Avalon · Hotel
Hotel Atwater
A 1920 hotel, the first built under William Wrigley Jr., renovated and a block from the beach.
Official details for Hotel AtwaterCalifornia · Couples · Two nights
Catalina Island
The Airport in the Sky.
Catalina’s airport sits on a ridgetop 1,602 feet above the Pacific, and landing there is a rite of passage for Southern California pilots. From the field, a shuttle winds down to Avalon, a small harbor town of golf carts, the round 1929 Casino ballroom and clear water. Stay the night, take a glass-bottom boat, ride the zip line, look for the island’s bison and watch the boats come in at sunset.
IslandPilot classicHarbor town
YOUR ROUTEKMYR to KAVX
STRAIGHT-LINE DISTANCE~1964 NM
ILLUSTRATIVE FLIGHT TIME~13 hr 21 min
WEEKEND STYLETwo nights · Shuttle to Avalon
Time illustration: direct distance at 150 KTAS plus 15 minutes for departure and arrival, matching the discovery page. Use ForeFlight for your actual flight plan.
01 / Aviation & getting around
A ridgetop runway with a hump.
KAVX, Catalina, is a non-towered field at 1,602 feet with a 3,000-foot runway on a ridge. Runway 4 has a steep 2.1% downslope on final; Runway 22 (upslope) is preferred for landing. You cannot see aircraft at the other end of the runway because of the hump.
The FBO
Catalina Airport in the Sky (Catalina Island Conservancy)
562-889-0481Catalina Airport, Avalon, CA
Open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. only; no night operations. Full-stop landings only; landing fee. Announce taking the runway on CTAF. Closed to transients on Thanksgiving and Christmas. No fuel. Over-water flight from the mainland; consider life vests and gliding distance.
Southern California coast: marine layer and low stratus most mornings from May to July (“May Gray” and “June Gloom”), usually burning off by midday; Santa Ana winds and turbulence in fall and winter; busy, complex airspace. About 1960 nm from Myrtle Beach: two long days each way with several fuel stops. Plan a week, or overnight on the way out and back.
02 / Where to stay
Harbor hotels in Avalon.
Rates and availability need travel dates. Summer weekends sell out.
Local guide
More places to stay
Inns and hotels in Avalon.
Love Catalina for More places to stay03 / Where to eat
Lunch on the ridge, dinner by the harbor.
Reserve weekend dinners.
Arrival lunch · At the airport
DC-3 Gifts & Grill
The airport café, known for its buffalo burgers and “killer” cookies; breakfast and lunch.
Love Catalina for DC-3 Gifts & GrillSaturday dinner · Seafood
Bluewater Grill Avalon
Seafood on the harbor.
Official details for Bluewater Grill Avalon04 / Things to do
Casino, coves and bison.
Slow down; that’s the point.
05 / What’s happening
Sometimes the season is the reason to fly.
This prototype links to the local visitor site. It does not yet match events to your travel dates.
Summer
Harbor season
Boats, beaches and evening concerts.
Love Catalina for Harbor seasonSeptember–October
Quieter season
Warm water and fewer crowds.
Love Catalina for Quieter seasonLate November–December
Holiday closures
The airport is closed to transients on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Catalina Conservancy for Holiday closuresConcerts, festivals & local happenings
Check the local calendar when choosing a weekend, and confirm dates and tickets with the organizer.
06 / Suggested itinerary
Friday in. Sunday home.
A sample island overnight. This is a two-day flight each way; plan a week. No bookings or availability confirmed.
Day trip version
Just for the day
- Arrive
Land at KAVX mid-morning (8 a.m.–5 p.m. only).
- Midday
A buffalo burger at the DC-3 Grill.
- Afternoon
The shuttle to Avalon and back; leave before 5 p.m.
DAY 1
Arrive
- Arrival
Land at KAVX, subject to weather and your actual flight plan.
- Afternoon
Lunch at the DC-3 Grill, then the shuttle to Avalon.
- Evening
Dinner on the harbor.
DAY 2
Explore
- Morning
A glass-bottom boat.
- Afternoon
The Casino and the museum.
- Evening
Sunset on the pier.
DAY 3
Morning & home
- Morning
A golf-cart loop above town.
- Before leaving
Return the car and allow time at the FBO.
- Fly home
Leave the island before 5 p.m.; the airport closes.
Longer stay · Add a day
With an extra day
- Morning
A glass-bottom boat.
- Afternoon
The Casino and the museum.
- Evening
Sunset on the pier.
07 / Good to know
Keep the weekend easy to change.
These details make the difference between an appealing list and a usable getaway.
Book in this order
Hotel and the airport shuttle first.
Very long flight
About 1,960 nm from Myrtle Beach: two long days each way.
Airport rules
Daytime only, full-stop landings, landing fee, no fuel.
Best seasons
May to October.
Reviewed · Destination 192
Reviewed November 5, 2026.
Picks and links reviewed by WingAway Weekends. Hours, prices, menus and availability change often, so confirm directly with each place before booking. Spotted something out of date, or have a favorite we missed? Email us at [email protected].
WingAway Weekends helps you discover the destination. Use ForeFlight and current official aviation information for route, performance, weather, NOTAMs and preflight decisions. Flight planning and PIC responsibility stay with the pilot.