Yuquot (Friendly Cove)

Yuquot on Nootka Island was a summer village of the Mowachaht for thousands of years, and in 1778 Captain Cook anchored here; within a decade it was the centre of the maritime fur trade and the point where Spain and Britain nearly went to war over the Pacific coast, settled by the Nootka Conventions of the 1790s. Cook called it Friendly Cove. The Spanish built a fort and left. What stands now is a church of 1956 whose windows, given by Spain, show the conventions being signed, a lighthouse, and the graveyard; the village site itself is grass. One Mowachaht family lives there and the nation charges a landing fee.

What you actually see

• The church windows - stained glass given by Spain showing the 1790s treaties.
• The village site - grassed ground where the longhouses stood.
• The lighthouse - a working light on the point above the cove.
• The Uchuck III - a working coastal freighter that carries passengers in.

When to go

June to September, when the Uchuck III runs a passenger schedule; sailings are limited to certain days and book ahead. Weather cancels crossings. Winter access is essentially float plane only.

Honest expectations

There is almost nothing built to see; the significance is historical and the ground is largely empty. The boat trip is most of the day. Camping is basic and permission is required.

Nearby

Gold River is the mainland terminal; Nootka Sound surrounds the island.