Reachable by bridge, Bethel Island lies just east of Antioch and is the junction that sends the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers their separate ways. Comprising one of the largest of more than two hundred isles found throughout the delta region, this peaceful community of just about 2,000 people brims with waterfront homes, marinas and a variety of restaurants and lounges. Marine live thrives in its peaceful sloughs and many brackish lagoons, including enough schools of fish to account for being an accredited university: there’s black and striped bass, catfish, crappie, perch, bullhead, the prehistoric sturgeon and even a steelhead here and there. With its scenic surroundings and access to hundreds of miles of waterways, the region is a downright boating paradise. As they like to say in these parts, anytime is a good time to experience the self-proclaimed “Heart of the Delta.”