Port Renfrew, Canada: 12 Beautiful Experiences with Your Family
Botanical Beach Provincial Park
Botanical Beach Provincial Park is one of my favourite beaches on the island, it has pounding waves, tidal pools, and cliffs to climb. We have seen both extremes, visiting on a sunny spring day when the ocean was flat and in the fall when the waves were pounding so hard all you could hear was the roar at Botany Bay. Make sure to keep your eyes on the ocean as rogue waves can hit without any notice. Botanical beach is a 45-minute loop trail through the forest. It has several beach access points and is just a short 10 minute drive from Wild Renfrew.
Pacheedaht Beach
Pacheedaht Beach just over the bridge from town on the lands of the Pacheedaht First Nations you will find a long sandy beach dotted with huge pieces of driftwood to explore. Camping is also available on site.
Sombrio Beach
Sombrio Beach is a 25 minute drive from Port Renfrew (20kms) complete with a hidden waterfall. This is a great place to spend the day surfing.
Avatar Grove
When the local attractions are trees you know you are in for a relaxing weekend. Try the short walk on upper Avatar Grove to check out Canada’s gnarliest tree. Unfortunately, the last time we tried to visit, the grove was closed, watch for signs as you head over the bridge leaving town.
Fairy Lake
Each time we return to one of our favourite spots we find something new to visit; on our most recent trip we drove 10 minutes outside of town on the Pacific Marine Route (keep going and you’ll hit Lake Cowichan) to Fairy Lake to see the bonsai tree growing on a tiny island in the middle of the lake. On our drive to Fairy Lake we saw a heard of elk grazing in the peat bog as we crossed the bridge-pretty spectacular.
Surfing, Paddle Boarding or Kayaking
Depending on the weather you can enjoy the ocean from Pacheedaht Beach. This is a great spot for surfing with the family as the waves are just the right size.
Head out on the West Coast Trail
Pacheena Bay is the start of the famous West Coast Trail. Secure your spot with Parks Canada (about $250/person) before making your way along the 75km rugged west coast trail. This takes most hikers 6-8 days.
Head out on the Juan de Fuca Trail
Botanical Beach marks the end (or start) of the Juan De Fuca Trail, which offers fantastic hiking and backcountry camping and is much easier to access than the more famous West Coast Trail, although many say it can be just as difficult.
Get Out on the Water
Check out a local fishing charter, many of which leave from the Pacific Gateway Marina.
Explore Wild Renfrew
Drive down to Wild Renfrew and head out for a short walk on the pier, check out the shale beach and catch a beautiful sunset over the water before making your way to the Wild Renfrew Pub for dinner with the family. There a couple of small gift shops if you want to pick up a few west coast souvenirs.
Go on a Mushroom Hunt
Our kids loved searching for new types of mushrooms as we hiked the local trails in the fall. While we were careful not to touch the mushrooms, we saw so many new types of mushrooms that we haven’t seen anywhere else. We liked this site to learn more about the different mushrooms that we found.
Roast Marshmallows Over the Campfire
Depending on the time of year you visit and where you stay there will likely be an option for marshmallow roasting at your accommodation. We also enjoyed a fire on the beach after surfing at Pacheedaht in the fall.
