Los Angeles City Guide - Getting There By Water

Located in San Pedro Bay, some 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, the Port of Los Angeles, 425 South Palos Verdes Street, San Pedro (tel: (310) 732 7678/SEA PORT; website: www.portoflosangeles.org) is one of the world's biggest and busiest seaports. As well as commercial shipping, the port's World Cruise Center handled over 1 million cruise passengers in 2005 and is a popular stop-over for visiting cruise ships. The area includes recreational facilities such as a Maritime Museum, marina, aquarium and the newly opened Wilmington Information Center.

Ferry services: The majority of cruise ships head south towards Mexico, although Los Angeles is a stop on sailings to Alaska and other international destinations. There is also the Catalina Express (tel: 1 800 481 3470; website: www.catalinaexpress.com), which operates a service to Santa Catalina Island (see Excursions).

Transport to the city: The shuttle bus Community Connection 142 operates from Ports O' Call to Long Beach, where various MTA buses are available. Also at Long Beach, the Metro Rail station Transit Mall is on the Blue Line, which goes to Downtown. Taxis are also readily available.