Avalon, California

Perched on the southern tip of L.A. County in Southern California, Avalon is 22 miles southwest of Los Angeles and is the only incorporated city on Santa Catalina Island. About a mile wide and only reachable by ferry and small plane, it is an affluent, dreamy place with breathtaking views.

William Wrigley, Jr., the chewing gum tycoon and the town’s most successful developer, built the hard-to-miss art deco Catalina Casino, today the site of the Catalina Film Festival (Wrigley’s name is also on the city’s stunning botanical gardens).

Avalon’s charming downtown includes the Catalina Island Museum, the fun Crescent Avenue pedestrian mall, fish markets, and an eclectic assortment of restaurants.

The scenic waterfront and beach attract tourists from around the country. Pleasure Pier rents boats, tackle, and diving equipment. Avalon Bay, which is peppered with all kinds of pleasure watercraft, welcomes daily ferries from Long Beach and Newport Beach.

A majority of Catalina Island is protected by a conservancy, which permits hiking, biking, camping, and boating. Eco-tours are part of the conservancy’s educational outreach.

Avalon neighborhoods are hilly and compact with a mix of colorful bungalows and white-washed Mediterranean-style condos. Most transportation around town is via foot or golf cart. The Airport in the Sky serves small planes and the Catalina Aero Club.