• Catalina Island is known for its beaches and clear water.Catalina Beach image by Christian Schoettler from Fotolia.com
  
  Catalina Island is in the Pacific Ocean, about 22 miles off the coast of Long Beach. Transport to and from the island is available by boat, although the island does have a small airport. Catalina Express offers regular, daily service to and from the island's towns of Avalon Harbor and Two Harbors, while other carriers offer less-frequent round-trip ferries to the island for sightseeing purposes.
  
  

Catalina Express

• Catalina Express -- opened in 1981 -- offers cruises to Catalina Island that depart from four mainland points: San Pedro, Long Beach at the Queen Mary, Long Beach downtown and Dana Point. The cruises land either at Avalon Harbor or at Two Harbors, depending on which boat you board and most of the cruises take about an hour each way. Catalina Express offers as many as 30 round trips a day. Passengers can choose to purchase round-trip tickets or one-way tickets.
  
  Catalina Express
  
  95 Berth
  
  San Pedro, CA 90731
  
  800-481-3470
  
  catalinaexpress.com
  
  

Catalina Tours

• Catalina Tours -- based on the island -- offers ferry trips to both Avalon and Two Harbors on Catalina Island from mainland points at Marina del Rey, San Pedro, Long Beach, Newport Beach and Dana Point. Tickets are sold for round-trip only, and ferries depart between two and four times a day, depending on the point of mainland departure. The company also offers sightseeing boat trips around the island.
  
  Catalina Tours
  
  103 Pebbly Beach Road
  
  Avalon, CA 907048
  
  888-317-3576
  
  catalinatours.net
  
  

Catalina Ferries

• Catalina Ferries -- operating since 2004 -- features trips to and from Catalina's Avalon Harbor and Two Harbors from the mainland point at Marina Del Rey. Passengers can choose from one-way or round-trip tickets. The company's boat, the Marina Del Rey Flyer, departs from Marina Del Rey in the morning, and returns from Catalina around 5 p.m. daily.
  
  Catalina Ferries
  
  13737 Fiji Way
  
  Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
  
  310-305-7250
  
  catalinaferries.com