Situated west of Long Beach and East of Santa Monica and Marina del Rey, Los Angeles Harbor is a commercial port that handles almost four million containers of freight every year, making it the busiest port on the United States West Coast. Although mainly a place for commercial traffic, there are marina facilities at the East Turning Basin near the Cerritos Channel.

Outside the Port of Los Angeles are all the attractions of the city: Long Beach and the Queen Mary and Aquarium of the Pacific; Marina del Rey and tours of the harbor and whale-watching activities and Venice Beach with all the oddities and people watching that goes along with it. A cab or a rental car can take you most places, but Hollywood and some other destinations are a good trek (this is a big city), so if you plan to explore, you may wish to rent a car at the airport or nearby.

Use NOAA Charts 18749 and 18751.

The entire Long Beach/Port of Los Angeles areas are protected by a breakwater that is more than 10 miles long. For the purposes of entering the Port of Los Angeles, entry from the Pacific is between the San Pedro and Middle breakwaters. Although a series of buoys line the channel leading up to the opening, San Pedro Breakwater is marked with an unnumbered flashing green light (with horn), and Middle Breakwater is marked with flashing red “8.”

To reach the marinas at the East Turning Basin, follow the Main Channel northwest toward East Basin Channel (pictured above), and the marinas will become visible at the split between Consolidated Slip and Cerritos Channel. Depths here are a deep 40 feet or more. It goes without saying that big ships have the right-of-way, and that you should keep an eye out for them and their tugs at all times.

Local Notices to Mariners are now exclusively available online from the U.S. Coast Guard.

See the “Helpful Links” section at the bottom of this page for more detailed information.

Los Angeles Convention and Vistor’s Bureau

Los Angeles Calendar of Events

Los Angeles Travel and Transportation Information

Things to do in and Around Los Angeles