“ 1001 HOTELS AROUND THE WORLD ”

General Info:

Self-proclaimed "Gateway to the Pacific" and - along with half of Vancouver Island - "Salmon Capital of the World", PORT ALBERNI is a town fairly dominated by the sights and smells of its huge lumber mills. It's also an increasingly popular site for exploring the centre and west coast of the island, and a busy fishing port, situated at the end of the impressive fjord-like Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island's longest inlet. Various logging and pulp-mill tours are available, but the town's main interest to travellers is as a forward base for the Pacific Rim National Park. If you've ever wanted to hook a salmon, though, this is probably one of the easier places to do so and there are any number of boats and guides ready to help out.

The only conventional sight is the Alberni Valley Museum , 4255 Wallace St and 10th Avenue (summer Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs until 8pm; free; tel 723-2181), home to a predictable but above-average logging and aboriginal peoples collection, a waterwheel and small steam engine. For hot-weather swimming, locals head out to Sproat Lake Provincial Park , 8km north of town on Hwy 4. It's a hectic scene in summer, thanks to a fine beach, picnic area and a pair of good campsites ($15; April-Oct), one on the lake, the other north of the highway about 1km away. Of peripheral interest, you can take a guided tour of the world's largest fire-fighting planes or follow the short trails that lead to a few ancient petroglyphs on the park's eastern tip.

Sproat Lake marks the start of the superb scenery that unfolds over the 100km of Hwy 4 west of the town. Only heavily logged areas detract from the grandeur of the Mackenzie Range and the majestic interplay of trees and water. Go prepared, however, as there's no fuel or shops for about two hours of driving

More Port Alberni travel guides (each guide contains specific sub-sections):

Port Alberni
Practicalities

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