Crescent Beach on Catalina Island

Crescent Beach is the main beach in the town of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island. It is next to Green Pleasure Pier, a picturesque wooden pier in the protected boat harbor of Avalon Bay. This beach is a great place for sunbathing or playing in the water but it’s packed in the summer months.

Crescent Beach is made up of three small beaches. These beaches, South Beach (south of the pier), Middle Beach (north of the pier), and Step Beach (farther north), are all on the calm waters of the Avalon waterfront. South and Middle Beaches have reliable sand, but might be all wet at high tide. Step Beach is a rocky shoreline that is wet most of the time. Each of these beaches has a sand-covered terrace behind it with tall palm trees and places to sit and enjoy the view.

In the summer months theses beaches will be quite busy, and the waterfront restaurants and shops will be too. Lifeguards are on hand during in the summer, but be sure to check water quality reports for Avalon Bay before diving into the water

Nearby there are rental companies where you can rent boats, kayaks, paddleboards, pedal boats, and snorkeling gear. Lovers Cove is nearby for better snorkeling.

Avalon is a delightful place to visit and if you have time to stay for a while, the rest of the island is worth exploring too. There are countless hotels in Avalon and with so much to see and do, it is worth staying there for several days (or a week!). Hermit Gulch Campground is 1.5 miles from town if you are into “roughing it.” Hiking trails venture into the mountains from there. The island’s friendly 9-hole par 32 golf course is just up the canyon behind Avalon and they rent clubs.

It’s easy to plan a trip to Catalina Island. The Catalina Express passenger ferry leaves Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Dana Point daily for Avalon.

Address

513 Crescent Ave
Avalon, CA 90704

Phone

877-778-8322

Other Names

Avalon Bay Beach, South Beach, Middle Beach, Step Beach

Owner

City Beach

Pet Details

No dogs allowed at the beach

Fees

Free access to the beach

Activities

Sunbathing, Swimming, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Fishing, Kayaking, Boating, Hiking, Biking, Golfing, Stand-Up Paddleboarding

Amenities

Fishing Pier, Restaurants, Shops, Lodging, Golf Course, Boat Mooring

Links

Water Quality
Water Temps
Tide Chart
Avalon Web Cam