Catalina Island sits roughly 22 miles off the coast of California, southwest of the city of Los Angeles. Although borne of somewhat infamous beginnings, today Catalina Island is a bustling tourist destination and home to nearly 4000 residents.

Catalina was first named San Salvador by the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who set foot on the rugged island in 1542 while making his return trip to Spain. In 1602, Catalina Island was rediscovered by Sebastian Vizcaino and renamed Santa Catalina to honor the feast day of St. Catherine of Alexandria.

For the next 300 years the island was home to many visitors. Russian otter smugglers, Spanish smugglers, Chinese pirates and Franciscan monks all used Santa Catalina as a base of operation, but due to the lack of fresh water the island was very hard to inhabit for a long period of time. At the turn of the 19th century, the island was almost uninhabited, even though on the mainland the city of Los Angeles was undergoing an enormous growth period. The growth of LA as a city was a major contributing factor to Catalina Island developing into a gorgeous vacation destination.

The first owner that tried to develop the island into a resort destination was George Shatto. Shatto purchased Catalina for $200,000 in 1887 and created a settlement that would later become the city of Avalon. Avalon, where most of the island's permanent residents live, was the site of the island's first hotel and also boasted Catalina's first regularly used pier enabling easy traveling back and forth from Los Angeles.

The island throughout the years has also been used for other activities besides tourism. The Chicago Cubs used the island for the team's spring training camp from 1920 to 1950. During World War II, the island actually was closed to tourists and businesses while being used as a military training facility. In 1946 Catalina's airport, named the "Airport in the Sky," was completed and helped bring the levels of tourism and traffic to heights Catalina had never seen.

Today, about a million tourists visit Catalina Island every year. Ferries and "the Airport in the Sky" now service the island regularly. Ferries depart from Newport Beach, Dana Point, Long Beach, San Pedro and Marina del Rey. The trip takes around an hour and usually costs $40-60 for a round trip. Helicopter service can also be rented in Long Beach and San Pedro.

While there is tons of hiking and mountain biking all over Catalina, the use of motor vehicles is restricted. There is a limit on the number of registered cars allowed on the island; therefore most of the residents of Catalina travel by golf cart. Tourists can either hire taxis or rent bicycles to get around the island. Catalina is one of the most beautiful, relaxing areas in Southern California and Los Angeles County. Come explore Catalina Island!