By Lauren Kramer

The seaplane ride from Vancouver International Airport’s South Terminal to Bedwell Sound on Vancouver Island is utterly spectacular on a blue-sky day. Our aircraft ascends over a pod of seals basking like large lizards in the June sun, and before long we’re sailing over densely forested slopes that rise to snow-capped mountain peaks. Turquoise lakes dot the landscape and a river snakes through the valleys. Soar over this sheer expanse of rugged wilderness and you feel awestruck by its immensity, grateful to soak up a view that’s barely changed since the beginning of time. 

Our destination is Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge in Bedwell Sound, a UNESCO biosphere located midway through Vancouver Island. With no roads in and no roads out of this forested, mountainous region, the only access is by seaplane or an hour’s boat ride from Tofino, BC. Forty-five minutes after takeoff, we begin our descent, the aircraft weaving through a valley that opens dramatically into Bedwell Sound, the ocean visible only minutes before we touch down in the choppy water.   

Visits to the lodge are all-inclusive of a wide assortment of activities and a culinary menu that belies the remoteness of Clayoquot’s location. In the kitchen a team of culinary professionals delivers sophisticated meals coupled with cocktails and an impressive wine list. We dine on tortellini with nettles and thyme cream, braised oxtail with pickled celery root, and spruce tip ice cream with pine nut biscuits. Each meal is a tantalizing treat where rich flavors meet impeccable presentation. It’s first-class dining in the middle of nowhere, and when you consider the logistics of building, outfitting, and maintaining a lodge of this caliber, it boggles the mind. 

We arrive to an itinerary packed with two experiences each day and filled with activities that keep us inspired, challenged, and invigorated. Our first day we board a boat and head into the channels around Bedwell Sound, weaving between islets on a quest to view wildlife. A marine ecosystem teaming with aquatic life, the coast of Vancouver Island offers no shortage of sightings. 

We stop to admire a raft of 50 sea otters somersaulting playfully in a line, their curious, whiskered faces alert and attentive. “We call them the puppies of the sea, but they can be vicious,” warns our marine guide, Derek. Hunted to near extinction 40 years ago, the sea otter population has rebounded and today the rafts are frequent sightings in the channels between Meares and Vargas Island.   

Around the next corner a herd of Steller sea lions rests on a rocky outcropping, unperturbed by the fierce waves that crash over the rocks, sending rivulets of water cascading back to the ocean. Breeding season is over and these two-ton bachelors growl at each other as they vie for space on the rocks. One, clearly the pack leader, stands above the rest emitting throaty, intimidating bellows and clearly asserting his authority. 

En route home we stop to watch a black bear forage for food on the shoreline, his thick coat glistening in the afternoon sun as he effortlessly excavates large rocks on the beach. The remote wilderness of Vancouver Island is prime black bear domain, and we see another a day later, this time while kayaking through the estuary. We paddle gently past as the bear explores the coast just feet away.  

Over the next few days, we power through the trails on electric bikes and hike through the fragrant rainforest to nearby waterfalls. We cross bubbling creeks, traverse a suspension bridge over the river’s deep, turquoise water, and cool off by dipping our heads into the flowing glacial currents of the Bedwell Falls.  

Back at the lodge, thoughtful touches are constantly delivered to guests: A coffee thermos arrives at our tent flap early in the morning, and yoga and stretch classes begin each day. Hot water bottles warm our beds at night, and sumptuous meals punctuate our activities with culinary treats. We dine on sablefish and sip cocktails as we watch the light change over the water and breathe in the pure, fresh mountain air.  

On our last day we succumb to a massage in the Healing Grounds Spa, fully aware of how privileged we are to be guests of a destination that is so hard to reach and so richly inspiring once you get here. A visit to Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge is a trip of a lifetime that offers a complete disconnect from the world back home. Here, the ocean and forests bring serenity to the soul, rejuvenating the spirit and reminding us just how much beauty the Canadian wilderness protects and nurtures.