The largest community in the North Island region, Port Hardy offers a wealth of year-round outdoor adventures. Long acclaimed for its world-class saltwater fishing, Port Hardy has a fleet of charter boats waiting to take you out on the waves. Divers come here year-round to explore the magnificent marine life. Guided kayaking, canoeing, caving, boating, helicopter, floatplane, hiking, golfing, and wildlife tours are a few more ways to experience Port Hardy’s outdoors.
In town, stroll along the seawall or the oceanside nature path, investigate Port Hardy’s past at the museum, and browse for arts and crafts at several shops and galleries, including the Copper Makers Gallery. To get a good look at Port Hardy industry, take a forestry tour, or check out the facilities at the Quatse River Hatchery.
Port Hardy has an airport, marinas, and a BC Ferries terminal that serves ferries travelling through the Inside Passage (see also the transportation notes). Accommodation reservations are recommended in Port Hardy, especially when Inside Passage sailings are scheduled.
Coal Harbour — Coal Harbour, a twenty-minute drive from Port Hardy, has had several incarnations: a coal mining town, a seaplane base for the Royal Canadian Air Force, a whaling station, and a copper mining town. Now, Coal Harbour is a peaceful place to fish, canoe, and explore. Highlights include a Royal Air Force Memorial and a six-meter jawbone from a blue whale.
Holberg and Winter Harbour — West of Port Hardy, a well-maintained gravel logging road leads to Holberg and Winter Harbour. Holberg is the access point to Cape Scott Provincial Park, an acclaimed destination for hikers. Holberg highlights include the Shoe Tree, an old cedar snag covered with hundreds of shoes, and beautiful Ronning Gardens, a two-hectare homestead property established in 1920. Winter Harbour, a fishing and logging settlement with a boardwalk waterfront, offers some great outdoor options. |
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