Port Hardy (population: 3,822) is the largest community on the coast of North Vancouver Island. The gateway to the Inside Passage and Discovery Coast Passage - and the northern terminus of the Vancouver Island Highway, it's where most North Island adventures begin. Because it’s a business centre as well as a tourist destination, Port Hardy feels busier than other island communities of similar size. It also offers more in the way of amenities and services. Visitors can avail themselves of a full range of recreational facilities, shopping options and accommodation. Sightseeing & Shopping in Port Hardy Stroll the Waterfront Walkway alongside Hardy Bay and watch the harbour activity. Then head past Fisherman's Wharf and follow the sidewalk into town to Market Street, a main shopping area and the location of the Port Hardy Museum which contains Aboriginal exhibits and others on the European settlement in the area. Outdoor Activities in Port Hardy Outdoor recreation possibilities are almost endless but the area is particularly well known for world-class saltwater fishing, coldwater diving and wilderness hiking. Take a forestry tour, hike the Quatse River Trail, tour the Quatse River hatchery, rent a kayak, take a whale watching trip, or visit the Visitor Centre to plan a hike to San Josef Bay. Art & Culture in Port Hardy Port Hardy's art scene is dominated by Aboriginal artists, some of the best on the island, who produce exquisite pieces in a range of mediums. At Fort Rupert, the site of a former Hudson's Bay Company fort, see carvers at work in a First Nations gallery. Magnificent Kwakiutl masks from the Port Hardy area are highly prized by collectors. Getting There Port Hardy has a BC Ferries terminal that serves ferries sailing the Inside Passage.
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