• I head to Catalina Island when I feel like going to Italy, but can't swing a transatlantic flight. • This Amalfi Coast dupe has tons of Mediterranean-style architecture, great food, and pretty beaches. • I love coming here, whether I'm on a relaxing solo trip or a nature-filled adventure with my kids.

There's a place off the Southern California coast that, in my opinion, feels plucked from the pages of an Italian fairy-tale.

Think: winding hillside streets lined with wild purple hyacinths and vintage tiles, secret coves where you can dive into crystal-clear waters, and sun-warmed cliffs that tumble into the sea.

Santa Catalina Island feels like it's located off the Amalfi Coast — but it's actually a destination reachable by ferry from Long Beach, California.

Every time I step off

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