Santa Catalina Island Things to Do

This is a scenic drive of the island. The driver is very light hearted and tells a lot of corny jokes which did make it more interesting.

It lasted a little longer than 2 hours. They changed the time of when the tour started as well so make sure you call to confirm.

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I really enjoyed this trip. It was so beautiful down there. The tour seemed to be more like an hour rather than 45 min. which was great for me.

There was another tour company doing the same thing as well which is much closer to where the catalina express landed. They allow you to feed the fish and of course are more expensive.
http://www.catalinadomain.com/nautilus_catalina_island.htm

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Once we got to Catalina, we were on the lookout for what we can do. There are several booths offering day activities. We approached one which read that it offered a “Glass-Bottom Boat Ride” where you can view the varied underwater marine life without getting wet. Sounded good too us because we had our twins with us who just turned TWO.

These boat rides bring you to fish-dense plots around the island for just under US$20, so that you can see the fish through the transparent glass floors (like snorkelling but without getting wet!). The waters are clear and the kids loved looking at the aquarium-like scenery.

The boat might bring you the Lover’s Cove Marine Preserve, where colorful fish swim among the kelp forests.

The boats can also be chartered to leave at night - and this is the time to see nocturnal creatures such as spiny lobsters, moray eels and horn sharks.

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We didn't go horseback riding. My boyfriend wasn't keen on doing this. But I mention it because you can go horseback riding. Most of Catalina is uninhabited and it's probably a wonderful place to go horseback riding at. Riders must be at least eight years of age.

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Renting a golf cart is probably one of the biggest activities there is on the island. For $40 an hour, you can cruise around wherever your golf cart can take you. Regular automobiles are limited on the island and most visitors and locals drive around on golf carts.

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Oh my gosh! Water termperature in May was about 65 degrees. My very first time at snorkeling! My boyfriend has snorkeled many times before but said the water was cold for him. I freaked out at first. The concept of breathing in and out of a tube in my mouth and not being able to breathe through my nose was uncomfortable. After a few minutes, I was calm and concentrated on my breathing and was then able to enjoy it. We rented all the snorkeling gear, flippers and wet suits for about $50-$55 per person including the boat ride to the cove we snorkeled at. Sorry, I don't have photos but it was well worth it! We saw several kinds of fish, a lobster, an octopus in a secluded cove with giant growth of seaweed. The water is clear (unlike LA beaches) and not too rough.

You can also just jump into the water with your scuba or snorkel gear over by the Casino. We saw several people doing this. Not sure if the sea life is prevalent over by that area.

So many more things to do in Catalina. We didn't do these things but you have many opportunities to experience so much more. Kayak rentals, boat rentals, sunbathing (there is a public beach (quite small and it gets packed!), hiking and more....

Going into town, there are quite a few stores. Mostly, gift stores and clothing stores. I'm not big on shopping (spending money) and there wasn't anything that really stood out that I would have to say you should see. Browsing is fun!