Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A small town of 1,650 on the northern edge of Barkley Sound, Ucluelet (pronounced yoo-
CLOO-let) has a wonderfully scenic location between the ocean and a protected bay. Like
nearby Tofino, the remote town grew as a logging and fishing center, but unlike its neigh-
bor,inUcluelettourismhasbeenslowertocatchon.Youcanenjoyallofthesamepursuits
as in Tofino—beachcombing, whale-watching, kayaking, and fishing—but in a more low-
key manner.
The Nuu-chah-nulth people lived around the bay where Ucluelet now sits for centuries
before the arrival of Europeans (in their language, the town's name means “people with
a safe landing place”). During the last century or so, Ucluelet has also been a fur sealers'
trading post and a logging and sawmill center, but fishing remains the steady mainstay, as
evidenced by the town's resident fishing fleet and several fish-processing plants.
Recreation
Drive through town to reach
He-tin-kis Park,
where a short trail leads through a littoral
(coastal) rainforest to a small stretch of rocky beach. The park and beach are part of the
Wild Pacific Trail,
an ambitious project that will eventually wander along the coastline
all the way to Pacific Rim National Park. You can take the trail or continue southward by
vehicle to reach the end of the road. The lighthouse here is not the world's most photo-
genic, but it gets the job done—keeping ships from running ashore along this stretch of
particularly treacherous coastline.
THE BROKEN GROUP ISLANDS
These 100 or so forested islands in the mouth of Barkley Sound, south of Ucluelet,
once held native villages and some of the first trading posts on the coast. Now
they're inhabited only by wildlife and visited primarily by campers paddling
through the archipelago in canoes and kayaks. The islands offer few beaches, so
paddlers come ashore in the many sheltered bays.
Marinelife abounds in the cool and clear waters: Seals, porpoises, and gray
whalesarepresentyear-round.Birdlifeisalsoprolific:Baldeagles,blueherons,and
cormorants are permanent residents, and large numbers of loons and Canada geese
stop by on their spring and fall migration routes.
