Catalina
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Catalina is Southern California’s most underrated gem. Put this island off the coast of Italy or Thailand and it would be littered with tourists. But, it isn’t, and the result is a blissful recluse of cozy charm and unspoiled nature. Here’s what we did on our overnight trip.
Getting there: Ferry (Long Beach or Newport)
Every time I’ve taken a ferry, it’s either on the Catalina Express out of Long Beach or the Catalina Flyer from Newport. The benefit of the Express is that it has more time options and is slightly cheaper, while the Flyer only goes out and back but is much closer to my house. Plus, the Flyer drops you off at the Fun Zone in Balboa which is far more entertaining than the Long Beach port the Express leaves from. Both trips are about an hour, and keep your eyes peeled for some dolphins and other sea creatures en route! We got lucky and saw a whole pod on the way there from Long Beach.
Where to stay
If you’ve got the dough, the Pavilion is probably the best hotel on the island, all things considered. It’s perfectly located and has great service to go along with plenty of amenities. But, we went with a cheaper option and stayed at the Hotel Metropole, which I actually liked a lot. It’s also very well located, right by the water and in a cute little outdoor shopping strip. The rooms are cozy and staff was friendly enough. Plus, it was half the price of the Pavilion, so I was very content with our decision to stay here.
Where to wait way too long for a pizza: Antonio’s Pizzeria
Look, I’m not going to come out and give this place rave reviews. The pizza was fine and the service was sloth-like. But hey, you’re sitting at the water’s edge on Catalina, just sit back and embrace island time. And to be fair, this place was basically the only one open on our mid-week visit during COVID. But hey, the drinks were great, so that was a win.
Where to have steaks with your toes in the sand: Steve’s Steakhouse
Thanks to COVID, restaurants all around the world have been forced to adapt to accommodate for outdoor dining and social distancing. Catalina may have done it best, as the restaurants now have seating on the artificial sand at the harbor-front. It was honestly an absolutely joy to sit with my toes in the sand and enjoy a solid meal with great service. Loved the place, definitely recommend it!
Where to get a hat with your drink: Luau Larry’s
This place has become somewhat of an icon for serving hats with their famous drink. So go get ‘your wiki wacked’ and have a good time here.
Where to fly over the canyon: Zipline Eco Tour
I had done this zipline tour before, but it was just as fun as my first time. Zip lining is just such a cool thrill, and although this tour is on the shorter end of zip lines I have done, its very entertaining with great views.
Where to see the remnants of a John Wayne movie: Bison Tour
Yup, you can take a safari into the island and check out some of the local bison that are grazing these hills. They were brought over for a Western movie with John Wayne and then left here, and ended up thriving thanks to the lack of any natural predators here. It makes for a pretty cool experience to see these majestic (and massive) creatures just roaming about, doing their thing.
Where to feel like you’re at a Mediterranean resort: Descanso
This is my favorite place on the island. Take a walk past the world famous Casino and you’ll find this slice of heaven, where you can rent day beds or cabanas for the day and just lounge with a drink in hand, a fire ceviche, and an occasional swim in the (freezing) ocean. They also have DJ’s playing on some weekends and it turns into a proper beach club, so be on the lookout for that on the calendar.
