"Catalina Island is a place where the gentle rhythm of the waves makes time slow down. it's a place where you can paddle through crystal clear waters in the crisp morning air, followed by Mai Tais and sun soaked massages on the beach in the afternoon."
catalinachamber.com |
| Avalon City Harbor |
If you wanted to discover a new aspect of fun here in LA, you must visit Santa Catalina Island or simply Catalina Island. This charming island in Los Angeles County is one of the eight Islands called Channel Islands along the pacific cost of California. It's rich history and splendid nature makes it popular destination for celebrities and movie stars.
Catalina is only 22 miles off the southwestern side of the SoCal coast in the Pacific ocean. So just ignore the lyrics of this Four Preps song "26 Miles to Santa Catalina"...
Thanks Michael and Lori :)
The rocky island is about 21 miles long and 8 miles across its widest part. Despite its small area of 76 square miles, the mild climate around the year and the beaches that lie in the lap of the mountains, makes it the ideal gateway from the loud city life.
The Island is very tranquil since it has only one city called "Avalon" or "Avalon Bay". Also, it has a village called Two Harbor with fewer people living in it than Avalon. According to the 2010 US census, there are around 4000 people who live on Catalina. The majority of the population reside in Avalon city giving the island population density of 55 persons per square mile.
The island has sandy beaches that surround most of the mainland. It also has multiple high mountain such as mount Black Jack and mount Orizaba that have the highest peek on the island (2,097 feet).
You can start your mini vacation by either taking a ferry from Long Beach or San Pedro (there are multiple departure points but I found those to be the most popular ones). The ferry trip is really fun and takes about 45 minutes - if you get seasick, you going to have a bad time. The other option is to hop into one of the Island Express Helicopters that will take you there in 15 minutes. If you can't see yourself doing either one, join me in this virtual tour to learn more about Catalina.
