Port Alberni

The Salmon Capital of Canada — a working Vancouver Island city at the head of the longest inlet on the island.

Port Alberni sits at the head of the Alberni Inlet, the longest inlet on Vancouver Island, in a dramatic valley surrounded by the mountains of the island's interior. It is a working city with a strong forestry and fishing heritage, and it calls itself the Salmon Capital of Canada — a title backed by the extraordinary salmon fishing in the Alberni Inlet and the Somass River. The Alberni Inlet is one of the finest salmon fishing destinations in BC. Chinook salmon run through the inlet in enormous numbers, and the Somass River — which flows through Port Alberni — is one of the most productive salmon rivers on Vancouver Island. The annual Alberni Valley Salmon Derby is one of the largest fishing derbies in BC, drawing thousands of participants every summer. The MV Frances Barkley, a working coastal freighter, departs from Port Alberni on scheduled runs to the remote communities of Barkley Sound — Bamfield, the Broken Group Islands, and Ucluelet — providing one of the most scenic and authentic boat trips on the BC coast. The trip through the inlet and into Barkley Sound passes through extraordinary scenery and provides access to some of the finest wilderness in BC. The Alberni Valley Museum tells the story of the region's Indigenous heritage, forestry history, and development as a resource community. The McLean Mill National Historic Site, a restored steam-powered sawmill, provides a fascinating look at the early forestry industry that shaped the region.