Representing the wild frontier of southern Vancouver Island and, to a certain extent, Canada, Port Renfrew BC is located on the pretty little inlet of Port San Juan on the far west coast. With fabulous beaches, impressive mountains/hills, plenty of ancient rain forest and some of Canada’s biggest trees – Douglas firs, cedars and spruces, just to name a few – Port Renfrew is sometimes called the “Jewel of the West Coast”. It definitely earns the title “Tall Tree Capital of Canada”. Whatever you call it, there is an impressively long list of things to do in Port Renfew during your stay.
Of course, locals just call it “Renny”, all 144 of them, and even though it’s very small it is far enough from any other city to have everything it needs to sustain itself – school, general store, restaurants, hotels, library, post office, a pay phone (yes, an actual working pay phone booth) and, of course, a pub.
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The pub should probably come earlier in that list, now that I look at it. Either way, the point is, there is no reason you shouldn’t spend some time in Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island exploring the natural surroundings in a leisurely fashion rather than just rushing in and out.
Of course, if you’re pressed for time, it is close enough to Victoria to see most of the highlights in one long day, so you do have the choice.
You might also want to check out: The Ultimate Vancouver Island Road Trip Itinerary
10 Great Things to Do Near Port Renfrew BC
1. Marvel at the Tall Trees
Yes, the whole “Tall Tree Capital of Canada” was probably a bit of a giveaway for this one. Although the logging industry has taken a staggering toll on the forests of Vancouver Island – the Douglas firs, in particular – there are still some very impressive sections of old growth forest.
Avatar Grove is the main success story of the Ancient Forest Alliance, a non-profit formed in 2010 to help conserve the area’s forests. This particular spot is one of the more beautiful in the region, featuring a pair of superb short hikes, one of which ends at “Canada’s Gnarliest Tree”.
I’m not exactly sure how to measure gnarliness, but having seen the tree in question, it seems like a pretty plausible claim.
Not far from there along some truly nasty roads you can find Big Lonely Doug, an enormous Douglas fir that stands 70-metres tall in a nice valley, surrounded by much, much shorter second-growth forest. It looks sort of like an NBA player quietly ignoring a large group of totally unfamous children.
Amazingly, though, Big Doug is actually just the 2nd largest Douglas fir in British Columbia. The Red Creek Fir is even taller and can also be seen in the same area, if you are up for even more driving on even worse “roads”. However, because its neighbours are of a more comparable height, it doesn’t quite share the same wow factor. Although maybe don’t tell him I said that. He’s huge.
Of course, size isn’t everything, or so they say, a sentiment proven by the wonderful “bonsai tree” of Fairy Lake. It is quite small, and not really a bonsai tree, but it really looks like one and it just happens to be growing out of a dead log out in the middle of a lake. Which makes for some very cool reflections and puts it just far enough out of reach to make you want it even more.
You can get great photos right from the road or get up nice and close if you have a canoe or kayak (or it’s summer and you can handle a 50-metre swim). The lake itself is pretty beautiful, as well, and it has a fairly appealing campground, if that’s your thing.
2. Explore the Tide Pools at Botanical Beach
Located just a few kilometres outside of Port Renfrew on a scenic point, the tide pools at Botanical Beach are simply amazing.
There is a short loop hike that passes by both Botany Bay and Botanical Beach. Despite the name, Botany Bay is more about the interesting scenery (an islet and jagged rock formations), while the beach has the best tide pools.
You want to make sure you visit around low tide for the best pools, when you will also be able to walk between the two spots out on the rocks. Always watch your footing since the rocks can get slippery, don’t step on anything that isn’t a rock and keep an eye out for rogue waves that can swoop in unexpectedly.
For more info, see Explore the Fascinating Tide Pools at Botanical Beach
3. Find the “Hidden Waterfall” at Sombrio Beach
Sombrio Beach is about 20 minutes east of Port Renfrew towards Victoria but is a definite must-see. The beach itself is gorgeous (split into East and West Sombrio), with great views and atmospheric piles of driftwood along its rocky expanse.
It is also one of the best surf spots in the area. But our favourite part was the “Hidden Waterfall”, which can be found a few hundred metres east down the beach from where you emerge on East Sombrio. It is hidden in the sense that you can’t see it from the beach, not that you are somehow not supposed to find it or not allowed to visit it.
The waterfall does have spiritual significance to the Pacheedaht First Nation so you should take even more care than normal to be respectful, but visitors are common.
After walking for about 10 minutes, you follow the second creek you see up into the trees and the narrow, green slot canyon and steep waterfall will be immediately noticeable. Great from every angle.
Check out all the details in our Lovely Janet Guide to Sombrio Beach
4. Check Out the Other Port Renfrew Beaches
Yes, I’m aware the last 2 entries were also beaches. But they are very specific beaches deserving of their own mention (in our very subjective opinion). These other Port Renfrew beaches are good, too, they just don’t stand out quite as much.
Pacheedaht Beach commands a scenic 2 kilometres on a nice, scenic bay just outside of town between the mouths of the San Juan River and Gordon River. Part of the First Nations Reserve, it is sandy, full of interesting piles of driftwood and is a popular camping spot.
Parkinson Creek is also quite close to Port Renfrew and what it lacks in sandy sunbathing spots it makes up for with more great tide pools (at low tide, of course).
Victoria also has several great beaches, and there are a whole bunch of terrific beaches on the way back. Mystic Beach requires a rough 4 km (total there and back) hike but has a superb beach waterfall.
China Beach is reached from the same parking lot as Mystic Beach and is another popular surfing, camping and picnic spot, while Sandcut Beach is far less busy and has a small beach waterfall of its own and French Beach is popular with families thanks to its playground and nice picnic area.
5. Hike for Hours or Days
The Pacific Rim National Park starts just across the bay from Port Renfrew and runs up the coast, across the water to include a section between Ucluelet and Tofino, then continuing farther up to encompass a number of islands and wild coastline.
The Port Renfrew entrance is also the start of the world-famous West Coast Trail, considered one of the toughest short treks around. This epic backpacking adventure is around 85 km long (75 km officially, but no one believes that is right) and, depending on all sorts of factors including fitness, pace and weather, can take anywhere from 5 to 10 days, although most people plan for a week.
You need to be completely self-sufficient and prepared for any kind of weather (who are we kidding, it’s rain, be prepared for a lot of rain). Of course, it is also possible to check out a just a portion of it on a day hike out and back from Port Renfrew, going as far as you are comfortable with.
But that’s not all! On the other side of Port Renfrew, Botanical Beach is the start (or end) of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail (the other end is at Mystic Beach). Let’s call it “West Coast Trail Lite”. This one is only about 50 km long, usually is done in 3-4 days, the terrain isn’t nearly as rugged and, even though the two trails are fairly close to each other, they have different microclimates. Supposedly the Juan de Fuca gets a lot less rain.
It is also less remote, as several beaches along the trail (including Sombrio Beach) can be accessed from the road. This allows you to start or end wherever you want, or just day hike certain sections.
And, while the Juan de Fuca may not have the brag factor of the West Coast Trail, make no mistake, this is a gorgeous trail with outstanding beaches and terrific views all the way along.
There are also several shorter trails in the area, including the Botanical Beach to Botany Bay loop and from individual trailheads to Sombrio Beach, Parkinson Creek, Mystic Beach, China Beach and Sandcut Beach. There is also a short loop trail at Fairy Lake and the two loop trails at Avatar Grove.
6. Catch a Wave
There is a lot of great surfing in the Port Renfrew area, including right off Pacheedaht Beach. In the winter, this exposed beach break receives nice, consistent northeasters that combine with good swells from the west.
When it all comes together, there are both lefts and rights without the crowds you often see at Sombrio Beach or Jordan River, although there are some dangerous rip currents so don’t get complacent.
We already mentioned how popular Sombrio Beach is with the surfing crowd, but the real big-time waves can be found at Jordan River. This is where the locals come to enjoy difficult but exhilarating conditions. Just bear in mind, they don’t always take kindly to outsiders getting in the way, so tread lightly.
7. Find a Remote Lake for Windsurfing
It may not be super-convenient, but lovely Nitinat Lake is a somewhat surprising top windsurfing destination. It isn’t far from Port Renfrew as the crow flies (assuming the crow in question doesn’t get distracted by some trash or a tasty dead animal) but to get there you have to drive inland first, then up and around – it’ll take about 2 hours or so to cover the rough 100 kilometres on local logging roads.
The payoff, though, is that Nitinat Lake enjoys completely unique and absolutely perfect windsurfing conditions. Since the lake opens onto the ocean it acts as a vacuum, sucking cool coastal air down the chute to provide amazing, consistent thermal winds.
Throw in the picturesque old growth forest surroundings and the whole thing starts to feel like something created in a Hollywood studio. You know, if Hollywood studios made movies about windsurfing.
8. Go for a Paddle
The calm waters of the San Juan River Estuary Ecological Reserve are ideal for canoeing and kayaking, with scenic ponds and rivers and a very gentle current.
The area is teeming with wildlife, including Roosevelt elk, deer, black bears and loads of energetic river otters. There are also hundreds of different bird species on display, so don’t get too excited about the first ones you see.
Fairy Lake is connected to the estuary and is an outstanding paddling area in its own right (and your big chance to get up close and personal with a fake bonsai / actual midget fir tree).
9. Catch a Record Breaker – Port Renfrew Fishing
How have we gotten this far without talking about Port Renfrew fishing? Port Renfrew is famous for its salmon fishing, with local First Nations people living off fishing for thousands of years. The name Pacheedaht even translates to “Children of the Sea Foam”.
The Swiftsure Bank, located around 40 kilometres offshore, is one of the biggest feeding grounds for salmon stopping off for lunch on their way to spawn in many of the west coast’s most famous waterways, including the Fraser River, Columbia River, Puget Sound and local runs such as those at Nitinat Lake, Port San Juan and Sooke. Massive schools of baitfish at Swiftsure Bank draw in huge numbers of Chinook (Spring/King), Coho (Silver), Sockeye and Pink salmon, making it one of the top salmon fishing regions in the world.
The season typically runs from July to October and sometimes in September you can even catch Coho right from the beach.
It is also an excellent place to fish for “chicken halibut”, which are lively and plentiful 20-50 pounders (10-25 kilos). Of course, in some of the quieter areas nearby you can also find the really big ones (the record is 240 pounds / 110 kg).
Heading inland, you can catch steelhead and trout in Harris Creek and the San Juan and Gordon rivers during the winter months.
Smelt fishing is another popular pastime, with people setting their nets just off the beach and patiently sitting back to await their haul.
Of course, if you are looking for something a little more proactive, you can opt for a fishing charter – McKenna Sportfishing and No Bananas Fishing Charters are both popular outfits that know the coast like the back of their hand(s). Another option is to book one of the all-inclusive fishing adventures at Trailhead Resort.
No matter where or how you end up fishing, remember that you need a license. Make sure you buy your fishing license online ahead of time (you can’t buy them in Port Renfrew any more) and print a copy – you must have a printed copy with you at all times (while fishing, I mean, not when you are doing other things, like reading or having a bath).
Finally, if you have your own boat you can launch it at the Port Renfrew Marina and there are berths available on a first come, first-served basis. You are also allowed to sleep on your boat, if it happens to be set up for that sort of thing.
10. Try Whale and Sea Lion Watching
There is always a chance of spotting whales or sea lions from any of the beaches, trails and viewpoints around Port Renfrew. March and April are the best times to see grey whales when they are passing by on their annual migration up to Alaska.
Orcas can be spotted any time of year, preferably from a safe distance.
Of course, if you want to up your odds you should take a whale watching tour. Orca Spirit Adventures runs tours that go up the West Coast Trail coastline taking in Sea Lion Rock and Carmanah Point Light Station along the way.
One of the best Vancouver Island whale watching tours is based out of Victoria but if you’re visiting Port Renfrew you are probably going to end up near the city eventually. You can enjoy a 3-hour tour in a modern (and perfectly safe!) Zodiac to get up close and personal with the giants of the sea while spending the entire time enjoying the unbelievable scenery of the island’s beautiful coastline.
Click here for prices and availability
Port Renfrew Hotels and Accommodation
Considering its size, there are a suprising number of choices when it comes to Port Renfrew accommodation, including hotels, cabins and camping. We book the majority of our hotels on Booking.com. With frequent stay discounts, thousands of reviews and free cancellation, it is very rare for us to have a bad hotel experience these days.
Great Escape – Port Renfrew
This fantastic 2-bedroom bunkhouse features a nice terrace with a BBQ, fireplace and views of beautiful blue water of Port San Juan. Guests rave about the amazing hot tub at Great Escape – Port Renfrew and it is located conveniently close to all the outstanding Port Renfrew sights and activities.
Click here to check availability at Great Escape – Port Renfrew
Wild Renfrew Seaside Cottages
With an incredible view and the sound of the waves to lull you to sleep, Wild Renfrew Seaside Cottages is a great choice for accommodation in Port Renfrew. It is close to the local pub and marina and also has a private beach to relax on.
Click here to check prices at Wild Renfrew Seaside Cottages
Trailhead Resort
A good option for avid fishermen is to book a stay at the comfortable, friendly Trailhead Resort. Located right in Port Renfrew, they offer immersive fishing adventures (both salmon and halibut) with a lot of local info to help you maximize your luck. They offer a wide variety of units from very affordable economy rooms to full cottages and suites.
Click here to check availability and prices at Trailhead Resort
Handsome Dan’s
Handsome Dan’s Cottages have that intriguing name, of course, as well as kitchens in all the cottages so you can make some of your own meals. It is pet-friendly and the fire pit is a great way to end the day.
Click here for prices and availability
Where to Stay on the Way to Port Renfrew
If you are planning to explore some of the great beaches, hikes and waterfalls along the south coast of Vancouver Island you could consider one of these nice options located between Port Renfrew and Victoria.
Great Escape – Shirley
For something a little different, check out this luxurious RV parked in the beautiful forest near about an hour outside Victoria and close to all the best beaches. Even though you stay in a (stationary) RV at Great Escape – Shirley, there is wifi, satellite TV, BBQ, comfortable furniture and even a hot tub. A nice, secluded getaway along the Vancouver Island coast.
Ocean Wilderness Inn
This beautiful hideaway is one of the best places to stay along the south coast of Vancouver Island. Occupying a large section of lush forest, Ocean Wilderness Inn is completely surrounded by nature, wildlife and excellent hiking. There is a jacuzzi, exceptional views, an excellent breakfast and a gorgeous private beach is just a short walk away.
Located close to the small village of Shirley, this is an ideal location for exploring the many beaches, hikes and waterfalls found in both directions along the coast.
Port Renfrew Camping
There are a few places you can camp in and around Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. Pacheedaht Campground and Middle Beach Campground both are basic campgrounds with pleasant surroundings.
For full details on all the camping options in and around Port Renfrew, check out: Port Renfrew Camping: Choosing the Best Campground
Not far from there, Port Renfrew Marina and RV Park has 140 serviced and 30 non-serviced sites. Right in town, Port Renfrew RV Resort is another option with good facilities that is close to shops and restaurants, although it is closed in the winter.
There are some basic sites out on idyllic Fairy Lake and if you really want the primitive beach camping experience, head to Sombrio Beach and just set up camp any place that suits your fancy.
Where to Eat in Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island
There aren’t a lot of Port Renfrew restaurants to choose from but there should be enough to cover all your needs.
The Renfrew Pub has a great patio overlooking the water and is known for its craft beers and classic pub food like burgers and chicken fingers.
Tomi’s Home Cookin is small with a limited menu but is a great stop for breakfast or a latte on the deck.
If you are looking for light meals with a west coast flavour then Coastal Kitchen is for you. The seafood chowder is definitely a good pick!
Port Renfrew Map
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How to Get to Port Renfrew
Most visitors to Port Renfrew either arrive on Vancouver Island by ferry from the mainland or fly into Victoria or Nanaimo. For checking out flights we usually find that SkyScanner is the fastest and most accurate site. And if you need to rent a car, we’ve used Discover Cars in Vancouver (plus many other countries). They usually have the cheapest deals and have always been very reliable.
There are two main roads coming into Port Renfrew from Victoria and Lake Cowichan. Both are paved and are considered part of the Pacific Marine Circle Route. However, it always take a bit longer than you expect. Coming from Victoria, the road is narrow, busy and difficult to pass on, although it follows right along the ocean and is very scenic.
Coming from the Nanaimo/Lake Cowichan direction the road is also narrow, not very busy but definitely slow in parts due to conditions. Here are the distances and times from the most common places near Port Renfrew.
Sooke to Port Renfrew: 70 km / 75 min
Victoria to Port Renfrew: 110 km / 2 hrs
Nanaimo to Port Renfrew: 135 km / 2 hrs
Lake Cowichan to Port Renfrew: 60 km / 75 min
Trip Planning Resources
Here is a list of the most important resources we use when planning our travels, all in one convenient spot. Full disclosure, when you use any of these links to reserve or sign up for something, we receive a small commission which is greatly appreciated. However, your price does not change and we have only included products and websites that we can honestly recommend.
- We book the majority of our hotels on Booking.com. With frequent stay discounts, thousands of reviews and free cancellation, it is very rare for us to have a bad hotel experience these days.
- Wise is by far the best international multicurrency bank account we’ve found. We can now send and receive money in half a dozen different currencies, convert to dozens more with no exchange premium and pay or withdraw local currencies. Highly recommended.
- When travelling we always get SIM cards with data for our phones. Local SIM cards are sometimes a bit cheaper but if you have a relatively new smartphone (iPhone XR or newer, Samsung S20 or newer) you can just buy an eSIM online, get a QR code by email and you’re good to go. After extensive research we have found that JetPac sim cards usually have the best coverage and prices.
- If you’re interested in local guided tours, including everything from city tours to cooking lessons to adventure activities, check out the huge range of options at Get Your Guide.
Port Renfrew BC Summary
Port Renfrew BC is one of the most remote wilderness outposts you will ever find within a 2-hour drive of a major city. This unlikely marriage of convenience and beautiful natural surroundings make it an essential stop on any Vancouver Island road trip or vacation. This list of things to do in Port Refrew should make it easy to fill all your time and leave you planning your next visit as soon as you leave.
Other useful articles you may want to check out:
Tofino Camping: The Best and Worst of Tofino Campgrounds
Wild Coast Hiking in East Sooke Park
Esquimalt Lagoon: Bird Sanctuary and Driftwood Sculpture Beach
Witty’s Lagoon and Sitting Lady Falls
Amazing Things to Do on Hornby Island
Hornby Island Camping and Glamping: Breaking Down All the Options