Ucluelet Tourism Information
Named after the Nuu-Chah-Nulth word meaning "safe harbour",and known to the locals as ‘Ukee’, the small village of Ucluelet is located on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Spring offers the chance to watch gray whales as they migrate down the coast towards the Baja, while summer brings warm days to spend walking the sandy stretch of Long Beach. The cooler days of autumn are perfect for hiking the new Wild Pacific Trail. In winter, relax by a fire overlooking the beach, watch magnificent waves crash against the rocks on the shores below.
Spend March with locals in Ucluelet and Tofino celebrating the annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival, as nearly 20,000 gray whales pass within 5 km (3 mi.) of shore on their migration south to the Baja. Throughout the year, transient pods of gray, humpback, and killer whales can often be spotted offshore along with sea lions, harbour seals, and river otter.
Ucluelet is 8 km (5 mi.) southwest of the Highway 4 – Pacific Rim Highway Junction, 444 km (276 mi.) northwest of Victoria. Commercial airlines fly into Cassidy Airport just outside of Nanaimo 180 km (112 mi.) east of Port Alberni. BC Ferries depart from Tsawwassen and Horseshoe ferry terminals in Vancouver, and dock in Nanaimo.
