5 Best Beaches In Ucluelet

Are you looking for the best beaches in Ucluelet?

Ucluelet is known as a fishing town or the sister town of Tofino. While most people have Tofino on their top bucket list of places to visit on Vancouver Island, you should take advantage of the town of Ucluelet, which has beautiful beaches and a rocky and rugged coastline.

I visited Ucluelet before and have to say that I liked it more overall than Tofino. While there are fewer and smaller beaches in Ucluelet than in Tofino, they’re still beautiful to discover.

Best Beaches In Ucluelet

These are the beaches that you can find when you visit Ucluelet. Honestly, visiting some of the beaches made Ucluelet worth visiting for us.

1. Big Beach Picnic Park

Big Beach Picnic Park is first on this list and my personal favourite. My boyfriend and I were on a drive around Ucluelet to see what was around, and we decided to stop at Big Beach.

Located in front of the Ucluelet Community Centre, this beach is an excellent place to look for marine life in the tide pools, walk along the massive black rocks, or watch the stunning sunset.

We also saw some people with small campfires and barbecuing hot dogs and burgers on the beach. There are also picnic tables on the grass area for you to use instead.

There’s also a tree stump display called The Tree of Life, which explains how First Nations have used cedar trees for thousands of years to make household items, such as weaving baskets, homes, canoes, tools, and more.

Another display sign shows an eagle wingspan, so you can compare your wingspan and play an information game where you can guess the correct answers.

If you also want to walk along part of the Wild Pacific Trail, you can do so at Big Beach, or if you’re already walking along it, you’ll pass by.

2. Little Beach

This beach lives up to its name: Little Beach, is a little beach. It’s a quiet spot in Ucluelet with calmer water and is more protected from wind.

In addition, Little Beach is an excellent spot if you have a paddle board or want to swim in the ocean. 

While the tide can get relatively high on this beach, there are few places to sit and relax; however, you can explore it more when it’s low tide.

3. Terrace Beach

Terrace Beach is the largest beach in Ucluelet. In the secluded cove, you can go beachcombing, explore the tide pools, and enjoy the forest views. You could see little crabs, anemones, and starfish on or under rocks.

My boyfriend and I accessed Terrace Beach through the Ucluelet Lighthouse Loop Trail, as a sign directed us to a beach area. It was beautiful and quiet because there weren’t many people around, so we explored the rocky beach almost all to ourselves.

As a heads up, if you’re accessing Terrace Beach through the trail, the stairs are slippery when wet. The same is true, with a couple of stumps at the bottom of the staircase.

4. Brown’s Beach

Browns Beach is the smallest beach in Ucluelet. It’s not a beach where you can sit and hang out, but more of a place to stop and take pictures of the beautiful rocky landscape and explore the small area.

It’s part of the Wild Pacific Trail, so you’ll stop by this beautiful spot if you’re hiking along the trail. My boyfriend and I went on a walk and stopped by here; it was beautiful.

However, we didn’t know about walking down to Brown’s Beach, and it started to rain, so we turned back and headed home.

5. Florencia Bay

While Florencia Bay is outside Ucluelet and borders Tofino as one of the best beaches in Tofino, it’s the next big beach near Ucluelet.

However, you’ll have to do some hiking along boardwalk, dirt paths, and a steep staircase; but it’s all worth it. But be careful when or after it rains, as the boardwalk and stairs can be slippery.

Florencia Bay is secluded and has calmer water than the rest of the beaches (unless during a storm). It’s excellent for families and is also fantastic for kayaking, boogie-boarding, or spotting wildlife.

Since the area is secluded, wildlife, such as bears, wolves, cougars, and possibly sea lions, are well-known to explore the area. Keep your distance and alert the proper authorities if you spot a wild animal.

Best Time To Visit Ucluelet

The best time to visit Ucluelet is the summer months, from June to August, when the weather is better and the temperatures are warmer.

However, if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative and fewer tourists, March to May or September to November will be your next best option. However, you may have to sacrifice the weather, as there could be more rain and cooler temperatures.

We visited in mid-April and lucked out on the weather with only a few rainy days. The prices were also cheaper than if we had visited in the summer. Plus, there were fewer tourists and congestion around.

How To Get To Ucluelet

Getting to Ucluelet from the mainland is the same route as travelling to Tofino from Vancouver.

At the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal in West Vancouver, you’ll take the 1 hour and 40-minute non-stop ferry ride to Nanaimo (Departure Bay) and then drive approximately 2 hours and 51 minutes towards Tofino.

But instead of turning right at the fork on the Pacific Rim Highway, you’ll turn left on the Tofino Ucluelet Highway and drive 25 minutes to Ucluelet.

Where To Stay In Ucluelet

These are a couple of places if you’re looking for where to stay in Ucluelet.

💎 Black Rock Oceanfront Resort

The Black Rock Oceanfront Resort is luxurious and beautiful. It was built on top of black rocks on a cliffside, and guests can enjoy stunning ocean views from the on-site restaurant or the small outdoor pool.

🎯 Pacific Rim Motel

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, the Pacific Rim Motel is in an excellent location in town. Although older and outdated, it’s clean, comfortable, and has friendly staff.

Conclusion

As you can see, while Ucluelet has fewer beaches in the town, there are still beautiful locations to explore, like Big Beach and Terrace Beach. Don’t forget to look for the little crabs under the rocks and enjoy your time exploring the best beaches in Ucluelet.

Have a good day 🙂