Vancouver Island has many inlets, some of them are quite large, others, not so big, but they are all beautiful. The Alberni Inlet is one of the prettiest. It starts at Barkley Sound and slices into the Island, almost cutting it in half. This inlet is the gateway to many outdoor adventures and it’s a place best seen from the water. Sailing, boating, and kayaking are great ways to do this.
Alberni Inlet
The Alberni Inlet on Vancouver Island is a long, narrow Fiord that leads 40 km inland from Barkley Sound and the open Ocean. At the head of the Inlet is Port Alberni, fast becoming a tourist hub on Vancouver Island. With the beauty of the Pacific Rim National Park, Barkley Sound, and Clayoquot Sound, tourists are staying in Port Alberni and heading out on day trips to many great locations surrounding the Port Alberni area. Read More….
Desolation Sound Resort
Desolation Sound Resort is such a pretty place, on the shore of Desolation Sound, about 5 km from Lund. The cabins ( did I say cabins, more like mansions) are well-built and looked after. They are surrounded by wilderness. Read More….
Forward Inlet
Forward Inlet is located just off Quotsino Sound and provides a sheltered haven from the Pacific winter storms, it was a safe place for morage for the old sailing ships that plied the island in the 1800s and for the island fishing fleets of today. Winter Harbor with its quaint little village of the same name is located in Forward Inlet and is a must-visit destination when you are on the north island. Read More….
Holberg Inlet
Holberg Inlet is located at the north end of Quatsino Sound. At the end of the Inlet is the little town of Holberg. With a population of about 100 people, Holberg is within the traditional territory of the Quatsino First Nation. Holberg was first settled in 1895 by homesteaders from Denmark. It was named for the Danish writer, Ludwig Holberg. A number of trails connected Holberg with San Josef Bay and Cape Scott. Read More….
Jervis Inlet
Jervis Inlet is located just off the backside of Texada Island, it is a very deep fiord on the BC coast, in fact, it’s the deepest in BC. It is 89 km long and has a maximum depth of 670 metres. It is 95 km north of Vancouver. Read More….
Little Espinosa Inlet
Little Espinosa Inlet is one of those magical places, l first saw it in 1971 when l was employed as a logger here, the first time l drove over the bridge heading out to Fair Harbour, the tides were dropping and there was quite a flow, looked like a river to me. Later that day on the return back to camp, the tide was coming in, and the flow was back into little Espinosa inlet. Took me a second to realize this was all ocean and not a river. Read More….
Muchalat Inlet
Muchalat Inlet is located on the northwest end of Vancouver Island, about 350 km north of Victoria by road, Gold River is the put-in area for the inlet. it is 45 km long. It empties into Nootka Sound along with the Tahsis and Tlupana Inlets near Bligh Island. Summer fishing is pretty awesome here. Muchalat Inlet has the best fishing on the entire coast. This is an incredible inlet, with many rivers, bays and islands, it’s very beautiful. Read More….
Neroutsos Inlet
The Neroutsos Inlet is located on Vancouver Island and is part of Quatsino Sound. Saltwater fishing is incredible here and the many sheltered bays and small islands make it perfect for kayaking. At the southern end of the inlet is the town of Port Alice, this is a great place to put in a kayak to head out on an adventure. The wildlife viewing is incredible here with bears, cougars, deer, and elk along with plenty of smaller animals and birds to see. Read More….
Tlupana Inlet
Tlupana Inlet is located on the west side of Vancouver Island. It runs off of Nootka Sound, you will also find Nesook Bay, Head Bay, and Nisnit Inlet here. This is a very beautiful place to visit. It’s also a great place to kayak and it’s the best way to see the area. The wildlife viewing is great, and you could see black bears, elk, wolves, cougars, deer and many of the smaller animals like mink, martins or raccoons. Read More….
Zeballos Inlet
Zeballos Inlet is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island. At the head of Zeballos Inlet, you will find the town of Zeballos which was once one of Vancouver Island’s major gold-producing areas, with over 1500 residents, Zeballos is now a small community of about 200 residents. I lived and worked in Zeballos in the 70s and there were over 500 people there then, both transient loggers and residents. Read More….
There are other awesome Inlets on the island, like Muchalat Inlet, Tahsis, and Tahsish Inlets. Then there is Quatsino Sound that leads into the Holberg, Rupert, and Neroutsos Inlets. All of them have adventures just waiting for you to enjoy.
There is so much history from the early days about the towns that are located in the inlets, like Port Alberni, Gold River, Port Alice, Zeballos, Tahsis, Holberg, Winter Harbor, and many other small coastal communities, most of these towns relied upon the coastal freighters that travelled up and down the island’s waterways. Some still ply the waters, and you can take a trip through the islands’ past. Most of the island’s inlets have recreational adventures for you to enjoy like camping and hiking. So head on out and see what the island has to offer you, it just might be the adventure of a lifetime.