I used to have Catalina Flying Club membership and fly over every few weeks from Hawthorne. I never considered it particularly tricky. But some renter’s do seem picky that you have a check out first; likewise with Big Bear City.
I don’t really have much experience with the rental market. I did use A&E at Hawthorne (KHHR) to do my IR and they were economical if you did more than an hour or two per month, but it’s a 50 member shared ownership club, so not really practical for a short visit. Beach Cities on the North side are pretty good as Adam described. But be prepared for flying 1/4 mile from Class B airspace and LAX aircraft alongside you as you come in to land.
I think Hodja’s idea of a low approach first is a good one. It gives you the visual references that will be helpful.
Essentially there are three ‘gotchas’ at Catalina:
1) visual – flying on to an ‘aircraft carrier’ (at least this one doesn’t move!) – one tends to be high
2) wind – you know that there will be a downdraft on short final, as the prob95 wind from the west rolls over the cliff. That means, one tends to be a bit high – again
3) the hump in the runway, which, in the flare or after t/d makes it appear a lot shorter than it is
1&2 combine for a too-high approach, 3 is just a bit of a WTF moment. None of the above is really serious, it’s just not the sort of field most people are used to flying into. In any case, if you are renting you’ll have to go there with an instructor first, so you’ll be fine.
Probably the camera. I was a bit busy at that point to steady the thing to the aircraft reference frame! 
Is this
the real horizon, or is the camera inclined? If the latter, it’s quite a pitch-up angle visible on the wing.
There are lots of airports which need to be flown by the numbers. Kalymnos LGKY could be confusing.
And my two photos.
Downwind
Turning Base
Just so people know what we are talking about, here’s a couple of pics:
(They call it the “runway in the sky” with good reason!).JPG)
And one of the local aviators (photographed from the airport cafe verandah in January 2006, before the devastating fire from which the Island is only now recovering)..JPG)
Once in a while unfamiliar pilots freak out when reaching the middle part of the runway during landing, and thinks they’re about to roll off the cliff prematurely…
Yep, there are a lot of skid marks at that point where people lock up not realising that there is another 1000ft (or so) beyond it. I think the main thing is fly the pattern altitude accurately. Don’t try to eyeball it as it is very deceptive.
No Class B – but still a good idea to study the chart very closely
Having a pedantic day 
…. not quite correct, Silvaire. The Special Flight Rules area does go through the Class B, it’s just one of several VFR routes through it.
Oh, and btw, if you fly to Catalina during the whale migration season, look out below between the mainland and the island, you quite often see a pod of these magnificent creatures!
One thing I found helpful as a first fimer to Catalina (in a DA42) was making an initial low approach over the runway.
Gives a nice point of reference for the subsequent landing, and also shows you clearly where the runway downslope begins midway along the runway. Once in a while unfamiliar pilots freak out when reaching the middle part of the runway during landing, and thinks they’re about to roll off the cliff prematurely…
But apart from that, Catalina’s pretty straightforward. Runway’s a tad bumpy…
Right climbing 270 out of KSMO, south through LA special flight rules corridor on common pilot-to-pilot frequency, then direct Avalon once clear. No Class B – but still a good idea to study the chart very closely. Re runway altitude, you can take off westward from Catalina, climb about 100 ft then level off. Soon you’re at a reasonable altitude over the water. Makes for a nice scenic route around the west side of the island. Hope the engine keeps making noise.
Euro GA for travelers
