Itinerary: San Pedro

It’s the southernmost point in the city of Los Angeles, home to Los Angeles Harbor--called the largest man-made port in the Western Hemisphere--and one of the last remaining lighthouses in Southern California.

San Pedro is technically part of the city of Los Angeles, but its sandy beaches and stunning views make it feel worlds away.

Friday

See a show at the historic Warner Grand Theatre (478 W. 6th St., [310] 548-7672), one of the last remaining movie houses built by Warner Bros. to showcase its films. This lavish Art Deco theater, built in 1931, was the first sound-equipped theater in the South Bay.

Residents banded together to restore the movie palace in 1995 after decades of neglect. The theater has since been restored to its former glory and hosts theatrical performances and a Friday night classic movie series. Friday at 6 and 8:15 p.m.: “Somebody Up There Likes Me,” the 1956 biopic of boxer Rocky Graziano.

Saturday

Learn about the marine environment of Southern California with a trip to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (3720 Stephen M. White Drive. Open Tuesday-Friday, noon to 5 p.m.; weekends, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $2; $1, 12 and younger. [310] 548-7562). The educational and research facility tells the story of sharks, eels, crabs and other sea creatures with 38 saltwater aquariums, touch tanks and other exhibits.

To learn more about sea life, head over to the Marine Mammal Care Center (3601 S. Gaffey St. Open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. Free. [310] 548-5677) at Fort MacArthur, where sick and injured animals are nursed back to health. You can see rehabilitated animals and learn more about the threats they face. The center hosts an educational program. The next one, on April 30 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., is its annual International Day of the Seal. The event features games, lectures, feedings and educational programs about the slippery species.

Los Angeles Harbor Cruise (Berth 78 in Ports O’ Call Village, [310] 831-0996) offers its last whale watching trips of the season this Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 a.m., 2 and 3 p.m. Cost is $15; $4 for children. The company begins its harbor cruises Monday, visiting points of interest in and around the Los Angeles Harbor, the largest commercial gateway in America. Harbor cruises depart daily on the hour from noon to 4 p.m. $8, $4 for children.

Sunday

Go for a stroll in one of L.A.’s prettiest parks. Oceanfront Point Fermin Park offers 37 landscaped acres of tree-shaded lawns, colorful gardens, picnic areas, plus access to tide pools and breathtaking views of the coast. The park, at the end of Gaffey Street, is also home to the Point Fermin Lighthouse (South Gaffey Street at West Paseo Del Mar), a San Pedro landmark and one of the last standing lighthouses on the West Coast. The Victorian lighthouse was restored in the 1970s. The grounds are open to the public, but the inside is not.

A trip to San Pedro is hardly complete without a visit to the Korean Friendship Bell in Angels Gate Park (Gaffey and 37th streets). The 17-ton bell was given to Los Angeles in 1976 by the Republic of Korea to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial, honor veterans of the Korean War and to forge a friendship between the two countries. It sits in a pagoda-like stone structure overlooking the Pacific, supported by 12 columns representing the Asian zodiac. The bell is rung only three times a year: July 4, Aug. 15 (Korean Independence Day) and Dec. 31.