Avalon, CA

• Population: 3,800
• Elevation: Sea level
• Town motto: Island Valley
• Access: Take the hour-long Catalina Express ferry service from downtown Long Beach

Catalina Island’s population center, the city of Avalon, has its own sense of style: confused. This offshore destination for cruisers and fishermen has a reputation for romance, a nearby herd of bison, streets lined with golf carts, and an undeveloped shoreline within sight of Southern California’s biggest city. Separated by 21 miles of open ocean, this island escape is an easy day trip from Los Angeles or San Diego, and just minutes from the green pier that anchors the town, an array of adventure activities awaits landlubbers and water babies alike.

1. Cool down: Big Olaf’s
Let the wafting smell of waffle cones draw you in, and decide which of Big Olaf’s 23 ice cream flavors you’d like to savor while sitting on a beachside bench.

2. Kayak: Long’s Point
Leave early for the four-mile paddle to Long’s Point, the farthest west that most kayak rental companies will allow you to go. Pull up to the sandy beach at White’s Landing or stop for a crystal-clear swim in Button Shell Cove, just east of the point.

3. Snorkel: Lover’s Cove
Spot California’s state marine fish—the bright orange Garibaldi—in this protected cove that’s walking distance from downtown. Leave your gear at home and take advantage of the snorkel outfitters lining the road.

4. Ride: Airport in the Sky
Check your breaks before setting out on the 10-mile, 1,600-foot climb from Avalon to the Airport in the Sky. The payoff is a buffalo burger at the tiny adobe airport and a once-in-a-lifetime switchbacking descent back to town.

5. Hike: Trans-Catalina Trail
While the entire 37.2-mile trail is a many-day adventure, you can conquer the first five miles in under six hours. Loop uphill from Pebbly Beach to East Mountain and drop back to town near the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens. You’ll catch a glimpse of the island’s isolated back side.