Ucluelet is a quaint fishing port and settlement located in a protective harbour. The natural harbour protects Ucluelet from the ferocious outbursts of the Pacific Ocean. Settled in prehistoric times, the name means "safe harbour" in the Nuu-Chah-Nulth language.

Ucluelet is surrounded by spectacular beauty and pristine nature of Vancouver Island's west coast. This hauntingly beautiful region is known world-wide for forests thick with old-growth cedars, fir, and hemlock. The richest fishing ground on the Pacific Coast is at Ucluelet's doorstep and one of the biggest draws to the West Coast is Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Pacific Rim National Park is made up of three units: Long Beach, the Broken Group Islands, and the West Coast Trail. Each unit is accessed via a different route and provides visitors with different activities and services. Two of the units, Long Beach and Broken Group Islands are easily accessible from Ucluelet. Long Beach is a pleasant 10-minute drive north of Ucluelet, and the beach is aptly named for its huge 20-kilometer stretch of sandy beach. Spend hours walking along the coastline, or explore the tide pools and sand dunes.

The Broken Group islands is an archipelago made up of more than 100 rocky islands and islets in Barkley Sound. These protected islands can only be reached by boat and are a haven for kayakers and canoeists. The Broken Group Islands is a mere 30-minute trip by power boat.

Ucluelet is also considered the gateway to some of the best scuba diving in the world, with a vast array of marine life and some fascinating historical shipwrecks nearby.

In addition to beachcombing and nature hikes, whale watching is another major attraction of Ucluelet. Gray whales migrate past our shores annually making their migration from the Baja up to Alaska and back. Obtain more information on the annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival and other events happening in and around Ucluelet by visiting the Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce.

While in Ucluelet, explore the Wild Pacific Trail, visit the Lighthouse at Amphitrite Point, arrange for a salmon fishing or nature charter, or simply enjoy beachcombing and shell collecting from our local beaches of Big Beach and Terrace Beach.

Travel times by B.C. Ferry Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay (Vancouver to Victoria) 1 hour 35 min Tsawwassen to Departure Bay (Vancouver to Nanaimo) 2 hours Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay (North Vancouver to Nanaimo) 1 hour 35 min.

Mileage & Travel Time Victoria to Ucluelet 318 km. / 190 miles 4 hours 20 min. Nanaimo to Ucluelet 163 km. / 97 miles 2 hours 25 min. Port Alberni to Ucluelet 110 km. / 66 miles 1 hour 25 min.