Things To Do - Woods End Landing - Cottages

Play and Relax on the Nearby Beaches

The incredible Pacific coastline Brady’s Beach beach is just a few minutes walk, bike or side by side away

Brady’s Beach looking south – accessible by trail 500 meters or by road 25 minute walk (3 kms)

Brady’s Beach looking north – accessible by trail 500 meters from your cottage or by road 25 minute walk (3 kms).

Paddleboard, Kayak and Canoe

Surrounded by water, Bamfield is the gateway to the Broken Group Islands & the Pacific Rim National Park. Nothing beats feeling the ocean breeze on your face, smelling the freshness of saltwater and enjoying the natural beauty of the untouched shorelines. Did you know Vancouver Island has 3,400 kms of coastline…?! We’ll pack you a sandwich.

Our Maui 124s are a great stand up paddle board for anybody new to paddleboarding and even for the experienced paddlers

Comfortable open top Pelican Odyssey Kayaks at your fingertips to explore the limitless coves and catch dinner

bgi — Paddle to any of the endless Cape Beale Peninsula beaches.
Hundreds of protected inlets or blue water all the way to the Deer Group and the Broken Group of islands.

Hike To the Blowhole or the Lighthouse

The Blowhole (40 minutes) and Lighthouse (6 hours return) hikes start just outside your door at the back of the property. A quick 40 minute hike will bring you to the blowhole. Longer hikes include the Cape Beale lighthouse and parts of the West Coast Trail.

Towering giant old growth along the blowhole hike

Holly and Jill at the blowhole after successfully navigating the Blowhole Hike

Cape Beale Lighthouse at the end of the Lighthouse Trail Hike that starts on the property

Keeha Beach southwest with a little more action

Lighthouse Trail Hike – Tapaltos Beach at sunset

Tour or Take a Class at the Marine Sciences Center

Located just 5 minutes away, kids and adults alike love the BMSC. With more PhDs per capita then pretty much anywhere else on earth, a must visit is the Bamfield Marine Sciences Center where you can take tours and learn about the most important resource we have on Earth… our oceans.

Stroll the Boardwalk and the West Village

Walk along the on the boardwalk to the West Village for ice cream or pizza or even the yummy smokies they sell at the Bamfield Mercantile store. Fill your day cooler and wind back along the road to Brady’s Beach.

The Bamfield Boardwalk. No need to bring a sandwich… it’s only 1500 metres long. But definitely get take out at Bamfield Mercantile located at the North end.

The Bamfield West Dock where the passenger boat from Port Alberni ties up.

Immerse in the Bamfield Music By The Sea Festival

Since 2006, Music by the Sea has been presenting international artists at a nine day music festival featuring 11 concerts by top international performers set against the stunning backdrop of the Pacific Ocean in Bamfield. Featuring classical and contemporary solo and chamber music, sophisticated jazz and alternative music—each concert features a unique and diverse selection. “Superb acoustics and the spectacular backdrop of Vancouver Island’s mystic, bold Pacific make this truly the most inspiring venue anywhere in the Pacific Northwest—an intimate musical experience in a breathtaking setting.”

_{(Photo credits: Music By the Sea – most of the photos below are from Bamfield, and some are from recent 2020 and January 2021 virtual performances being hosted in Victoria which are truly excellent)}

Take in the Wildlife

Whales, eagles, deer, sea lions, otters, tidal pool life. Simply pull up a chair on the dock, walk the back property or charter a boat tour to see even more. It’s exceedingly rare for visitors to be eaten by bears in Bamfield. Still, bring bear spray.

Dive Vanlene Wreck and the 5 Reefs

National Geographic Magazine recognized Vancouver Island as one of the best cold-water diving destinations in the world.

Jacques Cousteau called BC the second best place on the planet to dive — right after the Red Sea.

2017 Diving Magazine ranked BC the number one advanced diving destination in North America.

And in 2018 British Columbia took home the following seven accolades in the Scuba Diving magazine Readers Choice Awards:

First Place – Walls
Third Place – Best Overall
Third Place – Macro
Third Place – Wrecks
Third Place – Photography
Fifth Place – Conservation
Fifth Place – Advanced

Rodale’s Scuba Diving Magazine (before they uhhh…. went under) rated British Columbia as the worlds best dive destination for:

Best Overall Dive Destination
Best North American Value
Best Macro Life
Best Fish Life
Top U/W Photography
Second for Places to Dive with Big Animals
Healthiest Marine Environment
Best for Advanced Diving
Best Wall Diving
Third Best for Wreck Diving

Bamfield is also the closest launch point (and rescue point) for the Graveyard of the Pacific (which admittedly doesn’t sound like it had a lot of successful rescues…), an area famous for being so treacherous that a trail was developed for shipwrecked sailors to walk back to civilization over many days. That trail is now the famous West Coast hiking trail. Though most of the ships were broken up on the rocks and long ago and retired to DJs Locker, local dive destinations include reefs and the very accessible shallow water wreck Vanlene:

The Vanlene

The Vanlene was a freighter which ran into nearby Austin Island in 1972 in thick fog. Loaded with Dodge Colt cars it took a number of days to sink and most of the cars were recovered. The wreck lies with it’s shattered bow in 25 feet of water and going towards the mostly intact stern, you will encounter lots of life on this wreck. Rockfish schools around the boiler midship, as well as Puget Sound kingcrab. Friendly seals sometimes greet you while on the boat, and whale visits are common in the early summer.

Christie Reef

Not far from the Vanlene, this reef lies on the outer edge towards open ocean. It is a densely populated reef with large numbers of Red Irish lords as well as octopus, wolf-eel, and nudibranchs. Christie is not always an option for diving because it is so exposed, but when you can dive it, it provides an unforgettable experience.

Renate Reef

Located in the Imperial Eagle channel and teaming with of invertebrate life as well as a wealth of fish, Renate Reef with it’s large flat top is home to giant octopus, wolf eel, lingcod, strawberry anemone’s, ratfish, rockfish and many other colourful creatures.

Tyler Rock

For ancient sharks that infrequently attack divers between June and October, Tyler is tops for your sixgill fix at this small pinnacle. Also attending are giant octopus, wolf eel, lingcod, strawberry anemones, ratfish, rockfish and even the occasional sea-lion or even a humpback whale.

Mahk Reef (aka Ratfish Reef)

This site is home to a large population of ratfish, closely related to sharks and rays. These creatures normally live at greater depths, but in the summer they come to shallower waters. On occasion their cousins, large skates, are seen on the sandy patches between and around the reefs.

Kyen Point

A large wall of strawberry anemones at this site makes an astonishing home for a wide variety of invertebrates. During the summer you can swim in the kelp beds between the 2 pinnacles separated by a sand channel. Wolf eel and octopus are among the permanent residents and occasionally sea lions or seals.

Not much, s’chup with you?

A popular night diving and macro photography spot, the depth at Chup Point allows for longer bottom time and more natural light for photos. Small and larger invertebrate life are in abundance at this shallow reef including anemones, doris, nudibranches, orange peels, purple ring top snail, scallops, and sea pens. Chup also usually serves up multiple species of photogenic rockfish.

Mountain Bike

Bring your mountain bike and explore endless miles of trails extending from your cottage at Wood’s End down the Beale Peninsula. Why is there no mountain bike festival in Bamfield? We have to change that. Here is a good story about the ride into Bamfield taking the long way around from Sooke (Victoria).

Gather Wild Food

Mussels, clams, oysters, seaweed, mushrooms, berries, edible greens. Below, mussels at Brady’s Beach and gathering Chanterelle mushrooms for dinner.

Chantrelle gathering at Wood’s End has been excellent this year – we picked these on September 23 and 24, 2020, made them into a horseradish Chantrelle cream sauce paired with red wine and beef tenderloin shared with guests at the fire pit.

Chicken of the Woods mushrooms are growing just a few metres from the Mariner Cottage. Fried chicken of the woods has the crunch and texture of fried chicken, with the mild aroma of mushroom and forest… vegetarians and carnivores unite!

Holly and Saxon of the renowned Docksquatter Pizza serving up their relatively famous BBQ fired hand made fresh Chantrelle and Pepperoni Pizza on the dock on a beautiful warm foggy night Sept 20, 2020.

Oysters, Authors & Ale – September

A celebration of local food, beverages and artists, featuring visiting published and local unpublished authors. The evening features appetizers, oyster tasting, beer tasting, live music and a silent auction. Proceeds from the evening support literacy initiatives in the community of Bamfield and Anacla.