Esperanza Inlet is one of the most rugged and inaccessible regions along the westcoast of Vancouver Island. There are no direct roads leading into Esperanza Inlet. The region is rich in history with native habitation dating back thousands of years. Over the last hundred years settlements boomed as a result of a brief gold rush in Zeballos and other mining along in conjunction with numerous canneries being built along the coast. Today much of the population has dwindled except for a few living in some of the scattered settlements. Esperanza is truly wild and rugged with exceptional beaches along Nootka Island and unique geological formations on Catala Island.