GETTING AROUND CATALINA ISLAND

Getting around Catalina Island is relatively easy. The majority of visitors to the island stay in Avalon proper.  Getting around Avalon is easy as every sight and most hotels are easily available via foot. The other methods of transportation are taxi, bike and golf carts. Some of the island residents own cars, and they aren't too rare of a sight, but they are few and far in between. There is said to be a ten year wait list for those wishing to bring a car onto the island, and there is only one gas station that is around $5.00 a gallon.

 

WALKING

For those that are in decent shape, walking is the best method to get around Avalon. From the main boat terminal to Descanso Beach the walk is about 15 minutes or less. Once in the center of Avalon most of the restaurants, bars and shopping areas all cluster in one big clump along Crescent Ave and its cross streets of Claressa, Catalina and Sumner Avenues.  A walk from one side of Avalon to the other is less than ten minutes. As you progress north along Crescent Ave the streets that run off to the west tend to take steep climbs into the hills-these include Metropole Ave and Marilla Avenue. Visitors looking to venture into the interior and up to the Wrigley Botanical Garden or Herman Gulch Campground will find the climb to be of reasonable effort-those accustomed to walking will find it to be manageable.

 

Golf Carts

One of the more charming aspect of Avalon is the constant whizz of golf carts that cruise along the quaint streets, drives and lanes that criss cross Avalon and climb deep into the hills of the Catalina interior. Renting a golf cart is ideal for visitors looking to relax while they cruise from one sight to the next. They are also an excellent option for those who want to travel the lanes that extend into the mountains of the Catalina interior to such sights as the Zane Grey hotel, Wrigley Botanical Garden, various campgrounds, Catalina Country Club and the Catalina Island Golf Course. There are several golf cart rental facilities right where Pebble Beach Drive meets Crescent Ave. However the prices can be steep with average prices running $40-$60 an hour.

 

BIKES

Catalina Island with its quaint lanes, roads that stretch into the mountains of its interior and drives that hang on cliffs with clear blue waters of the Pacific below, opportunity for biking is abundant. Whether visitors are looking for a mode of transportation around Avalon that is relaxing and scenic or are looking for an intense work out and an intense ride up into the mountains there is a biking adventure for everyone. Bikes can be rented in Avalon at numerous vendors along Crescent Avenue. Bike rentals can be obtained by the hour or for the whole day. Use caution when renting bikes and riding around Avalon as the streets can be busy with golf cart traffic and pedestrians on foot.

 

Tour Trams/Buses

Although not exactly transportation from point A to point B on the island, Catalina offers a variety of fun tours that take place on a variety of transportation modules around the island. For those wanting to see Avalon but not walk it, there is a tram that departs the Tour Plaza center in the center of Avalon and takes visitors through the streets of Avalon as a guide on an intercom points out the various historical points of interest as well as sights and attractions. The tram ascends into the foothills of the Catalina Interior giving visitors spectacular views of Avalon and all of Catalina Island as well as the ocean beyond. The tour lasts close to an hour.

For those looking to explore the Catalina interior without hiking, outback bus and jeep tours depart from Tour Plaza as well and take visitors deep into the Catalina Interior where they can observe the amazing geology that comprises the island. In addition visitors on these tours are taken to the tops of the mountains within the interior giving them un obstructed views of the entire island and Pacific Ocean. This particular tour also gives those looking to observe Catalina Island wildlife the opportunity to observe herds of buffalo grazing or laying in the sun and possibly the chance to catch a glimpse at the red fox. For more information on these tours check out the Catalina Land Tours page.