Love Catalina Island Facts and Bios

Santa Catalina Island, widely known as Catalina, is a welcoming island getaway just off the coast of southern California. With warm weather throughout the year, scenic views, outdoor recreation, and charming towns, the island offers an appealing escape for families, adventurous couples, and solo travelers looking for time away from mainland routines.

Total Area

Catalina measures 22 miles long and covers approximately 47,884 acres (76-square miles). At its broadest point, Long Point, the island is 8 miles wide; at its narrowest point, Two Harbors or the Isthmus, it is 1/2 mile wide. Its coastline extends 54 miles.

Location

Catalina is the southernmost island of California's Channel Islands, positioned 22 miles from the southern California coast.

Accessibility

Travelers can get to Catalina by boat in about one hour. Two passenger ferry operators, Catalina Express and Catalina Flyer, run scheduled trips to the island. Catalina Express offers daily year-round service to Avalon and Two Harbors from four mainland ports: Long Beach, San Pedro, Dana Point and Newport Beach. Catalina Flyer provides seasonal boat service to Avalon from Newport Beach.

Guests may also reach the island by helicopter or plane in about 15 minutes from the southern California coast. Maverick Helicopters provides helicopter service from heliports in Long Beach and San Pedro. Helicopter charter service is also available from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, and Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. Helicopters arrive at the Pebbly Beach heliport in Avalon. Private pilots may use Catalina Island Airport in the Sky, the island’s only airport.

After arrival, Avalon and the unincorporated village of Two Harbors are easy to explore on foot. Ride-sharing services are not offered on the island, but Avalon provides taxi service, COAST on demand public transit operated by Ride Circuit, and transportation for visitors needing special assistance.

Catalina Towns

Catalina has two communities: Avalon, the incorporated city on the east end, and Two Harbors, the unincorporated town on the west end. Two Harbors, popular with boaters, campers, and outdoor adventurers, is 40 minutes by boat or two hours by bus from Avalon. Beyond these communities, the island includes protected wilderness managed by the Catalina Island Conservancy.

Population

4,096 (based on 2010 Census data)

Climate

Catalina has a mild subtropical climate. In winter, the average high temperature is 63 degrees Fahrenheit, while the average low temperature is 50 degrees. In summer, the average high temperature is around 72 degrees and the average low temperature is 65 degrees. The island’s distinctive weather pattern frequently keeps coastal fog away, giving Catalina an average of 267 days of sunshine each year.

Dining and Shopping

Catalina offers 30 different restaurants and bars, ranging from locally caught seafood on waterfront patios to relaxed beachside meals, with options for many tastes and budgets. Visitors can try the well-known bison burgers or the island’s signature Buffalo Milk cocktail, made with bananas, crème de cacao, vodka and Kahlúa liqueur. In recognition of the bison brought to Catalina nearly a century ago, the island features both a food trail and a beverage trail.

In Avalon, shoppers can wander palm-lined streets and browse more than 25 distinctive shops with local artisan jewelry, apparel, artwork, and sweets. Most boutiques and shops are found on or near Crescent Avenue, which locals call Front Street.

Accommodations

Catalina offers a wide range of places to stay, including Spanish Colonial Revival-style hotels, historic bungalows, luxury suites, and neighborhood inns. Options include:

• 24 hotels and resorts
• 1 Bed & Breakfast Inn
• 5 vacation rental companies

The island also includes five different campgrounds and seventeen boat-in-only campsites at nine locations between Avalon, Two Harbors and Parson’s Landing.

Outdoor Activities

Catalina provides land- and sea-based activities for visitors of many ages. Popular options include:

• Biking
• Diving
• Fishing
• Golf
• Hiking
• Kayaking and paddle boarding
• Parasailing
• SCUBA diving
• Snorkeling
• Wildlife viewing
• Zip Lining

Historical Overview

Catalina’s history reaches back 8,000 years ago, when the island’s first Native American residents arrived. Important dates and highlights include:

• When Europeans first made contact in 1542, the Native Americans living on Santa Catalina Island are believed to have called the island Pimu.
• In 1846, Catalina Island became a Mexican land grant awarded to Thomas Robbins. Robbins started a small ranch on the Island, then sold it in 1850 to Jose Maria Covarrubias, two years after California joined the United States through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
• By 1864, James Lick, who was once considered the wealthiest man in California, owned all of Catalina Island. In 1891, Lick sold the island to the sons of Phineas Banning. The Banning brothers formed the Santa Catalina Island Company in 1894 and began transforming the island into a resort destination by building hotels, attractions, and roads through the rugged interior.
• The Banning brothers added hunting lodges, including Banning House Lodge, and operated stagecoach tours around Catalina. They opened access to Avalon beach areas such as Lovers Cove, Descanso Beach, and Sugarloaf Point, which later became the location of Catalina Casino. In 1909, they constructed the Pleasure Pier, still standing in Avalon Bay today. A 1915 fire destroyed half of Avalon’s buildings. The brothers tried to recover their investment by building Hotel St. Catherine in Descanso Canyon to bring in new visitors, but they ultimately sold the island in 1919.
• In 1919, William Wrigley Jr. of Wrigley chewing gum fame purchased nearly all shares of the Santa Catalina Island Company from the Banning brothers. After gaining control, he invested millions into his vision for an island destination that would welcome the public and develop Avalon as a resort community. Wrigley Jr. brought the Chicago Cubs baseball team, which he owned, to Catalina for spring training from 1921-1951, except for several years during WWII.
• In the 1970’s, Phillip K. Wrigley deeded 88% of the island to the Catalina Island Conservancy so it would remain undeveloped and wild.
• During early Hollywood, the island was used as a filming location for many movies. One film made in the 1920s brought 14 bison to Catalina, and the animals stayed after production ended. Today, a herd of about 150 bison lives in the island’s interior.
• Historic landmarks can be found across Avalon and Two Harbors, including the iconic Catalina Casino building. The casino was designed not for gambling, but as a gathering and entertainment venue, hosting many Big Bands during the 1930s and 1940s.

The Catalina Island Conservancy

Founded in 1972, the Catalina Island Conservancy is a non-profit land trust that manages and protects 88 percent of the island as a preserve. That land includes more than 62 miles of unspoiled beaches and secluded coves—the longest publicly accessible stretch of undeveloped coastline in southern California. The Conservancy is a leader in programs that protect and restore endangered species and threatened habitats. Its educational outreach includes two nature centers, the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden, and guided experiences through Catalina’s rugged interior. Access to the island’s interior is limited to permitted vehicles, bikers, hikers and authorized tour operators.

Executive Team Bios

Jim Luttjohann, President and Chief Executive Officer

Jim Luttjohann serves as President and CEO of Love Catalina Island, the official tourism authority for Catalina Island. Appointed to the position in 2014, Luttjohann has led the nonprofit’s work to grow tourism and help support the local economy. As an advocate for local businesses, he collaborates with government agencies to represent community interests.

Before joining Love Catalina Island, Luttjohann was Executive Director of the Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau/Santa Fe Community Convention Center from 2012 to 2014. In that role, he managed Destination Marketing, Convention Center, Arts Commission, Film Office and the City's Occupancy Tax Advisory Board. From 2004 to 2012, he served as Executive Director of the Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau, where he led a comprehensive re-branding and expanded operations by developing two new Visitors Centers and a Film Office.

With more than 20 years experience in the travel and hospitality industry, Luttjohann has held board roles with the Rotary Club of Avalon, Western Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus, Tourism Association of New Mexico and New Mexico State Tourism's Region Five, CalTravel, Friends of the Olivas Adobe, Ventura County Lodging Alliance (T-BID), California's Central Coast Tourism Council and the Ventura Chamber of Commerce. Luttjohann holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Psychology from Pepperdine University.

Cathy Miller, Vice President of Marketing and Sales

Cathy Miller is Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Love Catalina Island and oversees the organization’s marketing efforts and programs. During her four years with the organization, Miller has led work designed to attract visitors to Catalina Island, including strategic marketing and communications planning, consumer research studies, and consumer-facing campaigns.

Before her position with Love Catalina Island, Miller served as Vice President of Marketing for Park City Chamber of Commerce/Convention & Visitors Bureau. Across her 23-year tenure there, she developed and executed annual marketing plans and played an important role in creating the marketing campaign for the 2002 Winter Olympics hosted in Park City.

Miller is an experienced grant writer who helped secure millions of dollars in grants for the Chamber. She also worked with partners including Utah Office of Tourism, Summit County Restaurant Tax Committee, Salt Lake City Department of Airports and Ski Utah to build destination awareness. Miller holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Northern Arizona University.