With New Travel Guide, L.A. Times Invites Readers to Rediscover Catalina Island

Ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, the Los Angeles Times debuted a travel guide focused on what is new on Catalina Island. The guide features 21 best things to do while visiting the popular Southern California getaway.

“Catalina, like most other travel destinations, was completely shut down by the pandemic,” said Assistant Travel Editor Anne Harnagel. During that period, many of the destination’s restaurants, hotels and other tourist spots went through major upgrades. As a result, “The whole island has a fresh, welcoming look and feel now, and we thought that was worth telling readers about,” she said.

Sponsored by FP Movement, the guide covers a variety of new things to do and see, including: Six of Avalon’s restaurants now offer “toes-in-the-sand dining overlooking the harbor,” according to Harnagel; the famed Hotel Atwater has undergone a complete overhaul; the Trans-Catalina Trail which traverses the island has been re-routed to present more picturesque views; and one outfitter has debuted a “proposal tour” for couples to get engaged in a scenic spot while sipping champagne and noshing on charcuterie.

The guide is written by Times contributor Rosemary McClure with photographs by The Times’ Allen J. Schaben and is available online now. A print version will be featured in The Times’ “Saturday” section on July 3.