This Breathtakingly Beautiful Destination In California Is Known As America's Amalfi Coast
If Netflix's stylish thriller "Ripley" has you longing to follow in the footsteps of its glamorous cast for a seaside Italian idyll — the series follows a con man infiltrating expat high society filmed on the Amalfi Coast – you don't need a passport. Just head for Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of good old Orange County, California. Here, narrow Italianate streets wind up and down the steep hillsides, and the balmy Mediterranean climate makes for pleasant visits year-round, whether you come for a weekend, a day trip, or as part of a road trip across California.
You can get a quick ferry to Catalina from Long Beach, San Pedro, or our pick – the lesser-known beach town of Dana Point. Once in town, you can rent a golf cart to zip around Avalon's windy streets, but where else in SoCal can you traipse up and down charming European-style streets on foot? Those steep hills mean that almost every place in town shares that breathtaking coastal view.
And like Amalfi, it's a playground for celebrities. Over 225 feature films have been filmed at Catalina, from the era of The Talkies on, and its proximity to Hollywood has made it a favorite getaway for stars. Katy Perry, who also vacations in Amalfi, once sang karaoke at Avalon's funky beachfront bar, El Galleon. Nicholas Cageis also fond of both and Amalfi and Avalon Harbor, where he arrives by private yacht.
Avalon, to stay or just for the day
The most opulent and Amalfi-like accommodation on the island has to be the ultra-luxe Mt Ada, a six-room hillside retreat in the former home of chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr., an early island investor who developed the harbor's landmark rotunda-style, art deco casino (this casino is a social club that has never hosted gambling). The views from the terrace are worth the price of an overnight stay alone, and a complimentary golf cart will get you up and down that hill.
The coolest new boutique accommodation on the island is the beachfront Bellanca Hotel, right in the middle of town. From the same team that created the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, this is a modernist visual treat that reminds you that you're in design-crazy Southern California after all. Here, you get a hipster-friendly complimentary beach-cruiser bicycle to tour around town instead of a golf cart. Even if you're just over for a day trip, stop in for brunch at the hotel's restaurant, The Naughty Fox, where the ahi poke nachos are truly buzzworthy.
If you are feeling adventurous, Catalina is one of the most stunning snorkeling spots in the US. Or hop in a Humvee for a tour to see the island's Bison herd, originally brought here as extras on a movie set.
Drinking and dining in Avalon, from Italy to Tahiti
The best eats in Avalon tend to be from the casual side of the menu. The beachy Lobster Trap is the place to shuffle into in flop-flops and shorts to order a platter of rich, garlicky Oysters Rockefeller, spiny lobster in season, and another California coastal classic: steamed artichokes.
But the must-eat cult-classic meal in Avalon just happens to be Italian, and it's one you'd never think of ordering without a recommendation, most likely followed by the recommender saying, "Just trust me." It's Mama Mia's Day Old Spaghetti at Original Antonio's Pizzeria & Deli. A gooey casserole baked with extra sauce and cheese and served with big tranches of crusty garlic bread, it's an Italian-American original you and your boo can slurp up Lady-and-the-Tramp-style while ogling the yachts bobbing on their moorings from the restaurant's sunny, harbor-front patio.
Catalina Island has stood in for the South Pacific in plenty of swashbuckling pirate films over the years, so set Amalfi aside just long enough to pay tribute to the Tiki gods by downing a rum-based Wiki Wacker at legendary Luau Larry's. It's a tropical drink that comes not with an umbrella but a straw hat for you to wear while imbibing — just make sure your golf cart has a designated driver.