The Towns
Kenai, on Cook Inlet on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula, is the largest town in the region. Ten miles up the Kenai River, Soldotna is Kenai's twin. Together they form a unit with almost half of the Kenai Peninsula's population of 53,000. They're also the least interesting of the peninsula's towns. Homer, at the southern end of the peninsula, has wonderful art and character and lots of ways to get out on the water. Seward, on the east side, is smaller and quieter, a charming gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park.
There are three towns on Prince William Sound. Valdez is an oil town at the southern terminus of the trans-Alaska pipeline where tankers are loaded. Cordova is more attractive, a historic community on the eastern side of the Sound, with outdoor activities close at hand. Whittier is a grim former military outpost, but a convenient gateway to the protected fjords and glaciers of the western Sound.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
