Marina del Rey, Harbor community in Los Angeles County, United States
Marina del Rey is a harbor community in Los Angeles County containing North America's largest constructed small-craft harbor designed for approximately 5,000 boats. The harbor divides into eight separate basins connected by six land strips and covers roughly 1.5 square miles of coastal territory.
The land changed from salt marshes once inhabited by the Tongva people into a modern harbor following a 1949 development plan by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Construction began in the early 1960s and finished in 1965, giving this section of coast its current form.
The marina hosts a community of sailors and boat owners who gather at the harbor's waterfront promenades and marinas clubs to prepare their vessels and watch the sunset. The area attracts visitors from across the wider Los Angeles region who come for its open water and coastal atmosphere within the urban sprawl.
The area works well for a walk along the waterfront paths or a stop at one of the restaurants overlooking the harbor, especially in the late afternoon or early evening. Access to the docks is generally open to the public and the different basins can be explored on foot without much effort.
Roughly half of the entire area lies underwater, giving the harbor its expansive open character. The 4,600 individual slips spread across an area of roughly 800 acres (324 hectares), where the water channels and land strips form a tight network.
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