Los Angeles Rent a Car and Catalina Island
Catalina Island is a rocky island off the coast of the California that you can visit, but leave your Los Angeles rent a car behind. It is 22 miles long and 8 miles wide. The island is part of Los Angeles County. When you visit with your Los Angeles rent a car, you will find that most of the people live in the city of Avalon and the unincorporated town of Two Harbors in the north. There are also smaller settlements between these two areas. Catalina is part of the Channel Islands of California Archipelago.
Step back in time
The island was inhabited by the people of the Gabrielino/Tongva tribe who had villages near the current San Pedro and Playa del Rey. Locals regularly traveled to the island for trade. The people who lived here were renowned for mining and in the trade of soapstone. It was in high demand and traded along the California coast all the way to Baja California. Europeans discovered the island in 1542 and claimed it for Spain. It was rediscovered in 1602 and named Santa Catalina for the feast of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Over time, the island has served as a home or base for many visitors, including Russian otter hunters, Yankee smugglers, and fishermen. These visitors brought diseases to the natives, who had no immunity and lead to their demise. Smugglers also used to this for illegal purposes because of the hidden coves, short distance to the mainland, and scare population. By the end of the 19th century, the island was almost uninhabited except for a few cattle herders. Los Angeles was going through exponential growth and this contributed to the island becoming a vacation destination which you can now visit with your Los Angeles rent a car.
Visiting Catalina
Every year about one million tourists visit the island. You can get here with your Los Angeles rent a car by ferry and the "airport in the Sky". Ferries leave from Orange County in Newport Beach and Dana Point, as well as Long Beach, San Pedro, and Marina del Rey in Los Angeles County. The trip takes about one hour and costs $65 for a round trip. There is also helicopter service available from Long Beach and San Pedro. Most of the island is controlled by the Catalina Island Conservancy, which is a steward of the land to protect the natural and cultural heritage of the island you are visiting with your Los Angeles rent a car. You can't actually bring your Los Angeles rent a car to Catalina. There is a very limited number of cars allowed on the island, with a 10-year wait list to bring one over. Most of the residents have golf carts on the island or travel by bike. There is an easement to allow hiking and mountain biking on the island, but you must first obtain a permit at the Conservancy's office to declare what parts of the island you intend to visit. Only the city of Avalon is open to the public to visit without restrictions. Many visitors take tours on glass bottom boats to see the reefs and shipwrecks in the area. Snorkelling and scuba diving are also popular activities. Lover's Cove and Descanso Beach are popular dive spots to see schools of flying fish and Garibaldi. There is also the Catalina Island Museum in the Casino Building, which showcases the Native American history. They also offer walking tours of Avalon.
Hotels in Catalina Island
|
