- Catalina Island is a tender port 22 miles off Los Angeles, commonly featured on Mexican Riviera and California coastal cruises with 7–9 hours in port.
- Top activities include snorkeling the kelp forests at Casino Point Marine Park, renting a golf cart to explore car-free Avalon, and touring the iconic 1929 Art Deco Casino building.
- Golf cart rentals ($40–$70/hour) are the primary way to get around since private cars are largely banned, and outdoor options like zip line eco tours and interior hikes are also available.
- The water is cooler than Caribbean ports but visibility is excellent, making Casino Point one of the best shore-accessible snorkel sites on the US West Coast.
What to Do in Catalina Island on a Cruise Day
Catalina Island sits just 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles, yet the short crossing feels like a passage to another world. Avalon is a car free island town of crystal clear water, bright hillside houses, and one of the best snorkel spots anywhere on the US West Coast. A cruise day here trades the pace of the mainland for golf carts, kelp forests, and Art Deco charm, and knowing how to spend your hours is what makes it memorable.
Here is the quick answer for a great day on Catalina. Snorkel at Casino Point Marine Park in the morning, rent a golf cart to explore Avalon, and tour the iconic Casino building, which has never held a single game of chance. If you want the outdoors, a zip line eco tour or a short interior hike delivers. Catalina is a common stop on Mexican Riviera and California coastal sailings out of the Los Angeles World Cruise Center in San Pedro, often paired with Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, so plan the run together. You can book activities on our shore excursions page.
Catalina Island at a Glance
Santa Catalina Island lies 22 miles off the coast of Southern California, and the crossing might as well be a doorway to somewhere else entirely. Avalon, the island's only real town, is a Mediterranean flavored resort village built around a crescent bay, known for its colorful buildings, the iconic Art Deco Casino, which has never been a gambling hall, and the near total absence of private cars. Golf carts do the work that cars do everywhere else. The pace is completely different from the mainland, and that contrast is exactly the appeal.
Most cruise ships visiting Catalina anchor offshore and tender passengers to the Avalon pier, since the island has no facility for large ships to dock directly. It is a short tender ride and the process is generally smooth. Catalina turns up regularly on repositioning cruises, California coastal itineraries, and Mexican Riviera voyages.
- Arrival: Tender from anchorage to the Avalon pier
- Currency: US Dollar (domestic)
- Best for: Snorkeling, glass bottom boat, the Casino building, golf cart rental, hiking, Two Harbors
- Typical time in port: 7 to 9 hours
- Transport: Golf carts, walking, and local taxis, with no private cars
Top Things to Do in Catalina Island on a Cruise Day
1. Snorkeling at Casino Point Marine Park
Casino Point Marine Park, next to the Avalon Casino at the north end of the bay, is one of the best shore accessible snorkel sites on the US West Coast. The marine park takes in kelp forests, rocky reef, artificial reef structures, and a remarkable range of Pacific marine life, including the garibaldi, the bright orange California state marine fish, along with sheephead, calico bass, leopard sharks, bat rays, and the occasional giant sea bass. The park is free to enter, and equipment rentals are available at several dive shops in Avalon. Visibility is usually excellent. This is one of the genuinely outstanding snorkel experiences at any US domestic cruise port, though the water runs far cooler than warm Caribbean sites like Roatan.
2. Rent a Golf Cart and Explore Avalon
Golf carts are the defining way to get around Avalon, where a strict limit on private vehicles leaves the carts to fill the role cars play everywhere else. Renting one for a few hours lets you explore the hillside residential streets above town, with views over the bay and the offshore kelp beds, drive up to the Airport in the Sky overlook, and cover far more ground than you could on foot. Rates typically run $40 to $70 per hour for a cart that holds 4 to 6 people. It is a fun and distinctly Catalina experience.
3. The Avalon Casino and Ballroom
The Catalina Casino is the island's most recognizable landmark, a circular Art Deco building completed in 1929 that dominates the north end of Avalon bay. It has never housed gambling, since casino is the Italian word for gathering place. Inside you will find the largest circular ballroom in the world, with a capacity of 3,000, a fully restored movie theater that still screens films, and the Catalina Island Museum, with exhibits on the island's history, the Indigenous Gabrielino Tongva heritage, and the Wrigley family who developed much of modern Catalina. Tours run regularly and are well worth the time for anyone who loves architecture.
4. Glass Bottom Boat Tour
Catalina's glass bottom boat tours have been running since the 1890s, making them one of the longest running tourist attractions in California. Modern semi submersible boats carry passengers over the kelp beds and rocky reefs, where the visibility and marine life make the underwater view genuinely impressive without getting wet. It is a great option for anyone who does not snorkel or who simply wants a different perspective on the same underwater world. Tours run 45 to 60 minutes and depart from the Avalon Green Pier throughout the day.
5. Zip Line Eco Tour
Catalina's interior is mostly undeveloped wilderness, with 88% of the island preserved by the Catalina Island Conservancy. A zip line eco tour sends you through the island's chaparral and coastal sage scrub with views over both coastlines. The tour includes several lines, an aerial tram section, and a naturalist guide who covers the island's ecology. It is a good pick for families or anyone wanting something more active than the beach and town.
6. Hiking the Interior
Catalina's interior trails are managed by the Catalina Island Conservancy. The Trans Catalina Trail runs the full 38 mile length of the island, but shorter sections are easy to reach for day hiking from Avalon. The Hermit Gulch Trail climbs from town into the hills and reaches a viewpoint over Avalon Bay in about an hour. Wildlife in the interior includes the Catalina Island fox, found nowhere else on earth, the island night lizard, and bald eagles, successfully reintroduced after DDT was eradicated in the mid 20th century. You can learn more about the island's ecology and trail access through the Catalina Island Conservancy.
7. Two Harbors
Two Harbors is Catalina's second settlement, on the island's western end, a tiny and very quiet outpost reachable by ferry from Avalon in about 75 minutes or by the island's Safari Bus in roughly an hour. It has a completely different character from Avalon, essentially a handful of buildings around a pair of natural harbors used by sailboats and kayakers. It suits anyone who wants to escape even the gentle bustle of Avalon. It is only practical on a long port day, so factor in the round trip transport time carefully.
Getting Around Catalina Island
Avalon is highly walkable, with the entire bay area, Casino Point, the pier, and the downtown shops all reachable on foot from the tender landing. Golf cart rentals extend your range into the hillside areas, and the Catalina Island Conservancy runs a Safari Bus into the interior for hikers. No private cars operate in Avalon, which is part of the charm and a big reason the town feels so quiet and unhurried. For more on the island beyond the port, the official Visit Catalina Island site is a useful resource.
Tips for Your Catalina Island Port Day
- Get an early tender, since Catalina tender queues build quickly on multi ship days, and being ashore by 9am gives you the best morning snorkel conditions and a quieter Casino Point.
- Casino Point snorkeling is best in the morning, when water clarity is usually better before afternoon boat traffic.
- Golf cart rentals book up fast on busy port days, so reserve in advance online or head straight to a rental company on arrival.
- The Casino tours are worthwhile even if architecture is not your thing, since the story of how Catalina was developed is genuinely interesting.
- Bring or rent a wetsuit if you are snorkeling, because Pacific water temperatures off Catalina are cooler than Caribbean sites, typically 65 to 72°F.
- Watch your all aboard time carefully, since tender queues at the end of the day can be slow on peak visits, and it helps to know what happens if you miss your cruise ship at a tender port.
Plan the Rest of Your West Coast Itinerary
Catalina usually sails alongside Mexican Riviera and California coastal stops, so these guides pair naturally with it:
- Los Angeles World Cruise Center (San Pedro) guide
- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico cruise port guide
- Ensenada, Mexico cruise port guide
- Mazatlan, Mexico cruise port guide
- Browse West Coast shore excursions
Catalina Island: Frequently Asked Questions for Cruise Passengers
Does Catalina Island have a cruise ship pier?
No. Catalina Island has no pier able to accommodate large cruise ships, so all cruise passengers tender ashore from the ship's anchorage in Avalon Bay. The tender ride is short, about 10 minutes, and the process is generally smooth, though lines can build on days with multiple ships in the anchorage. For questions about tender ports and timing, our cruise FAQ is a helpful starting point.
Are there cars on Catalina Island?
Catalina has an extremely strict limit on private vehicles, and residents must be on a waiting list of many years to own a car on the island, so private cars are essentially absent from the streets. Golf carts, bicycles, and walking are the main modes of transport in Avalon. This is one of the defining characteristics of the Catalina experience and a big part of its appeal.
Is the Catalina Island Casino a real casino?
No. Gambling has never taken place in the Avalon Casino. The word casino comes from the Italian for gathering place or social club. The building, completed in 1929, was designed as an entertainment venue with a ballroom and theater. It is still in active use as a ballroom, movie theater, and museum, and it is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in California.
How cold is the water for snorkeling at Catalina?
Water temperatures at Casino Point Marine Park typically range from about 65 to 72°F, or 18 to 22°C, depending on the season, which is significantly cooler than Caribbean snorkel sites. A full wetsuit makes the experience much more comfortable and allows longer time in the water. Wetsuits are available to rent from dive shops in Avalon near the marine park. Without one, 30 to 40 minutes is about the limit for most swimmers before the cold becomes uncomfortable.
