Visit The Best Beaches on Catalina Island

Santa Catalina Island is unique in many ways, but especially when it comes to land ownership. Most of the island is owned by the Catalina Island Conservancy, a non-profit that was created to protect the land and make it available for public use. Some of the land (including several beaches) has been handed over to private organizations for education, research, and youth camps. A number of the coves on the island are even leased by yacht clubs from the California mainland. Other beaches are open to the public, but have no roads or trails leading to them so they are only accessible with a boat or sea kayak (learn about the Catalina boat-in beaches). For these reasons, we have created a map of the best Catalina beaches that the general public can visit legally.

This list below includes a few beaches that are still off-the-beaten-path. Getting to them may require a shuttle by the Wildlands Express, or other means such as renting mountain bikes or hiking from either Avalon or Two Harbors.

If you plan to hike or backpack around the island get a Catalina Island topo map and know the island’s rules and regulations. The Trans-Catalina Trail is popular with backpackers and it goes to remote beaches that most people never see. No matter how you get to these Catalina beaches it will be worth the effort.

Traveling to the island itself is simple as hopping on a ferry from Los Angeles, Long Beach or Dana Point with the Catalina Express.

While on Catalina, you will most likely stay in the town of Avalon, which has numerous lodging options. But if you are looking for a more unique experience, consider staying at the historic Banning House, a hilltop B&B located in the very small town of Two Harbors.