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Balboa Island

Balboa Island

Balboa Island
4.5
About
This charming man-made island has been around for over a century and is filled with cozy homes and mouth-watering eateries. Here, you can enjoy a scenic walk along the waterfront, explore the adjacent Collins Island, check out the small Balboa Island Museum, or rent a bike to explore the peaceful streets. When it's time for lunch, head over to Marine Avenue where you'll find family-owned taverns, Swiss bistros, and classic diners. Make sure to stop by the taffy store for some sweet treats, too. Visit during the holiday season to see homeowners decorate their homes in sparkling festive lights. If you're keen on dolphin and whale-watching, many boat tours depart from Balboa Island. – Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

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  • psudino
    Weehawken, New Jersey4,435 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Quintessential SoCal
    This island helps prove that some stereotypes of Southern California are absolutely true. The place is beautiful, surrounded by water, with great shops and restaurants and real estate that is completely unaffordable! To make matters even more stereotypical, when we were there the fireman were doing an exercise routine which involved them doing push-ups in the middle of the road without shirts on. You just can't make this stuff up!
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 19 November 2023
  • Carol and Ray L
    Lancaster, Pennsylvania269 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Enjoyable day trip.
    The first thing we did was to take the ferry over to Balboa peninsula. Upon returning, we enjoyed walking around the island and sampling some of the food. We walked down to the Wedge and enjoyed watching the surfers. We took a whale/dolphin 2-2 1/2 hour cruise and were rewarded with seeing thousands of common dolphins jumping up and down in the ocean all around our boat. We also enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the beach.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 3 April 2024
  • SueVirginiaBeach_Va
    Palm Desert, California1,037 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Petite island
    Adorable little plaxe with streets of charming houses. A street of shops, few restaurants. You may ferry over, a 5 minute ride or drive. The ferry can only manage 3 cars at a time. The fare with car and 2 passengers was $4.50
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 26 July 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1 436 reviews
Excellent
896
Very good
419
Average
101
Poor
12
Terrible
8

DaronC
Orem, UT48 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
I'd not been back to Balboa Island for a few years until recently. Parking can be a challenge (look online before heading there and find places to park). It's just a fun place to walk around and enjoy the boats, homes, stores, food, and overall atmosphere. There are many shops you can go into and browse. The chocolate covered bananas are wonderful and there are many places to get food. Take the ferry across the bay ($1.25 each way) and then walk over to the beach and pier. It's just a fun place with a nice vibe. Be aware that there are all the COVID restrictions in place right now so be prepared to wear a mask and social distance appropriately. It wasn't crowded on a weekday morning so that was a plus.
Written 31 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SueVirginiaBeach_Va
Palm Desert, CA1 037 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Couples
Adorable little plaxe with streets of charming houses. A street of shops, few restaurants. You may ferry over, a 5 minute ride or drive. The ferry can only manage 3 cars at a time. The fare with car and 2 passengers was $4.50
Written 26 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NewportBeach72
Newport Beach, CA48 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020
Really sad how only about 50% of the people walking in town are wearing masks. Many carry in their hand. Orange County is now mandated to wear a mask outside at all times. Narrow sidewalks and people walk by you talking w.o. a mask. May be locals since a lot are walking their dogs. No wonder Orange County moved back to the most restrictive tier. Won't be going back.
Written 18 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

zapprint
Corona, CA3 211 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020
Fun spot if you are in the Newport Beach/Laguna area.
Walking the "downtown" area of Balboa takes you back in time, to the feel of a very small downtown.
If you visit on the weekend or a warm day, you will have trouble finding a parking spot, but it is well worth the stop.
When visiting you do need to taste test the frozen bananas or Balboa Bars!
Written 24 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tiffany W
St. George, UT6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
Although you cannot ride bikes on the main roads or the path next to the water, we still thoroughly enjoyed our bike ride around Balboa Island! We weaved our way up one residential street and down the next, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over one house after another. We then walked our bikes down the main street for lunch, frozen yogurt, and a little shopping. We rented our bikes at 20th Street Bike and Beach rentals, and took the ferry over to the island. The ferry is super easy, and costs $1.75 (cash only) per person. It's a great way to spend part of a day!
Written 30 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

psudino
Weehawken, NJ4 435 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Friends
This island helps prove that some stereotypes of Southern California are absolutely true. The place is beautiful, surrounded by water, with great shops and restaurants and real estate that is completely unaffordable! To make matters even more stereotypical, when we were there the fireman were doing an exercise routine which involved them doing push-ups in the middle of the road without shirts on. You just can't make this stuff up!
Written 19 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bumbleandthemog
London, UK41 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
There was an arcade, a small ferris wheel and other small activities for fees.
We found a play park for our 4 year old which he loved.

The houses are lovely to look at, especially in the holidays with the festive lights.

Friendly people and beautiful place.
Written 4 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MrGaucho1987
Santa Barbara, CA941 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
Balboa Island is not large. It will get busy on the weekends, holidays and over the summer. And when I say busy, I mean packed with people. Parking on the main island is limited. There is basically street parking on the commercial strip then street parking among the closely packed and very cute homes. Wear good shoes. You can easily walk the strip, grab a meal and an ice cream, and by doing so have an enjoyable outing. The more ambitious can walk the island and check out the beautiful location or perhaps rent a bike. Consider a taxi or Uber on busy days. Lastly, bring a few layers as BI's coastal location can result in unpredictable weather.
Written 25 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

help32250
Corona, CA1 846 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2020
You still have to exercise during the Coronavirus ... and doing so by taking a walk around Balboa Island was essential for my wife's birthday.

It had been almost 3 years since we had done it. And the Bay Fronts never looked so beautiful. Balboa Island had imposed a "One Way" (clockwise) use of walking on the Bay Fronts. And while there were a number of people walking, it was seldom that we ever passed (or were passed) others. And a sand sculpture reinforced the need to have 6 feet between you and others.

Stay safe. But getting some exercise during the Coronavirus, as long as you obey safe distancing, is still a good thing to do. And not a better place than here.
Written 2 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Carol and Ray L
Lancaster, PA269 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
The first thing we did was to take the ferry over to Balboa peninsula. Upon returning, we enjoyed walking around the island and sampling some of the food. We walked down to the Wedge and enjoyed watching the surfers. We took a whale/dolphin 2-2 1/2 hour cruise and were rewarded with seeing thousands of common dolphins jumping up and down in the ocean all around our boat. We also enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the beach.
Written 3 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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BALBOA ISLAND (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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