Dreamy Catalina Island

[Silvi]

Hello folks!
Today I want to show you a beautiful place who I discovered in my last time in Los Ángeles, CA . I’m a huge fan of LA and knowing the city well, I was looking to find new places near to LA for discover. And I found a Paradise, just an hour by ferry from the Long Beach port. The Santa Catalina Island ( better know as Catalina Island) is a place who I recommend deeply. Is the first island that I know in my life and I loved it.

After you arrive to the island, to Avalon city, take a short walk to get you to your hotel. Around 5000 people are leaving in the island (90% in Avalon, 10% in the other city of the island: Two Harbors ). The downtown of the island is just five blocks. You have there whatever you need, hotel, restaurant, supermarket, coffee shop and more.

Do you know what I like more of this place? There are a few cars in this island, the use of motor vehicles is restricted, you can wait more than a decade for bring a registered car to the island. They use golf cart as a normal transportation. And for people like me who are leaving in a big city, with many transit problems, this is marvelous.
You need a drive license to rent a golf cart. If you’re like me, a not driving person, you can take a taxi, rent a bike or just walking.

There are different activities and tours to enjoy and know the island better.

I walked a lot and also take the Bottom Boat tour, in a boat with glass-bottom you can see the marine life and enjoy the view around.
Diving and snorkeling are popular activities too. Is pretty incredible being there swimming between this orange fishes like Nemo.

The typical photo of Catalina shows you this beautiful circular building the Casino, once a real casino, now a cultural center, with a movie theater, ballroom and museum.

One day I got the bus, yes there is only a bus, and I went to the Botanic Garden Wrigley , this place maintains a special interest in the preservation of all Catalina endemics.

The most popular plate you can taste is Fish and Chips. I did it more than once.

I hope if you visit Catalina have a great time there I certainly enjoyed a lot being in this paradise.

https://www.catalinachamber.com/island-info/
https://www.catalinaexpress.com/
https://catalinaislandferry.com/

Greetings.

Silvi

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[JordanBurleson]

Wow! Amazing write-up and beautiful photos, @SilvyC !

I learned so much from your post! What was the highlight of Catalina for you? Any recommendations for travelers that you might not find on a tourism site?

[Silvi]

Thank you @JordanSB the best of Catalina for me? The serenity and all about water activities. I really like swimming, and for all the people like me keep in mind you must wear some kind of water shoes because there are many little rocks that hurt the feet. I visited the island last September and was a quite place, minus three days at week (I think, if I remember well) the cruises stop there bringing many people.

[MortenSI]

Amazing place @SilvyC , thank you very much for sharing with us!

It seems you found a little paradise here on this island and it really looks awesome. I love the fact that there are very few cars on the island and that everyone commutes by golf cart. That should be implemented in every city as a great way to fight pollution.

Are the taxis on the island also golf carts?

[Silvi]

Thanks @MortenSI the taxi are ordinary cars, but there are just a few.

[MortenSI]

Nonetheless I think renting golf carts is a great initiative. It would be such a shame to have a place like this overrun by cars.

In Copenhagen they recently started renting out electric scooters to commuters and everybody is using them. I guess that suits single travellers better rather than a family of four.

[Silvi]

Yeah is true @MortenSI some cities in my country are implement electric scooter too, but you’re right is better for single people. Is pretty important that people in vehicles be respectful of scooter, because the people riding this are even more vulnerable than those in a bike or motorcycle.

[MortenSI]

It’s good that we’re seeing these small changes around the world @SilvyC . They’re small steps but in the end I believe it will help make our earth a greener place.

You’re right, the drivers should be extra careful, and the people driving those scooters should remember to wear protective gear just like if they were riding a bike.

[AdamGT]

I also love Los Ángeles @SilvyC and my family live there. Thanks for your story and great photos from your trip to Catalina Island.

[Silvi]

Thanks @AdamGT I think LA is an amazing city with a lot of things to do. I don’t like when some people in social media call Los Angeles the worse place to go. Definitely they don’t know very well the city.

[Carmelina62]

Hello. Thank you very much for the post and congratulations for the photos very very nice. Have a nice day.

[PaulPavlinovich]

A friend of mine lives on Catalina @SilvyC during the week he stays in Pasadena so he’s close to work, but on the weekends he takes his boat out to the island.

Paul

[Silvi]

@PaulPavlinovich this place is great, a place without cars ( just a few) no pollution, clean, quite, one hour by ferry from LA coast and with that view! I’ve been in Pasadena for a day and I didn’t like it.

[PaulPavlinovich]

Pasadena is mostly a housing suburb of LA (once its own city) so there isn’t a whole lot to do there @SilvyC I know some people who live there and have visited them a couple of times.

Paul