. Two hours was the maximum rental time allowed. The company used a unique payment method. At the rental counter, we paid $120 for the full two hours. However, only $60 could be paid by credit card. The other $60 must be paid by cash. There was an ATM conveniently close by. Upon returning the golf cart, we were refunded in cash whatever portion of the second hour that we didn’t use. In our case, our self-driving tour took 114 minutes, so we got a $6 refund when we brought the cart back.
The golf carts fit four people comfortable, up to six if a few are children. If you are traveling in a group or don’t fancy doing a lot of uphill walking, I would highly recommend this. Compared to other activities, the price isn’t too bad, especially when split by four people.
Self-Driving Tour on Catalina Island
The city of Avalon has set up a recommended driving tour that takes one to two hours to complete. The route was marked with street signs, and we were given a map at the rental counter.
We began by driving past the ferry pier and along the shoreline of Lover’s Cove and Pebbly Beach. There were several rock outcroppings with pelicans and cormorants perched all over. We had heard that Pebbly Beach was a good site for snorkeling, but the day we went was a bit cooler and there were no swimmers, just a few beachcombers.
The Wrigley Family of Catalina Island
The road turned away from the shoreline and climbed to the top of the ridge in a series of switchbacks. Along the way we had several great views of the bay, the town of Avalon, and our Disney Magic cruise ship. We also passed by Mt. Ada, the historic home of the Wrigley family and currently a prestigious bed and breakfast.
The Wrigley family – yes, that Wrigley family of chewing gum fame – once owned much of Catalina Island. It was purchased by William Wrigley, Jr. in 1919. Wrigley built up much of the infrastructure of the island, including Mt. Ada (the family home), the Avalon Country Club, the Atwater Hotel, the Wrigley Botanical Gardens, and the Catalina Casino. William’s son, Phillip K. Wrigley, deeded most of the island to the Catalina Island Conservancy in 1975.
Fauna of Catalina Island
My favorite part of the whole day happened just before we reached the highest overlook of the route. As we slowed to round a curve, a Santa Catalina fox came trotting out from the underbrush! This is a subspecies of the Island Grey fox that is endemic to California’s Chanel Island. The Santa Catalina fox was listed as an endangered species and was only recently downgraded to threated in 2016.
Catalina Island is also known for its herd of buffalo. According to legend, these were brought to the island in the 1920s for a movie. The scenes with the buffalo never made it to the silver screen. After the filming, the movie crew released the buffalo onto the island and they now roam freely around the hills. We did not see any, but overheard stories from other travelers who went farther into the interior of the island.
Flora of Catalina Island
The route descended down into the back side of town, where we took an optional side street that led out to the Wrigley Botanical Garden and the trailhead for the Trans Catalina hiking trail. The botanical garden was an extra charge and because of the two hour time limit on our golf cart rental, we decided not to go to inside. We instead stopped at the free nature center just down the road where we saw an agave plant (what tequila is made from) with an eight-foot flower stalk.
Historic Sites of Catalina Island
The tour continued past the Avalon Country Club, home of the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi. There was an option to take a one-way loop through the hills on the northern side of the bay that passes by the bell tower built in 1925. As we were short on time, we skipped this loop. The bell tower rings out every fifteen minutes, and we heard it several times as we drove around Avalon.
Catalina Casino
The final section of the tour went out to Descanso Beach, passing by the Catalina Casino. This is an impressive rotunda building perched on the northern point of the cove. It is not a gambling casino; “casino” is meant in the sense of entertainment. It was built by William Wrigley as an attraction for people visiting Catalina Island. It houses a cinema and the world’s largest circular ballroom. In its heyday of the 1930s, many famous musicians such as Benny Goodman and Gene Autry played there.
Shopping on Catalina Island
The driving tour returned back into town to the shopping area. There are several boutique stores with a variety of souvenirs and art items, as well as a handful of restaurants for those who prefer to eat off the ship. This section of town has limited parking and is actually quite close to the end of the self-driving tour. My recommendation for those willing to walk a bit is to return your golf cart first before heading back to this area to browse the shops at your leisure. Note that the street running parallel to the water is for pedestrians only as you pass through town, so there is a marked detour that takes you up a block before returning you to the golf cart rental booth.
Best Things to Do on Catalina Island
We really enjoyed exploring Catalina Island on our own. So often, the ports of call on a cruise don’t lend themselves to self-exploring. Points of interest are far away, require expensive transportation, and we worry about missing our cruise ship departure time. But in Avalon, the main town is very walkable and there is plenty to do within an easy strolling distance of the pier. Walk to Pebbly Beach or Descanso Beach, visit the Catalina Casino movie theater and ballroom, go shopping, enjoy some local cuisine, or rent a golf cart to explore the nearby hills. Our best advice: don’t stay on the boat! Get out there and explore Catalina Island!
