National Geographic has named Catalina Island the Readers’ Choice winner in its Best of the World 2027 list, praising it as a surprisingly wild escape only 22 miles from Los Angeles and about an hour by ferry from Long Beach.
The feature points travelers to the island’s rugged interior, where the Catalina Island Conservancy protects nearly 90 percent of the land and maintains 165 miles of trails. It spotlights the 38.5-mile Trans-Catalina Trail and the shorter Garden to Sky Trail, which leads from the Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden to an ocean overlook. Back in Avalon, it features The Pavilion Hotel, a 1958 waterfront lodge recently reopened after a renovation celebrating its midcentury roots, and toasts the island’s beloved buffalo milk cocktail.
Read the full story on National Geographic.