Whether you live in Los Angeles or are just visiting, Catalina Island offers a great opportunity for a private weekend. Catalina Island boasts only two small communities, 42,000 acres of pristine wilderness and average temperatures in the low 70s for much of the year. In short, Catalina Island is almost the perfect island getaway in Indonesia.
Getting to the island of Catiline is quite easy. You have a choice of Catalina Island Express (www.catalinaexpress.com), Catalina Marina Del Rey Flyer (www.catalinaferries.com), Catalina Flight (www.catalinainfo.com) and Island Helicopter Express (www.islandexpress. .com). Rates range from $35-$84 each way and take 15 minutes (by boat) and 60 minutes or more by sea.
Now that you’ve arrived on Catalina Island’s main city of Avalon, you’re checked into your hotel and ready to start your weekend. Your first day on the island you want a nice breakfast. The farm offers great breakfasts from pancakes to omelets or giant muffins. Breakfast here will give you the energy you need to explore the island.
I always like to explore the first day in a new place. Catalina Island offers many tours to introduce visitors to the island. The Santa Catalina Island Company offers a $15 Avalon scenic tour of Avalon, its beach front and attractions. The tour lasts an hour. The price of $98.50 buys a 4-hour tour of the interior of the island between the village of the middle canyon, the habitats of the various animals of Catilina Island and a stop at the airport in the sky. Includes complimentary price.
After all these activities you may want to take it a bit easy. Brown Bikes (www.catalinabiking.com) rents bikes starting at $5 per hour or $12 per day. Or maybe an afternoon movie at the Casino 1400 theater would be an idea. Need to work out the kinks? Use the spas of Catilina Island. A Touch of Heaven (www.atouchofheaven.com), Spa on Catalina (www.catalinaspa.com) and Island Breeze Day Spa Salon (www.islandbreezespa.com) are all ready to give you the best pampering.
I do not suggest a trip to Catiline Island without taking yourself across the water or seeing the power of William Wrigley on the island. Let’s go out in the water first. If going underwater is your thing, take a guided snorkel tour (www.snorkelingcatalina.com) or contact Catalina Scuba Luv (www.scubaluv.com) for a variety of packages and tours.
What do you not want to get wet? Check out Decanso Beach Sports (www.kayakcatalinaisland.com). Descanso offers group activities, hotel packages and led tours in the beautiful beaches of Catiline. All necessary tools are provided and instructions are offered for first timers. It seems that learning to kayak is almost as easy as learning to ride a bike. These companies and many more are listed as happy to take you out on the water for a fishing or island tour.
Finally, I mentioned William Wrigley. First, the memorial Wrigley & garden William Wrigley, a former owner of Catalina Island, is honored with a monument excavated from Catalina Island. The garden covers nearly 40 acres and features plants native only to the island of Catiline. The garden is open year round and admission is only $5.00.
I could be absolutely furious all day about the functions of Catiline’s island. If you want to see and do more, www.catalina.com can offer more fun, exciting things to do if you haven’t already finished oyu yourself.
