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Catalina Island lies 22 mi/35 km off the Southern California coast, but it feels like a world away. Just the name conjures images of the quaint seaside village of Avalon, picture-perfect harbors and sandy beaches. Catalina is everything that Los Angeles is not—small-scale, nostalgic and slow-paced—and therein lies its charm.

Visitors often compare the island's compact town of Avalon with Amalfi, Italy, or a resort town on France's Cote d'Azur. Perhaps it's those rocky palisades rising from the sea that suggest a Mediterranean locale. Or maybe it's the tiled fountain, quaint storefronts and the Moorish-style casino. Foreign visitors have been known to ask local shopkeepers whether they accept U.S. currency.

In all, the island promises a delightful departure from urban inconveniences—the more so because Catalina, alone in Southern California, disdains the automobile.

Must See or Do

Sights—Views of both sides of the island from Two Harbors; Chimes Tower; the Green Pleasure Pier.

Museums—Island history at Catalina Island Museum.

Memorable Meals—The mountain view at DC3 Gifts & Grill; breakfast at The Pancake Cottage.

Late Night—Music at the landmark Catalina Casino; dancing at Chi Chi Club.

Walks—A shorefront walking tour; a stroll through native desert flora at Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens.

Especially for Kids—Watersports such as snorkeling; playing on the beach; a guided tour that explores animal habitats; learning about endangered island animals at The Nature Center at Avalon Canyon.

Geography

Catalina Island is one of the Channel Islands off the coast of southern California. The island is 22 mi/35 km long by 8 mi/13 km at its widest point (0.5 mi/1 km wide at its narrowest point). The irregular coastline is dotted with coves, beaches and vertical shoreline bluffs. The interior of the island is covered with valleys and 2,000-ft-/620-m-high peaks.

Avalon, the only city on the island, is the hub of activities and nightlife.

Catalina Island can be accessed by boat from Long Beach, San Pedro, Dana Point and Newport Beach. Helicopter service is available from Long Beach and San Pedro.

History

Catalina Island has been inhabited by human beings for more than 7,000 years. Different groups of migrating Native Americans have lived on the island. When the first Europeans "discovered" the island, the people living there called themselves Pimungans (or Pimuvit) and the island was called Pimu. They paddled their way around the area's waters on wooden canoes to trade since very little grew on this semiarid island.

The Pimungans had their first encounter with Europeans on 7 October 1542, when they greeted the Spanish galleon of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. However, it was the second Spanish expedition of explorer Sebastian Viscaino that would give the island its name. He spotted the island on 24 November 1602, the eve of St. Catherine's Day, and named the island Santa Catalina.

After the Spanish colonization of California, European diseases, for which the Pimungans had little immunization, nearly wiped out the island's population. By the mid-1820s, the few Pimungans who remained moved to the mainland and joined other Native American groups in the area of the Mission San Gabriel.

In 1846, the last Mexican governor of California gave the then-uninhabited Catalina Island to its first American owner, Thomas Robbins, just four days before the U.S. invaded the then-Mexican-controlled California.

The island changed hands several times before a majority interest was acquired by William Wrigley Jr., of chewing-gum fame, in 1919. Wrigley made the island his second passion—the Chicago Cubs baseball team was already his first. He quickly moved to intertwine the two by bringing the Cubs to Catalina for spring training. For most of the next 30 years, the Cubs returned annually to Avalon. (The baseball field on the island was built to match the dimensions of Chicago's Wrigley Field). Wrigley envisioned developing the island as a major vacation destination. The idea never jelled, although the island was popular with wealthy Californians and Hollywood movie stars.

In 1972, members of the Wrigley family established the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy as a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the island. By 1975, the Wrigley family deeded 42,135 acres/17,050 hectares to the conservancy. The organization now stewards about 88% of the island, including virtually all of the coastline. Its goal is to protect, restore and preserve the natural state of the island. Since it began, the conservancy has helped revive the Catalina fox, a species found only on the island. Its numbers have rebounded from 100 to more than 1,800. The organization has also restored the habitats of the bald eagle, Beechey ground squirrel and the five bat species on the island.

Hundreds of films, commercials and television shows have been shot on the island. One of those films was responsible for the introduction of American bison to the island. Many believe they were brought for the filming of The Vanishing American (1925), although film historians do not recognize any scenes shot on Catalina Island. Perhaps those scenes never made it into the final cut. Regardless, the bison have been roaming the island since December 1924.

Potpourri

During the gold-rush era of the mid-19th century, numerous adventurers laid claim to portions of Catalina and established ranches there. These former squatters left their names on the landscape as Ben Weston Beach, Howlands Landing, Gallagher's Beach and Johnson's Landing.

Marilyn Monroe lived on the island for a year and a half during World War II when her then-husband, James Dougherty, a lieutenant in the Merchant Marine, was stationed in Avalon.

Catalina is home to the oldest fishing club in the U.S. The Tuna Club, founded in 1898, aims to protect regional game fish while honoring the sport of fishing. Members have included Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Cecil B. DeMille, Charlie Chaplin and Bing Crosby.

More than 500 films, TV shows and commercials have been filmed on the island or along its coastline, including The Ten Commandments (1923), Ben Hur (1925), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), Jaws (1974) and The Thin Red Line (1998).

From the 1850s until almost 1900, messages traveled between Catalina and the mainland via carrier pigeon.

Avalon's golf course was first built in 1892; it's the oldest course in Southern California.

Location

Cruise ships sailing out of Los Angeles usually anchor in Avalon Bay (on the mainland side of Catalina) and tender passengers to Green Pleasure Pier or the boat and ferry landing. Both docks are within walking distance of one another in the heart of Avalon.

In addition to Avalon Bay, smaller boats anchor at one of several coves at Two Harbors on the west end of the island. The visitor's bureau is located on Green Pleasure Pier, along with an ATM, a pay phone and an Internet kiosk.

Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruise Lines, Princess Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line dock at Catalina.

Shore Excursions

Most cruise lines offer guided shore excursions. They may not be the least expensive way to see the island, but you won't have to waste your limited time making arrangements. Shore excursions—and their prices—vary from cruise line to cruise line.

Most take advantage of the island's natural wonders, with snorkeling, scuba dives, kayaking, glass-bottom boats, parasailing and on-land Segway or walking tours. Check with your ship's shore-excursion staff or your travel agent for additional information.