Avalon

Overlooking the ferry landing and the entire harbor, the open-to-the-salt-air Bluewater Grill offers freshly caught fish, savory chowders, and all manner of shellfish. If they're on the menu, don't miss the swordfish steak, the lobster roll, or the sand dabs. Save room for homemade Key lime pie or java mud pie. The dining room has an understated nautical vibe. Fishing rods serve as room dividers, and plank floors lend a casual feel inside and out. Vintage black-and-white photos acknowledge the island's famed sportfishing legacy. The wraparound patio is the preferred spot to dine. Happy hour attracts a crowd for the craft beers, potent cocktails, and tasty bites like fried calamari and oyster shooters.

Set on an expansive deck overlooking the water, Descanso Beach Club serves a wide range of favorites: grilled burgers, street tacos, clam chowder, salads, and layered nachos are all part of the selection. Watch the harbor seals frolic just offshore while sipping the island's super-sweet signature cocktail, the Buffalo Milk, a mix of fruit liqueurs, vodka, and whipped cream. Fire pits and chic beach cabanas add to the scene, as does the sound of happy and terrified screams from the zipliners in the canyon above the beach.

This little snack bar has been an Avalon family–run institution since the 1920s. It's a good place to people-watch while drinking a draft beer and munching on a breakfast burrito, fish-and-chips, or signature buffalo burger. The seating is outside, where you can grab a bowl of homemade clam chowder in a baked bread bowl, nachos, or fish tacos.

Within spitting distance of the bay, this second-floor restaurant keeps hungry diners happy with sizzling steaks and slow-cooked baby back ribs. There's also ample seafood, such as locally caught swordfish and shrimp. The sultry black-and-blue decor and old-fashioned supper club feel create a romantic, retro atmosphere that's enhanced by the restaurant's stunning harbor views.

Seafood rules at the Lobster Trap—the restaurant's owner has his own boat and fishes for the catch of the day and, in season, spiny lobster. Ceviche is a great starter, always fresh and brightly flavored. Locals (you'll see many at the small counter) come for the relaxed atmosphere, large portions, and draft beer.

Built in 1929, this circular white structure is one of the finest examples of art-deco architecture anywhere. Its Spanish-inspired floors and murals gleam with brilliant marine blue and sea foam green Catalina tiles. In this case, casino, the Italian word for "gathering place," has nothing to do with gambling. The circular ballroom once famously hosted 1940s big bands and is still used for gala events. The Santa Catalina Island Company leads two narrated walking tours of the Casino.

In front of the Casino are the crystal clear waters of the Casino Point Dive Park, a protected marine preserve where moray eels, bat rays, spiny lobsters, harbor seals, and the bright orange Garibaldi (California's state marine fish) cruise around kelp forests and along the sandy bottom. No need to don a wet suit: the brilliantly orange Garibaldi, can sometimes be viewed from the seawall. It's a terrific site for scuba diving, with some shallow areas suitable for snorkeling. Equipment can be rented on and near the pier. The shallow waters of Lover's Cove, east of the boat landing, are also good for snorkeling.

The exterior of the Catalina Island Museum is a nod to Catalina Island's developer William Wrigley Jr.—it's modeled after Wrigley Field in Chicago. Inside the interactive museum visitors can learn about the island's history from the native Chumash people to its role in Hollywood history and beyond. Two galleries host traveling exhibitions. The view from the outside terrace takes in lovely Avalon and its picturesque harbor. A small gift shop offers Catalina-themed souvenirs and reproductions of the island's signature colorful Catalina pottery tiles.

Head to the Green Pleasure Pier for a good vantage point of Avalon. On the pier you can find the visitor information, snack stands, and scads of squawking seagulls. It's also the landing where visiting cruise-ship passengers catch tenders back out to their ship.

Two miles south of the bay is Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden, home to many plants native only to Southern California and the Channel Islands. Today there are five different sections where you can see Catalina ironwood, wild tomato, and rare Catalina mahogany. The Wrigley family commissioned the garden as well as the monument, which has a grand staircase and a Spanish-style mausoleum inlaid with colorful Catalina tile. Wrigley Jr. was once buried here but his remains were moved to Glendale, CA, during World War II.