• Spirit bears, Canada

Highlights and main attractions of Bella Bella

Highlights and main attractions of Bella Bella

Strategically located on the Inside Passage, 98 nautical miles north of Port Hardy and 78 nautical miles west of Vancouver, Bella Bella has become a major transportation hub for the Central Coast of British Columbia. 

Bella Bella has amalgamated from the Heiltsuk tribes that occupied numerous non-permanent villages in the winter and spring. When the European explorers arrived to the coast in the 18th Century, there were natives from numerous different cultural groups here, unable to establish permanent villages. These complex cultures all had their lust for a ‘rich spirit life’ in common - a theme that continues to this day and of the 1,450 (approx.) residents here, about 90% are Heiltsuk and 5% First Nations, the other 5% classed as non-First Nations.

Grizzly bear in the river, Canada

Location and activities

Most people simply travel through Bella Bella, making their way into the Canadian wild in search of wildlife and that sense of the undiscovered. From here you can access Eucott Bay Hot Springs, popular with boaters – great at the end of a coastal expedition. The first, or last, stop tends to be the Fjordland Conservancy, a 91,000 hectare area of complex coastline of inlets, bays, fjords and islands. Waterfalls dot sheer granite walls and mountains are covered in thick sitka spruce.  

The Island Roamer starts and finishes its expeditions here, depending on which way you want to go, as does the luxurious Pacific Yellowfin. This classic 1943 wooden yacht travels the coast in search of wildlife, such as the vanilla-white spirit bears, huge grizzlies, otters, wolves or deer, in a land where the Pacific Ocean sculpts the landscape.


This is a truly wonderful spot for some pioneering canoeing, archaeological sites and offers unlimited wildlife opportunities.

BOOK YOUR CANADA SAFARI

Contact one of our Destination Specialists to start planning your journey to Canada. Please note we recommend a budget of from £7,000 / $10,000 USD per person for our style of trip to this destination.

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