Catalina Island

Catalina Island was discovered by navigator Christopher Columbus on his second trip to the Americas. Although he named Catalina Island after Queen Isabella of Castile’s daughter, it’s also commonly known as Ikiita Island. And, when the island was inhabited by indigenous people, it was known as Labanea or Toeya. Catalina Island forms part of a three-island archipelago (alongside Saona and Catalinita), located in the southeast of the Dominican Republic. Saona is the only populated island in the archipelago.

Just like many other areas in the Caribbean, Catalina Island served as a refuge for pirates and privateers from 1520 to the 1720s. Pirates would wait for Spanish ships to sail through their waters to attack and rob them of their riches. The island has plenty of interesting stories any history buff would love to hear.

The hidden history of Catalina island holds the secrets of pirates and privateers
One such story is about William Kidd, better known as Captain Kidd, a British sailor who was accused of piracy and executed in 1701. He’s known as one of the most famous English outlaws of all time. The remains of his ship, the Quedagh Merchant, were discovered by University of Indiana archeologists in 2007, just yards off the shore of Catalina Island.

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