The Catalina Express ferry runs from Dana Point Harbor to Avalon on Catalina Island, roughly 90 minutes each way. It is the most practical jumping-off point on the southern Orange County coast, especially for visitors who do not want to deal with Long Beach traffic. Boats run two to three times daily in summer, less frequently in winter.
Day trips are doable but rushed — you arrive in Avalon around midday and leave again by late afternoon, with just enough time for lunch on the harbour, a glass-bottom-boat tour or snorkel session, and a stroll around the small town. Overnight stays at the historic Hotel Atwater or the Pavilion give time to take an island tour by Jeep, see the bison herd in the interior, or hike a section of the Trans-Catalina Trail.