Aaron and I headed to Vancouver Island for a fall getaway, spending three days in Ucluelet exploring the rocky coast, mature forests, quaint local businesses and some of the area’s unique attractions and history.
Our itinerary included a stay at Ucluelet Wildwood Inn before moving to Water’s Edge Shoreside Suites, where we could start the morning with breakfast overlooking the bay.
Day 1
We arrived in Ucluelet early and stopped at PUNA Empanadas for a quick snack before checking into Wildwood Inn. After dropping off our bags, we headed out on foot to get familiar with town and browse some of the local shops. The Wildwood Inn is a renovated motel, that’s family-owned. We saw first hand the work they’ve done on the place and got to hear about their plans for the future.
For our first dinner, we walked over to Currents at Black Rock Resort. Here we ordered yam fries to start and then the duck and the chicken for our mains. The restaurant’s dining room overlooks the rugged Pacific coast, making the views almost as memorable as the meal. We had a great view!
After dinner, we walked toward the local docks near the 52 Steps area, where we could hear and see the sea lions around the waterfront. Honestly, such a cute spot. I took my current phone’s wallpaper image here!
Day 2
We started our first full day with a sunrise walk along the Lighthouse Loop of the Wild Pacific Trail, stopping at viewpoints along the coast before heading to The Break Cafe & Bistro for brunch. My breakfast sandwhich was so good and the view was fantastic!
From there, we set aside some time to explore local shops, art and a couple of organizations in the community. We stopped at Redd Fish Restoration Society to learn more about its work supporting wild salmon before visiting Cedar House Gallery, a First Nations-owned and operated gallery and store.
Later, we explored the local bays and channels by boat with Scott’s Wildlife and Ocean Adventures. Along the way, we saw a variety of birds and marine wildlife, including sea lions, seals, eagles and several humpback whales. Seeing the whales was a first for me and a highlight of the trip!
Dinner was tacos at Papi’s Cantina, followed by a cone from Ukee Scoops and an evening walk along the waterfront. The tacos were awesome, we sat on the patio and then walked back to our accomodation with a scoop of ice cream.
Day 3
We started our final day with coffee at Water’s Edge overlooking the bay before returning to the Wild Pacific Trail. This time, we followed the section from Brown’s Beach toward Rocky Bluffs, taking in another stretch of Ucluelet’s coastal scenery.
Our next stop was the Ucluelet Aquarium, where we learned more about nearby marine life and its collect-and-release approach to marine education. From there, we visited Thornton Creek to learn about salmon and the sustainability and restoration work happening in the area.
We stopped for lunch at Ukee Poke near the Tofino–Ucluelet junction before spending the afternoon enjoying massages at Nurture Well Being, the spa located on the property where we stayed.
For our final dinner in Ucluelet, we headed to Abbondanza for pizza and ordered a classic Margherita. It came highly recommended by some locals! We finished the evening with one last walk around the waterfront before packing up and getting ready to head to our next destination.
Three days gave us plenty of time to experience a mix of Ucluelet’s trails, wildlife, food and local businesses while still leaving us with more to explore on another visit. For a fall getaway on Vancouver Island, it offered a great balance of time outdoors and slower moments around town. Plan your next trip and check out what Ukee has to offer at https://www.discoverucluelet.com/
