Why go to the The Pacific Rim, Vancouver Island's West Coast?
From Nanaimo, travel west from Parksville. The first community your come to is Port Alberni. Port Alberni is the easiest access to Bamfield, accessible only by boat. Check out the tourism attractions in Port Alberni, the first of the Pacific Rim communities.
The McLean Mill Heritage Sawmill, a National Historic Site depicts the logging history of Port Alberni. Also visit Alberni Harbour Quay where you can board bicycle the Log Train Trail or ride the 1929 steam train. At the Quay you can enjoy waterfront shops, galleries, and eateries, and climb the clock tower where you can enjoy panoramic views of the Alberni Inlet. The Lady Rose Marine Services have a passenger and freight vessel that offers scenic journeys to Bamfield and Ucluelet on the west coast leaves from the Quay.

Also visit Sproat Lake Provincial Park, just north of Port Alberni.The lake is home base for the Martin Mars Flying Tankers, the world's largest water bomber aircraft used for fighting forest fires. Other interesting attractions in Port Alberni include the Robertson Lake Fish Hatchery, the J.V. Clyne Bird Sanctuary, Paper Mill Dam Park, and Rogers Creek Park. For an unbeatable view, take the ten minute-walk to the old Lookout.

Port Alberni offer activities including guided fishing charters, helicopter and floatplane tours, and hiking trips, scuba diving, golfing, kayaking, wildlife viewing, and wind surfing.

After you leave Port Alberni travel 105 km, and you arrive at the Tofino-Ucluelet junction on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. A left turn takes you to Ucluelet (you-CLUE-let) and a right turn will take you through the magnificent Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Long Beach) and on into Tofino.
The Pacific Rim area has grown into a popular tourist destination with accommodations such as oceanfront resorts, hotels, motels and lodges, campgrounds and RV Parks bed and breakfast homes and vacation homes. There are many excellent restaurants, pubs and cafes. You can also enjoy browsing in art galleries and gift shops featuring. The area is renown for whale watching as Pacific Gray Whales pass through the area in the spring and fall.

The west side of the island is dominated by surf and wide sandy beaches and the east side by rainforest. Clayoquot Sound is north of Tofino and is full of beaches, islands and rainforests. Some of the best sea kayaking in the world is found in these waters.

The large rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean in the Ucluelet- Long Beach area provide British Columbia's best sea kayaking and surfing. Miles of beaches within Pacific Rim Park provide hours of tranquility and beach-combing for treasures washed up on shore.

Ucluelet is nestled in a small harbour south of the park area. Walking and hiking trails include small beaches.Hi-Tin-Kis park, provides visitors some of the most spectacular views.

The Broken Group Island area of Pacific Rim Park is situated south of Ucluelet in the entrance to Barclay Sound. Renowned for its salt water fishing, ocean kayaking and scuba diving, the area is rich in marine life and incredible scenery.

Tofino rests on the north tip of the peninsula and is a great place to engage in whale watching, scuba diving, kayaking, and taking side trips to Meares Island to observe the giant trees and to Hot Springs Cove. Tofino has ample accommodations and many places to dine. During the summer months, make reservations wherever possible.