VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 270

Mudge Lighthouse was built in 1898 to prevent shipwrecks in the surging waters around
the point.
Around nine kilometers (5.6 miles) north along Heriot Bay Road from the ferry dock
on the island's east coast is Rebecca Spit Marine Provincial Park, which protects a two-
kilometer-long (1.2-mile) beach-lined peninsula. A road leads around halfway up the penin-
sula, from where a two-kilometer hiking trail loops up and around the end of the spit (allow
40 minutes round-trip), but there are many access points to the beach, and it's just as enjoy-
able walking along the sand as the trail.
Accommodations and Camping
For over 100 years, Heriot Bay Inn (off Heriot Bay Rd., 250/285-3322 or 888/605-4545,
www.heriotbayinn.com , rooms $109-129 s or d, cabins $229 s or d) has been the social hub
of the island's largest community. Separated from the water by a wide swathe of landscaped
garden, the lodge has 10 small but comfortable guest rooms (some with water views) and
three kitchen-equipped wooden cabins.
Near Cape Mudge Lighthouse is M Tsa-Kwa-Luten (1 Lighthouse Rd., 250/285-2042
or 800/665-7745, www.capemudgeresort.bc.ca , $145-280 s or d), built by the local Kwagi-
ulth people. The centerpiece of this magnificent waterfront lodge is the foyer, built in the
style of a bighouse (a traditional meeting place) using locally milled woods. Each of the 35
spacious rooms is decorated in a Pacific Northwest theme and has a private balcony with
water views. The more expensive units are two-bedroom cottages. The lodge coordinates
fishing charters and cultural activities, and its restaurant specializes in First Nations foods;
meal packages are available.
For campers, the best option is the charming We Wai Kai Campsite (250/285-3111,
www.wwkcampsite.ca , mid-May-mid-Sept., $28-32), set along a pleasant sandy beach at
the head of Heriot Bay and close to Rebecca Spit Marine Provincial Park. Amenities in-
clude basic hookups, showers, and a laundromat.
Food
Right at the main ferry dock at Quathiaski Cove, Q-Beans Coffee (Quathiaski Cove Rd.,
250/285-2407, 6am-5pm daily through summer, cash only) pours surprisingly good coffee,
as good as any over on the main island, and offers a variety of baked goods to tide you over
while waiting for the ferry.
At the resort of the same name in the south of the island, Tsa-Kwa-Luten Restaurant
(1 Lighthouse Rd., 250/285-2042 or 800/665-7745, 7:30am-11am, 11:45am-3pm, and
5pm-9pm, $20-30) has sweeping ocean views from tables inside and out. Over the years,