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In 1846 Pio Pico, the last Mexican Governor of Upper California, found himself in desperate straits; he was in a sense, up the creek without a horse. The Union Army was advancing, about to confiscate yet another vast slab of Mexican territory and Pico, deep inside that territory (which would become the US state of California), had no means of escape.

To reach safety in Mexico he needed a fresh mount. A rancher from Santa Barbara offered to assist, for a price. The last official act of the last Governor was to swap Santa Catalina Island, 30 kilometres off today's Los Angeles-Long Beach sprawl, for the rancher's horse and saddle. According to legend, the deed was drafted on a piece of butcher's paper.

The beautiful, 32-kilometre long island had been in pre-Hispanic times a haven for sun-worshipping Pimugnan Indians. Their 4000 year tenure on this verdant upthrust of eagles, ridges and abundant sea-life ended around 1830 under the onslaught of miners and hunters. Despite this inauspicious introduction to the ways of the world, Santa Catalina was saved from further "Californication" by a most unlikely agent, chewing gum.

William Wrigley Jr., the chewing gum magnate, purchased the island in 1919 and soon established a tradition of careful management that, to this day, has seen "Catalina" (as it is frequently known) remain a zone of nature conservancy. Today most of the 195 sq km island is owned by a non-profit conservation foundation; the grasslands, canyons and coves are again ruled by native deer, fox, sea-otters, seals and bald eagles.

"Thirty kilometres in a leaky old boat / any old thing that'll stay afloat / when we arrive we'll all promote romance...". Catalina was most notably celebrated in the 1950s song which dubbed it "the island of romance". The name still fits, especially for weekending Angelenos and summer holidayers; the latter swell the island's population from 3000 to 10,000.

The profits from distinctly unromantic chewing gum allowed the Wrigleys to build for themselves in 1921 the Georgian-style mansion that's now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Known today as The Inn on Mount Ada, this compact white palace with its landmark, red conical roof overlooks the bay of Avalon. Open to paying guests, it has a small number of suites and bedrooms, a superb spiral staircase and a patio of sighs that floats above the bay.

Catalina's "capital", Avalon is an amiable mutation of the American Dream - a California village with Spanish touches, cataracts of bougainvillea, and great huevos rancheros breakfasts. It's also the only place in California that limits its number of vehicles: 850 maximum. People tootle around the streets in rental golf carts, or walk: there's plenty of time to stroll when everyone else is on foot, too.

You can amble out to Avalon harbour's famous Art Deco landmark, the circular, 1929 Casino - which isn't a gambling casino but a huge ballroom where big bands like Count Basie and Crosby used to play to crowds of up to 6000 dancers. After that, there's Avalon Pier, a long wooden finger of memory, eateries and line-danglers. Sit there and be surprised by a sea-otter or seal wallowing in the waters below you. The land rises beyond the white hulls of Avalon marina, up to the amphitheatre of ridges that circle the bay. You have the choice of either coastal or inland excursions: snorkel through the Underwater Park at Casino Point, take the scenic bus that rolls up into the forested hills, or go hiking there between those American icons, the eagle and the bison.

Or just contemplate the slow blue curve of the horizon. By night, over that horizon, the electric aurora of Los Angeles suggests a shock culture - Sudden California - that slo-mo Catalina is happily moated against.

That Mexican Governor had it right: flee when you must. His only mistake was swapping Catalina for anything.

Getting There: From Long Beach and San Pedro, high-speed Catalina Express boats take around one hour, with up to 20 departures per day. For a spectacular arrival, try the Island Express helicopter from Long Beach.

Accommodation: There is a wide range of accommodation, from campsites and B&Bs to luxury suites. Advance booking is strongly recommended. For listings, call the Santa Catalina Visitors Bureau, Tel: (310) 510 1520. The Inn on Mount Ada, Tel: (213) 510-2030.

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