Port Hardy Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
district municipality in British Columbia, Canada
About Port Hardy
Beaver Cove, near the BC Ferries Terminal, is the oldest known site of human habitation on Vancouver Island (circa 5850 BCE). The first contact with Europeans occurred in 1836 when the steamship S.S.Beaverwas sent on an exploratory trip by Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). To exploit coal deposits, the HBC to establish a fortified trading post at Beaver Harbour around 1848, and named it “Fort Rupert” after the company’s governor, Prince Rupert, Duke of Bavaria. Though little of the fort remains today, the Kwakiutl First Nations (Indigenous people) continue to reside adjacent to the former fort site. Port Hardy’s population grew to a little over 5,000 residents while the Island Copper Mine was operating from 1971-1995 about 16 km south of the town. The open-pit porphyry copper mine employed over
Top Attractions in Port Hardy
Explore the best things to see and do in Port Hardy:
- ★Beaver Harbour Park
- ★Carrot Park
- ★Fort Rupert
- ★Fort Rupert Trail
- ★Port Hardy Museum
- ★Port Hardy Seawall
- ★Quatse Salmon Stewardship Centre
- ★Tex Lyon's Trail
Where to Eat in Port Hardy
Must-try local food and restaurants:
- 🍴Cafe Guido
- 🍴Glen Lyon Restaurant
- 🍴Karai Sushi & Grill
- 🍴Market Street Café
- 🍴Mo's Restaurant
- 🍴Seto's Wok and Grill
Where to Stay in Port Hardy
- 🏨Airport Inn
- 🏨Bear Cove Cottages
- 🏨Ecoscape Cabins
- 🏨Glen Lyon
- 🏨Kwa'lilas Hotel
- 🏨North Coast Cottages
Port Hardy Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 12 sections including: