BCO Coastal Gems: Zeballos

Gold mining built the town of Zeballos in the 1930s, when gold was discovered in the hills surrounding the small port at the head of the Zeballos Inlet. The inlet was named after a Spanish lieutenant, Ciriaco Cevallos, in 1972.

At the height of the gold production, Zeballos was a thriving town of over 1500 people. However, the second world war and then a lower price of gold meant an end to the gold mines and the Village slowly reduced in size. Forestry is now the mainstay of the local economy, and approx. 100 people make Zeballos home year-round.

With its road access and the open waters of the Pacific Ocean and the waterways of Nootka Sound beckoning, Zeballos has become a choice destination for fishing and wilderness recreation. There is both fresh water and salt water fishing, as the Zeballos River runs through town.

Zeballos is on the west coast of Vancouver Island, accessed by road from Hwy 19 just north of Woss. This is a Forest Service gravel road and can be in varying condition throughout the year.

The small coastal hamlet is located approximately 14 nautical miles from the open west coast Pacific Ocean and is 17 nautical miles from Tahsis, a small coastal community in the neighbouring inlet to the south.

There are limited services, including a medical clinic, general store, marina and boat fuel sales. In the summer there are a number of accommodation options. Zeballos calls itself the Golden Gate to the West Coast. It offers access to Nootka Sound and the fishing on the west coast of the island, as well as the provincial parks of the northern Island (Woss, Brooks Peninsula, Cape Scott).

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