In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Avalon
Give Avalon one night if you want the Casino and a cove; two nights if you also want the interior or Two Harbors. Day-trippers get about 5 usable hours.
Avalon is the only real town on Santa Catalina Island, 22 miles off the Southern California coast, and almost everyone arrives by fast ferry from Long Beach, San Pedro or Dana Point. It is small, walkable and car-light: golf carts and bicycles do the work, and the water — not the streets — is the reason to come. One night covers the Casino, the museum and a cove; two nights let you add the Wrigley Memorial or a run to Two Harbors.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds, ferry sell-outs), Dec–Feb (some businesses close midweek)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–140 excl. bed · Mid $150–250 excl. bed · High $300+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or pastry | $5–9 |
| Fish and chips or a burger on the pier | $16–26 |
| Draft beer or a cocktail | $8–16 |
| Golf cart rental, per hour | $50–70 (check) |
| Bicycle rental, per day | $12–40 |
| Casino tour, adult | $14.50 (check) |
| Catalina Island Museum, adult | $17 |
| Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden, adult | $12 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AVX · Catalina Airport (Airport in the Sky)
- Private and charter aircraft only; no scheduled airline service. On the island's ridge, about 30 min by road from Avalon.
- LGB · Long Beach Airport
- Closest mainland gateway to the Catalina Express terminal in downtown Long Beach.
- LAX · Los Angeles International
- Main international gateway; allow 45–90 min by road to the San Pedro or Long Beach ferry terminals, more in traffic.
Typical fares
- Catalina Express, Long Beach or San Pedro → Avalon
- about 1 h; round trip roughly $90 (check)
- Catalina Flyer, Newport Beach → Avalon
- about 1 h 15 min (check)
- Island Express helicopter, San Pedro or Long Beach → Avalon
- about 15 min; premium fare (check)
Get around
Walk the flat core: the pier, Crescent Avenue, the Casino and the museum are all within 15 minutes on foot. Golf carts are the local standard for the hills and Hamilton Cove, bicycles cover more ground, and a seasonal shuttle and taxi vans fill the gaps. Golf carts are not allowed on roads leaving Avalon, so the interior needs a bike, a tour or a boat.
See and do
Known for
- Catalina Casino and its 1929 ballroom
- Casino Point kelp-forest diving
- Golf-cart streets and Crescent Avenue
- Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Two Harbors | Seasonal ferry from Avalon, or the Cyclone powerboat; some visitors hike or bike the 20-mile Trans-Catalina route | 1–1.5 h by boat |
| Airport in the Sky (AVX) | Conservancy shuttle or a guided interior tour; no public road access by golf cart | About 40 min |
| Interior trails and the island's far side | Bike or hike with a same-day Conservancy permit | Varies |
Sleep
- Crescent Avenue and the waterfront
- Steps from the ferry pier, restaurants and the beach; noisiest and priciest, and the easiest base for one night.
- Avalon Canyon Road and the country club
- Inland, quieter, 15–25 min walk uphill from the pier; better for golf, the Wrigley Memorial and longer stays.
- Hamilton Cove
- Condominium complex about 2 miles north of town; needs a golf cart or shuttle, good for groups and longer rentals.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Where is the ferry pier? | Where is the ferry pier? |
| Do you take cards? | Do you take cards? |
| Is the trail open today? | Is the trail open today? |
| One ticket, please | One ticket, please |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Ferries sell out on summer weekends and holidays: book the crossing before you book the room.
- Golf carts are banned on roads outside Avalon; do not plan to drive one to the interior.
- Hiking the interior needs a free permit from the Conservancy, picked up the same day.
- Many restaurants and shops close early or midweek in winter; check before a winter trip.
- Cell service is patchy on the interior trails and around the island's far side.
Avalon is a low-crime resort town and the main risks are practical: sun and dehydration on the trails, steep stairs and hills, and the ferry's last departure. Keep to marked paths, carry water, and treat the ocean with respect — the channel is cold and the currents are real.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Avalon yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Catalina Casino and its 1929 ballroom
- Casino Point kelp-forest diving
- Golf-cart streets and Crescent Avenue
- Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Avalon: www.cityofavalon.com
- Catalina Express: www.catalinaexpress.com/
- Catalina Island Conservancy: catalinaconservancy.org/recreation/wrigley-memorial-and-botanic-garden/
- Catalina Island Museum: www.catalinamuseum.org/
- Wikivoyage: Avalon, revision 5240449 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5240449
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Avalon
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies on Catalina; the nearest consulates-general are in Los Angeles. US visitors: this is a domestic trip, no passport needed.
English is the only language you need; cash is useful for small pier vendors and the golf-cart stands.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/avalon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.