About Port Renfrew
Port Renfrew, British Columbia is a small community on the southern tip of the West Coast of Vancouver Island. It is quite similar to Tofino, however, it is only an approximate one and a half hour drive west of Victoria, north of the fast growing community of Sooke. Long a forestry and commercial fishing hub, the town has transitioned to being a centre for outdoor recreation including sports fishing, hiking, old growth forest tourism and eco-tourism. It is most famous as the trail head for both the West Coast Trail, and the Juan de Fuca Trail, as well as, for being home to some of the best salt water salmon and halibut fishing on Southern Vancouver Island. Hundreds of fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts descend on the town every summer from local communities, Alberta and the United States and Europe.
Port Renfrew is a seaside community centered around the local wharf, and provides visitors and residents with a relaxed, personable atmosphere as only a small village can create. Several major changes have put Port Renfrew on the map in recent years. The most significant development is the completion of the $25+ million dollar, Pacific Marine Circle Route along with more recent road upgrades connecting Port Renfrew to eastern and northern Vancouver Island with a new paved highway. The completion of the circle route in 2009 has brought increased traffic and exposure to the region from areas such as Duncan and Nanaimo where transit time is now 1.5 to 2 hours.
This temperate coastal rainforest community is dominated by old growth spruce, hemlock and cedar. Captioned as Canada’s Tall Tree Capital Port Renfrew is host to some of the tallest and largest trees in Canada which are known to be on or in the vicinity of the West Coast Trail.