Experience the best of Homer

Homer is the last stop on the road system of Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, where the highway reaches Kachemak Bay and the town runs out onto the Spit, a gravel bar about seven kilometres long that holds a harbour, boardwalk shops and the fishing fleet. The town calls itself the halibut fishing capital of the world, and across the bay the Kenai Mountains rise with glaciers hanging from their flanks.

Boats and water taxis cross Kachemak Bay to Kachemak Bay State Park and to the artists' village of Halibut Cove, and the fishing village of Seldovia is reached by boat or air. The Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center and the Pratt Museum explain the coast and its history, and floatplanes carry visitors across Cook Inlet to watch brown bears fish for salmon at Katmai.

The town's slogan, a cosmic hamlet by the sea, hints at its artists, writers and fishermen, and the bakeries, galleries and seafood shacks along the Spit fit the mood. Halibut and salmon are the local plates. Summer brings long light and cool air, and winter is damp and cold.