Seldovia

A sleepy fishing village (pop. 300), Seldovia (from the Russian for “herring”) was once the bustling metropolis that Homer [1] is now. The road, the earthquake, and fate exchanged their roles. On the same latitude as Oslo, Norway, Seldovia was first settled by Russians in the early 1800s and became an active fur-trading post.

Through the years, Seldovia has had many ocean-oriented industries, from the short-lived herring boom to salmon, king crab, and tanner.

Seldovia is a convenient place for really getting away from it all. Catch a ride over from Homer on the new fast ferry, with its twice-daily service, or on one of the tour boats.

Find more about Seldovia from the Seldovia Chamber of Commerce’s website (www.seldoviachamber.org [2]). The free Seldovia Visitor newspaper (www.seldoviagazette.com [3]) is available in visitors centers around Alaska [4].

Getting to Seldovia

The State Ferry (907/235-8449, www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs [5]) Tustumena sails over to Seldovia from Homer [1] four times a week, taking 90 minutes and laying over for several hours before returning to Homer.

A new fast ferry debuted twice-daily summertime service between Homer and Seldovia in 2010. The 150-passenger high-speed catamaran—operated by the Seldovia Village Tribe (907/234-7898, www.kachemakvoyager.com [6])—makes the run in 35 minutes.

In the past, two other companies have offered summertime trips between the Spit [7] and Seldovia. The future of these two is unclear, so call to see who is running. The 75-foot Discovery departs Homer at 11 a.m., stopping to watch the puffins and gulls at Gull Island [8] and the sea otters near Sixty Foot Rock. They dock in Seldovia for three hours—perfect for lunch and a walk around town—before heading back across Kachemak Bay, arriving at 5:15 p.m. These very informative tours are $45 adults, $40 seniors, $25 children. Make reservations at Central Charters (907/235-7847 or 800/478-7847, www.centralcharter.com [9]).

The Rainbow Tours (907/235-7272, www.rainbowtours.net [10]) shuttle boat leaves Homer at 10 a.m., returning at 5 p.m. with no stops along the way, but the round-trip fare is just $45 adults, $40 seniors, $35 children. They also have a second trip that includes three hours in Seldovia and a tour of Gull Island [8] and Eldridge Passage for $50 adults, $45 seniors, $40 children.

Two Homer water taxis—Mako’s (907/235-9055, www.makoswatertaxi.com [11]) and Smoke Wagon (907/235-2947 or 888/205-2947, www.homerwatertaxi.com [12])—will set up combo trips that include a water taxi to Jakolof Bay, a taxi ride into Seldovia, and a return flight back to Homer for $135. You can also do this as part of an overnight (or multiple-night) trip. There’s a wonderful seven-mile mountain bike ride up Red Mountain from Jakolof Bay if you’re ambitious.

Both Homer Air (907/235-8591 or 800/478-8591, www.homerair.com [13]) and Smokey Bay Air (907/235-1511 or 888/482-1511, www.smokeybayair.com [14]) fly the 15 minutes from Homer [1] ($96 round-trip) on a daily basis.