Santa Catalina Island, Island destination in Avalon, United States
Santa Catalina Island lies off the southern coast of California in the Pacific, roughly 22 miles southwest of the mainland. The terrain rises sharply with cliffs on the northern shore and gentler bays along the southern coast, while the town of Avalon occupies a sheltered cove on the eastern side.
The Tongva people lived here for thousands of years, calling the place Pimu or Pimugna before Spanish explorers arrived in the early 1600s. William Wrigley Jr. purchased the land in 1919 and developed facilities for tourists, including the Casino building that later became a well-known landmark.
Sebastián Vizcaíno named the land after Saint Catherine of Alexandria when he arrived in 1602. Residents now favor golf carts and small electric vehicles because standard automobiles face tight restrictions in Avalon, giving the settlement an unhurried and quieter rhythm than mainland towns.
Ferries connect the mainland to Avalon daily, with crossings taking about an hour from Long Beach, Dana Point or Newport Beach. Visitors planning to stay overnight should book accommodation in advance, especially on weekends and during summer months when rooms fill quickly.
Bison roam freely in the interior after they were brought here in the 1920s for a film shoot and never returned to the mainland. Today you can spot the herd while hiking through the hills, where they have adapted to the dry terrain for nearly a century.
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