Santa Catalina Island Travel Forum

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to stay on catalina island? Also, what kinds of things are there to do there?

Check out this website: http://www.catalina.com/main.html.

You'll find there packages that combine ferry rides, hotel, and tours. Hotels in Avalon are usually within walking distance to the beaches so you can do lots of beach stuff.

Thanks. I had checked out that website in the past but I would love suggestions. Where did you stay? Did you like it? What was your favorite restaurant? Which tours have you been on? I'd love to hear your personal experience. Thanks!

I just took a day trip to Catalina Island. I didn't stay in a hotel. I can't remember the name of the restaurants we tried. Both were by the sea. One specializes in seafoods. The other was more of a pub. Both were near the plaza. Sorry if I can't be more helpful.

I tried three tours--Avalon Scenic Tour, Skyline Tour, and the Casino Tour. The Avalon Scenic takes you around the city and shows you the more interesting parts with annotation. There's a vantage point where you have a nice view of the bay.

The Skyline Tour takes you inside the island. You'll have a nice tour of the countryside again with descriptions by the driver/tour guide. The vehicle is articulated because of the hairpin turns. You'll see the flora and the fauna (particularly the buffaloes). The tour ends at the Airport-in-the-Sky which has a nice exhibit on the island's history.

The Casino Tour takes you inside that white building which so stands out in the bay. You'll learn of the building's very interesting features. It's also a movie theatre but they only show movies there at night. The style is Art Deco so it's like stepping back in time of the big bands. BTW, the top floor is a huge ball room.

We also rented a golf cart for an hour. This is a nice way to tour the island by yourself.

Regards.

Wow - you did a lot in one day! I like the idea of getting a golf cart! But I also want to take at least one tour. I was there once for the Jazz Festival but we pretty much stayed in the Casino all day. So this time I really want to see the sights! Thanks so much for all the info.

The Glenmore Hotel is the Worst Hotel on the island
http://www.members.aol.com/theglenmorehotel
1- 800-4-CATALINA

The rent for a golf cart is around $50 per hour. I forgot the exact amount but it's not cheap. They'll give you a map which is very helpful because some areas are off-limits while some streets are one-way. If the golf cart you get shows some problems, return it immediately.

We had the misfortune of getting a sputtering golf cart which stopped while we were climbing uphill. Because of gravity, it started to move backwards. Fortunately, the brake worked. My uncle thought that we're going over the cliff!

Re the tours, you may want to check out any of the tours involving the sea. I think there's a tour where you ride a semi-submersible where you are eye-to-eye with the fishes. Descanso Beach is within walking distance in case you want to swim, etc. I didn't do anything involving water so I didn't experience these two items myself. You might find the information useful, however.

My one regret about visiting the island was that I had no time to explore The Wrigley Memorial & Botanical Gardens. Next time, perhaps.

If you stay overnight, the price range is vast. Less expensive is still expensive. I have stayed in all price ranges in Catalina and found that the ones near the town's beach are actually not that expensive. Have stayed at Villa Portofino on Cresent, main ocean street for $100 per night. Also on Metropole St. is the Casa Mariquita and at the top of the street at Beacon is the classy Hotel St. Lauren. Neat pink ,newer, victorian hotel, with great views of the harbor, but pricey. The last one I will mention, is Hotel Metropole, at the main corner of town. Across the street from the electric golf carts, great at $30 per hour, CASH, no credit cards, but fun to cart around the small town and up into the hills, but not outside of town, you can see a lot for the hour. Go to website:www.catalinacam.net/jview102.html....to see the livecam views from Hotel Metropole. Also see my pages on Catalina for a view. Trip wise, after the glass bottomboat ride, the interior Island tour with a stop at a horse ranch, the airport, and maybe even see the famous Catalina Buffalo, is a full 4 hours of views of the Island. Have fun.

Thanks for all the info. Very little was available on the dates that we are going so we ended up deciding to stay in La Jolla and just doing a day trip.

I'd like to do the 4 hour inland tour and the glass bottom boat tour as well. And I'd love to take the golf carts out! Sounds like if we leave early enough in the morning, we'll be able to do it all. I'm guessing that we should book everything soon.

Thanks again for the info!
Karen

We'll probably do the 4 hour tour, a boat tour and rent a golf cart. We want to check out The Inn at Mount Ada. It was named after Wrigley's wife. It looks absolutely amazing! I truly wish we could afford to stay there but sadly it's just not in the cards for this trip. Maybe after I win the lottery. :)

Thanks again for all the info!

For a few suggestions on Catalina check out my VT page.
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/69457/b875a/
I have a very cheap yet acceptable hotel listed in the hotel tips.
The golf carts are about $30 an hour if I remember correctly.
Good luck and I know you'll have a fantastic time.
elissa