4 Best Hotels in Cordova, The Kenai Peninsula and Southcentral Alaska

This converted cannery at the end of the road offers a peek into what life in the region must have been like in the 1880s. Whitewashed boarding rooms overlook the bay where otters and waterfowl abound. In addition to beautiful lodgings and a café that serves excellent freshly caught seafood, Orca offers a long list of adventures, among them fishing, kayaking, river rafting, hiking, bear viewing, and flightseeing. There's also the opportunity to fly out to one of Orca's remote wilderness camps for fishing or just relaxing. An additional perk to staying at this end-of-the-road getaway is the fantastic dining at their on-site restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week.

Commanding a dramatic view of Orca Inlet a few blocks from downtown Cordova, this turn-of-the-20th-century inn has three roomy suites and one "sleeping room" furnished with antiques. Owner Becky Chapek transports guests to and from the airport, where she operates Chinook Auto Rentals. If she doesn't have room for you, she'll suggest other places to stay.

At this waterfront fisherman's hotel you can watch the commercial-fishing fleet and other maritime traffic sail by. Be sure to ask for a harbor-view room to watch for otters and waterfowl at play. Many of the nautical-theme rooms overlook the harbor, as does the large, south-facing deck of the Reluctant Fisherman Restaurant. Microwaves and refrigerators are available for a small charge, and two of the suites offer a kitchenette.

The Cordova Ranger District of the Chugach National Forest maintains a series of simple backcountry cabins for rent. These cabins are very basic: four walls, a roof, a floor, wooden bunks, usually a woodstove, a table, benches, counter space for preparing meals, and a pit toilet out back. There's no bedding, cooking utensils, electricity, or running water. Most of the cabins are accessible only by boat or floatplane, although the McKinley Trail cabin is accessible by motor vehicle on the Copper River Highway. Two others can be reached by hiking from the road. Rentals are arranged through the U.S. Forest Service's website up to six months in advance.