The Bamfield Boardwalk

Quaint and charming Bamfield, with it’s seaside boardwalk and rustic buildings, was one of our favorite “city” stops.  We’d only planned to stay overnight to say goodbye to our friends on Three Sheets, but we liked it so much we decided to hang around another day.

The town of Bamfield is divided into western and eastern sides by Bamfield Inlet, which we heard is called “main street” by the locals.  Only East Bamfield is accessible by road (and dirt roads at that), so if you’re going to West Bamfield, a personal boat, water taxi or sea plane is the only way to get there.

A wooden boardwalk meanders along the West Bamfield shore, backed by timeworn houses, some with gardens spilling roses and hydrangeas onto the walkway.

Cottages are tucked into the hillside here and there, some a little shabby, but in a well-worn, homey sort of way.  From the look of things, many have been around for quite some time.

Along with the houses and summer cottages, there are other unique points of interest, like the place below.  See the path leading to the bright yellow door?  A tiny sign points out that it’s Penny Lane.  And yes, the entire thing is paved with pennies.  We never did figure out what it was supposed to be.

And then there was the cat habitat.  Little kitty houses, kitty barns, kitty lighthouses and other custom-built kitty shelters where the local feline population apparently lives.  We saw a few cats snoozing the afternoon away here.  Not a bad life for a cat!

Part of the cat sanctuary in West Bamfield.  I guess there are a few cat ladies in town…

Always looking to save money where we can, we anchored out instead of staying at the dock.  And as usual, I’m glad we did.  Floating on the hook has such a nice feel about it.  We spent a few peaceful hours on deck in the sunshine, bobbing with the waves and enjoying our books.  It’s a good life.