With room for hundreds of yachts, Avalon Harbor on Catalina Island is one of Southern California’s most popular boating destinations. Protected moorings, crystal clear waters and the many charms of Avalon attract boaters from San Diego to Santa Barbara. They arrive onboard sportsfishers and sailboats, megayachts and cabin cruisers, dinghies and motoryachts. Like the rest of Avalon, the harbor is busiest in the summer, on holiday weekends and whenever the weather shows signs of providing an uneventful crossing. Year round, beneath the surface, sea lions frolic, bat rays cruise the bottom and several species of fish forage for food.
Avalon Harbor is also home to several businesses. Visitors can rent paddleboats, paddleboards, kayaks and motorboats, allowing an array of options for exploring the harbor and nearby Catalina Island coastline. Parasailing boats, glass bottom boats and tour boats set out from Avalon Harbor, as do charter fishing boats, cruise ship tenders and cross-channel Catalina ferry boats. Swimmers in search of fun and exercise plunge into the sea from South Beach, Middle Beach and Step Beach.
Visitors can also experience Avalon Harbor from the shore. From the Cabrillo Mole to the Casino Building is about a mile and is a perfect stroll any time of day or night – one of our favorite times is sunrise, when the rising sun bathes Avalon Harbor in a soft pink glow.