Remote Quait Bay, Vancouver Island Photo Clayoquot Wilderness Resorts

Natural wonders in the area include ancient forest cathedrals, magnificent stands of 1,000 year-old cedars, miles of walking trails, moss carpeted thickets, pristine lakes, miles of majestic coastline, abundant wildlife, and water so clear you can see into the depths.

Location: Quait Bay is located off Herbert Inlet, nine miles by water north of Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Quait Bay is accessed by float plane or a 20-minute boat trip from Tofino, via Clayoquot Sound.

• Prominent on the shoreline of Quait Bay is the ultra-luxurious wilderness getaway Clayoquot Wilderness Resort. The 16-room floating resort is embraced by vast tracts of old-growth forest in one of the world's only remaining temperate rainforests. This wilderness spa for the soul includes three private lakes, a natural waterfall-fed pool, horse stables and the spectacular Outpost resort in nearby Bedwell River Valley.

  Hike with a naturalist through the temperate rainforests; sail, canoe or sea kayak the sound; spend a day on the mighty Pacific tracking orcas, humpback and gray whales or trolling and downrigging for salmon and halibut; or fly-cast one of two lakes or five local rivers for trout.

• Fishing: The clear coastal waters surrounding Quait Bay are an angler's paradise, offering some of the best year-round sport fishing found anywhere in the world. The tidal waters of Clayoquot Sound teem with trophy halibut, chinook, coho and tyee salmon. Here, in fast water, clear and cold, and pristine crystal lakes - the time-honored pursuit of cutthroat, rainbow and steelhead plays out. Experienced fishing guides are based at Clayoquot Wilderness Resort.

• Clayoquot Sound, West Coast Vancouver Island

  Clayoquot Sound was designated as the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations in January 2000. A favoured destination for travellers from around the world, boating and kayaking in the calm waters of Clayoquot Sound provide one of the most rewarding ways to experience this pristine wilderness environment, where adventurers are truly at one with nature.

• Hot Springs Cove, located in Maquinna Provincial Park in the remote northern end of Clayoquot Sound, is a splendid hot spring still enjoyable in its natural state. The boiling spring water cascades down a small cliff into a series of layered rock pools, cooled by the incoming ocean surf. Open year-round and accessible only by sea or air, guided tours from Tofino and Clayoquot Wilderness Resort explore Hot Springs Cove, a popular destination with kayakers after paddling past Flores and Vargas Islands.

• South of Quait Bay is the magnificent Pacific Rim National Park, the only national park on Vancouver Island, which provides protection for substantial rain forests and an amazing marine environment on the west coast of Vancouver Island. This unique park encompasses a total area of 49,962 hectare of land and ocean in three separate geographic units - Long Beach, the Broken Group Island and the West Coast Trail. Nature's reward to hardy hikers include immense old-growth rainforests and significant Nuu-chah-nulth archaeological sites, long sandy beaches, prolific and abundant marine life, isolated beaches swept by powerful surf, cliffs, sea stacks, and surge channels.

• Tofino, a pretty fishing village near the entrance to Clayoquot Sound, is a rapidly growing tourist centre for Long Beach and other Pacific Rim destinations. Once a timber and fishing town, Tofino has become a favoured destination for travellers from around the world.