Halibut Cove

If you only have two days in Homer [1], spend half of one visiting enchanted Halibut Cove (pop. 75) across Kachemak Bay [2] on Ismailof Island. At one time Halibut Cove was the center for a thriving herring fishery, with 36 saltries operating. The fishery collapsed in 1928, and today the town is a small center for artists and fishers.

Halibut Cove has long been known for its picturesque harbor ringed by dense green forests; unfortunately, most of the trees were killed by a devastating spruce bark beetle infestation in the 1990s, so the land is in recovery mode now.

The town consists of a long boardwalk that connects shorefront businesses and homes. Learn more about the area at www.halibutcove.com [3].

Sights

The boat docks in front of the Saltry Restaurant. Follow the boardwalk through an old boat barn, past the horses, and on to Halibut Cove Experience Gallery (907/296-2215, www.halibutcoveexperience.com [4]), an excellent cooperative.

A short distance down the boardwalk are side stairs climbing steeply to the studio of the late Diana Tillion (907/296-2207), known for her subtle octopus-ink watercolors. The boardwalk passes Clem and Diana Tillion’s classic Alaskan home (a resident for over 70 years, Clem is jokingly called “the king of Halibut Cove”) before ending at a sandy beach.

If you’re looking for a little hike, walk along the boardwalk from the Saltry Restaurant till you see a gate on the left. Go through the gate and follow the trail up the hill for all-encompassing views of Halibut Cove [5], Kachemak Bay [2], eagles, and a rocky arch along the shore below.

Accommodations

At Cove Country Cabins (907/235-6374 or 888/353-2683, www.halibutcovealaska.com [6]) stay in three attractive timber-frame cabins, each with a kitchenette, running water, and an outhouse, plus a central shower house. These range from a little unit ($150 d) to a two-story house ($200 d) with a fine view. The owners also operate Bay Roamers Water Taxi.

Quiet Place Lodge (907/296-2212, www.quietplace.com [7]) features three romantic cabins and all-inclusive packages: $3,360 d for three nights.

Alaska’s Ridgewood Lodge (907/296-2217, www.ridgewoodlodge.com [8], $450 pp per day) is a large and modern place in Halibut Cove.

Stillpoint in Halibut Cove (907/296-2283, www.stillpointlodge.com [9]) hosts workshops, retreats, and weddings in an architecturally stunning setting.

Food

Halibut Cove’s acclaimed Saltry Restaurant (907/296-2223, www.thesaltry.com [10], lunch and dinner, entrées $16–35, mid-May –early Sept.) serves daily pasta specials, a wonderful seafood chowder ($8 with bread), Kachemak Bay [2] oysters, and buffalo steaks. Everything is homemade, from the decorated plates to the fresh breads, pies, and chocolate cheesecake. There’s a waterfront deck for alfresco dining on a sunny afternoon, a full bar, a clamshell-shaped aquarium filled with tide-pool creatures (free talks are at 3:30 p.m.), and a blazing fire in the outdoor pit. The Saltry is open for lunch and dinner; dinner reservations are required.

Getting to Halibut Cove

Most visitors arrive on board the Danny J, a classic wooden boat that has been transporting passengers from the Homer Spit [11] to Halibut Cove for decades. It does the run twice daily Memorial Day–Labor Day. The noon sailing costs $49 adults, $45 seniors, $30 kids and includes a tour of the Gull Island [2] bird sanctuary, which Alfred Hitchcock should’ve known about; wear a hat and breathe through your mouth!

After three hours onshore in Halibut Cove, the boat returns to Homer [1]. Its second trip ($30) leaves Homer at 5 p.m., and is only for visitors with dinner or lodging reservations. For details and reservations, contact Central Charters (907/235-7847 or 800/478-7847, www.centralcharter.com [12]).

As an alternative, Bay Roamers Water Taxi (907/399-6200, www.halibutcovealaska.com [6]) has a combination trip ($105) that includes transport from Homer to Kachemak Bay State Park [13] (typically Grewingk Glacier trails), an evening water taxi to the Saltry in Halibut Cove, and return on board the Danny J.