Balboa Island Walking Guide — Frozen Bananas, the Ferry, and the Loop
Balboa Island Walking Guide — Frozen Bananas, the Ferry, and the Loop
Arrival Getaways
Newport Beach
Balboa Island is the small, walkable, frozen-banana heart of Newport Beach. One square mile, surrounded on all sides by a paved seawall, accessible by a ferry that's been running since 1919 — it's the kind of place where the whole day is built around three things: the loop walk, the dessert stops on Marine Avenue, and a long sit on the seawall. Our team has handed this same walking-day plan to hundreds of guests staying at our peninsula and bayfront homes. Here's how we run it.
Getting There — The Ferry
The most fun way onto the island is the Balboa Island Ferry. Joseph Beek started the service in 1919 with a single rowboat, and it's been continuously operating since — one of the oldest ferry routes west of the Mississippi.
The ferry runs every 10 minutes from 6:30am to midnight, 365 days a year. Pedestrian fare is $2 each way for adults, $1 for kids 5-11. Cars are $3 with driver, bikes are $2.25. Cash only — and no bills bigger than $20. We tell every guest staying at our Bayside Bliss (Unit B, three bedrooms, two-minute walk from the ferry landing) to keep small bills in the entryway tray for exactly this reason.
If you're driving in from the peninsula side, park near the ferry landing on the Balboa Peninsula and walk on. Parking on the island itself is famously cramped — most locals will tell you not to bother.
The Loop — A 2.5-Mile Seawall Walk
The signature walk on Balboa Island is the Balboa Island Loop, a 2.5-mile paved path that runs the entire perimeter of the island along the seawall. Roughly 22 feet of elevation gain (read: flat). It takes 30-60 minutes at an easy pace, longer if you stop for photos, which you will.
The seawall has a long history of its own: the first wooden bulkhead went up in 1909, was replaced with concrete in 1912, rebuilt in 1922, and the present-day version was completed in 1938. Park Avenue, the loop's inner road, was the only paved street on the island in 1920.
The walk passes private docks, classic 1920s beach cottages, and a long sequence of bay views. The eastern side of the loop has the broadest harbor outlook — you'll see sailboats, paddleboarders, and the occasional sea lion. Aim for an hour before sunset and you'll catch the light glowing off the water.
Marine Avenue — Shops, Frozen Bananas, and Lunch
Marine Avenue is the island's commercial spine. Locally owned boutiques, ice cream shops, art galleries, and a handful of restaurants — no national chains. Stops worth wandering into: The Balboa Beach Company for vintage-inspired surf, sail, and beach apparel from newborn sizes up; Blue Canoe at 323 Marine Avenue for vintage home goods, sustainable wardrobe pieces, and creative gifts. Both are within a block of the ferry landing.
Sugar 'n Spice at 310 Marine Avenue — the self-styled original Balboa Bar and frozen banana stand since 1945. The Balboa Bar is a chocolate-dipped vanilla ice cream bar on a wooden stick, rolled in your choice of toppings (rainbow sprinkles, crushed Oreos, peanuts, M&Ms). The frozen banana is the cult-favorite cousin. Order both.
Dad's Donut & Bakery Shop at 318 Marine Avenue — established in the 1960s, the rival frozen banana operation a few doors down. Loyalists swear by Dad's; the apple fritters are also worth the order. Our team's standing recommendation: get a frozen banana from each, walk to the seawall, decide for yourself.
Wilma's Patio at 203 Marine Avenue is the breakfast move — locals' institution for nearly 50 years, opens at 8am. The egg dishes are old-school and the sidewalk patio is the right setting. For dining beyond Marine Avenue — Lido Marina Village waterfront spots, Mariner's Mile happy hours, Corona del Mar dinners — our full neighborhood dining guide is the companion read.
Balboa Island Museum & Historical Society at 210 Marine Avenue is free, open Mon-Thu 10-5 and Fri-Sun 10-6. Small, easy to wander in 30 minutes. The Hollywood memorabilia collection — John Wayne, Greta Garbo, Bette Davis, Bogart — reflects the island's mid-century resident roster.
Side Trip — The Fun Zone (Across the Ferry)
A common misconception: the Balboa Fun Zone is on Balboa Island. It's not — it's on the Balboa Peninsula at 600 E Bay Avenue, right at the ferry landing on the opposite side. So if you've taken the ferry from the peninsula and walked the island loop, hopping back across the ferry puts you a hundred feet from the Fun Zone.
The Balboa Ferris Wheel runs Sun-Thu 11am-8pm and Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, $6 per ride. The arcade has been newly renovated. It's a 30-minute stop, not a half-day, but it's a good closer with kids in tow.
Where to Slow Down
Half the appeal of the island is the seats. The seawall has benches every 50 yards or so on the bay side. There's a small green at the eastern tip with shade. Park Avenue, the quieter inland street, runs the length of the island and is mostly residential — a calmer alternative to Marine Avenue when you've had enough crowd.
A small loop we recommend: Ferry over → walk Marine Avenue south → loop the eastern seawall → sit for an hour at the eastern green with your frozen banana → loop back via Park Avenue → ferry back. Total: about 90 minutes of walking, all flat.
Tips From Our Team
Cash for the ferry. Cards aren't accepted. Pull $20 in singles before you head out.
Go early or late. Marine Avenue gets crowded between 11am and 4pm in summer. Before 10am or after 6pm is the move.
Bring a sweatshirt. The bay side is breezier than the ocean side; even warm afternoons cool fast at sunset.
Bikes are allowed on the seawall. If you're staying at a property with bikes (most of ours include them), the loop is even better at cruise pace.
Don't drive on. The island is a maze of one-way streets and resident permit parking. Walk or bike.
If you want to spend a day or three weaving in and out of Balboa Island, the easiest base is a property on the bayfront or peninsula. We point most ferry-day guests to Bayside Bliss (two minutes from the ferry landing), Bayfront Elegance (the bay side, with its own dock if you want to skip the ferry entirely), or Seaside Escape (ocean side, a 10-minute drive). Browse our Newport Beach vacation rentals to find the right fit — every one of them is within bike range of the loop. If you want to slot the island into a full Friday-to-Sunday plan, our long-weekend Newport itinerary is the day-by-day version.