Community Life

Port Renfrew (“Renny”) is a small town — home to tall trees, deep roots, and families here for generations. This is a lived-in community with a lumberjack soul.

Renfrew is also home to the Pacheedaht First Nation (“People of the Sea Foam”), part of what makes this place so special.

A forestry and fishing village first, it is a burgeoning outdoor recreation and eco-tourism destination with new options to eat, drink, and stay in style. What has not changed is the small-town experience and ready access to a big, wild, natural world.

History In Motion

We feel the tug of the past, but this is not a museum. We are proud of our origins, our resource legacy, and our deep connection with the natural world.

Vancouver Island has been an ancestral homeland to indigenous peoples for thousands of years. With traditional territory spanning the southwest corner of the Island, the Pacheedaht First Nation has long called the Port Renfrew area home.

The Spanish and English first explored these coastal waters in the late 18th century. Forestry and fishing have been the drivers for settlement and economic development for well over 100 years. These days, it is the incredible natural wonders — wild forests, primordial trails, and stormy coastline — that inspire visitors.With new ways to get here, Port Renfrew is gaining recognition as an authentically West Coast town on the doorstep of a unique and spectacular wilderness.

Wildlife

Port Renfrew is a wilderness wonder for whale-watchers, birders, and budding naturalists. The biggies are all here: orcas, grey whales, humpbacks, otters, seals, salmon, sea lions, wolves, cougars, bald eagles, black bears, elk, and deer. Glimpse them from the trail or kayak, or take advantage of a charter or eco-excursion. Nature on this scale demands respect. Be mindful not to disturb fragile habitat and take precautions to limit undesired human-wildlife interactions. Leave no trace applies.