Burton House (1929) in Telegraph Cove

These days, the tiny town is a major destination during the summer months, when the snug little bay bustles with boaters, anglers, campers, kayakers and whale-watchers. With its colourful buildings and peaceful inlet setting, Telegraph Cove, one of the last boardwalk communities of eastern Vancouver Island, is worth a visit even if you're not planning to do any offshore exploring.

Population: 20

Location: Telegraph Cove is located on the eastern coast of Northern Vancouver Island, 30 minutes south of Port McNeill and 11 kilometers off the Island Highway via Beaver Cove Road. The top half of 280-mile-long Vancouver Island is served by a maze of logging roads, and Highway 19 (north Island Hwy), which links Telegraph Cove and Campbell River (2.5-hour drive).

• Many original buildings still stand - the town is built on stilts, raised above the water on pilings and linked by a wooden boardwalk.

• Historic boardwalk village of Telegraph Cove

  Explore the North Island's Kwakwaka'wakw culture - archeologists date this area's first residents from 8000 years ago!

• Radio listeners within 15 kilometres of this killer whale sanctuary can tune into the all-whale radio station.

• The Whale Interpretive Centre was established to increase public awareness about marine mammals in the area and the threats facing them. Its “Bones Project” exhibit includes complete skeletons of various species, including two types of whale, a sea lion, seal, dolphin and otter. You can also see the jaw bones of a blue whale, the largest animal ever to inhabit the earth.

• Gateway to Robson Bight Provincial Park, an ecological reserve - up to 200 Orcas arrive each summer to rub on the barnacle-encrusted rocks at the mouth of the Tsitika River. As the top predator on the inland-water food chain, they are also attracted by the annual salmon runs that funnel through Johnstone Strait beginning in late June. Whale watching and wildlife-viewing companies are also based in Port McNeill, Alert Bay, Sointula, Sayward and Port Hardy.

• Stubbs Island, located off Telegraph Cove, is a popular and fascinating dive site, featuring terraced ledges, sheer drop-offs and an opportunity to see orcas, dolphins and other marine mammals.

• Golf: Golfers can head to the public, 9-hole, Par 35 Seven Hills Golf & Country Club in nearby Port Hardy, the northernmost golf course on Vancouver Island. Seven Hills offers the golfer meadering fairways and undulating greens, with scenic views of the North Island Mountains. Open year round. Golf Vacations on Vancouver Island.

• Fishing: The fishing areas around Telegraph Cove are not only surrounded by spectacular scenery and sheltered waters, but also contain some of the most consistent saltwater sports fishing on the BC coast.

• Across the strait from Telegraph Cove is Broughton Archipelago Provincial Marine Park, a wilderness area consisting of a maze of several small islands, numerous inlets and adjacent foreshore at the southern extremity of Queen Charlotte Strait, off the west coast of Gilford Island. The islands in Broughton Archipelago are undeveloped and are largely undiscovered. Facilities are limited to a day-use recreation. The numerous remote, solitary islands incorporated in the park provide unlimited and unique fishing and swimming opportunities, and are fabulous for exploring by kayak.

• Telegraph Cove is the place to begin exploring Johnstone Strait. You'll find a boat launch and moorage, as well as fishing licences, tackle and bait for sale. This is a prime staging area for kayak departures. Long-term parking can be arranged here for those setting out on extended boating trips in Johnstone Strait.

• Accessible only by boat or float plane, the mostly uninhabited Knight Inlet is located due north of Johnstone Strait and the small communities of Telegraph Cove and Sayward/Kelsey Bay on Vancouver Island. Knight Inlet cuts eighty miles through the remote Coast Range of Mountains to the head of Knight Inlet, and Mt. Waddington, the highest mountain located totally within British Columbia. Grizzly bears around Knight Inlet emerge from hibernation in spring (starting in April) to feed on the succulent new spring growth. Viewing peaks during fall (late August) when the salmon are running, as grizzlies converge on the salmon spawning streams to feed on the salmon and stock their fat reserves in preparation for winter ahead.