Ucluelet means “safe harbour” or “safe landing place” in the traditional Nuu-chah-nulth language of those who first inhabited its shores.Nowadays, visitors and locals alike enjoy “Life on the Edge” on the Ucluth peninsula. With Ucluelet harbour to east, Barkley Sound to the southeast, the open Pacific to the west, and mountains to the north, Ucluelet is truly surrounded by breathtaking beauty.

A quaint village still by today’s standards, its roughly 1,600 residents welcome visitors to share in the experience of life on the raw, rugged coast. Ucluelet is pronounced just as it sounds, U-clue-let, but locals often just refer to it as “Ukee.”

European explorers first visited this area in the 1770s, but settlement did not actually start until the late 1880s when a sawmill and general store were built. Gold was discovered at nearby Florencia Bay (also called Wreck Bay) around the turn of the 20thcentury, and the mining of various minerals continued to be vital to the local economy until the early 1960s. Fishing and logging were also prominent industry after World War I, and there is still some fishing and fish processing that goes on today.

A road connecting the West Coast to Port Alberni opened in 1959, but it didn’t get paved until the mid 1970s.

​Tourism now figures most prominently in the economy of this coastal village, and it’s no wonder with the activities and attractions that await visitors. Sports fishing, whale watching, beach combing, kayaking in the nearby Broken Group Islands, and surfing are just some of the possibilities. The Wild Pacific Trail is one of Ucluelet’s greatest gems. A hiking trail that is planned to connect with Willowbrae Trail in Pacific Rim National Park, this treasure allows visitors to view the majesty of the Pacific Ocean from an up close vantage point.

Recently Ucluelet was named as one of the “top 31 places to see in the world”, and it is quite easy to see why! The recently developed Wild Pacific Trail offers guests a portal to nature’s most pristine elemental playground on earth. Boardwalks through spruce and ancient cedar fringed trails, wind through old-growth temperate rain forest and wind out high above the rugged coastline. The Wild Pacific Trail has viewing platforms scattered within Mother Nature’s playground which offer guests not only a place to reflect and revitalize, but also offers an up close and fabulous view of the best storm-watching locations in the world. In the spring time the viewing platforms located up and down the coast allow visitors to view the plentiful species of marine wildlife such as Bald Eagles, Sea Lions, Sea Otters, Heron’s, Seals, numerous species of water foul, sprays from Gray Whales, and if your lucky enough you may even view an up close view of a passing Gray Whale or a humpback breaching in the distance!

Ucluelet is bringing back return guests year after year who come to witness the marvels of un-spoiled nature and wilderness. The community in recent years has developed significantly to enhance tourism in Ucluelet. From offering many tours, whale-watching, bear watching, kayak guided tours to many new restaurants offering local organic fresh West Coast cuisine, a world renowned spa, oceanfront dining, many shops and cafes, fabulous hiking trails and long sandy beaches. The infrastructure is based upon a strategy and long term goal to keep the community of Ucluelet free from developments that take away from the pristine un-touched landscape. Although the community has developed significantly in the last decade, all major developments have ensured a tasteful blend and structured planning to ensure the vast rugged landscape stays intact.

No matter what time of year you come to discover Ucluelet BC, you will find countless options, activities and places that will tantalize even the most dis concerning guest!

Isn’t it time you experienced “Life on the Edge”?