Did you know there was an island open to visitors just an hour ferry ride outside of Los Angeles?
If you’ve ever been to L.A.’s beloved beaches, you might’ve already spotted it across the water. Santa Catalina Island is one of California’s Channel Islands, and the city of Avalon makes a beautiful day trip for anyone looking for a quick escape.
The quaint town has a population of just 3,200 but offers some amazing perks for visitors, including adorable hotels and eateries, the Descanso Beach club with imported sand for lounging, snorkeling and paddle boarding, and the Catalina Casino that’s actually a cultural center with a movie theater, museum, and ballroom.
But its most charming feature is its simplest. Visitors can rent golf carts to ride around the city.
Catalina Golf Cart Rentals and Island Rentals Inc. allow visitors to rent golf carts for one to two hours at a time. The laid-out route takes you up Catalina’s cliffs for some gobsmacking views of the city of Avalon, the ocean, and on a clear day, you can maybe even see Los Angeles.
Any regulations?
Only four to six drivers are allowed per cart, and there’s no alcohol (open or closed), smoking, underage driving, or reckless driving allowed. Carts can only be driven by the registered driver, who must be 25 years of age or older and have a driver’s license and their own auto insurance.
You can visit their websites to get specifics about prices, cash deposits, and reservations.
Where are the cars?
Visitors are actually not allowed to drive cars on the island, so the only mode of transportation is via golf carts or walking.
Avalon is actually the only city in California that regulates the number of vehicles allowed to drive on city streets. Only a few people are allowed to register a car, and there’s a 17-year wait list for residents to get one. No rental cars are allowed on the streets, and there’s no Uber or Lyft service. Many residents just own golf carts, and many homes have golf-cart-sized driveways.
📍Location: 125 Pebbly Beach Road, Avalon, CA 90704
📍Location: 625 Crescent Avenue, Avalon, CA 90704