Portland's popularity is largely due to its spectacularly diverse nature—eight kilometres of ocean shoreline, shell beaches piled high with sun-bleached driftwood and bordered by honeycomb-patterned sandstone rock, great picnic spots, oceanfront accommodation, quaint secluded anchorage, wildly fresh edible plants and seafood, an abundance of bird and marine life, pleasing views in all directions . . . and privacy.

“The Pacific Northwest coast is one of the world’s richest, most diverse habitats for intertidal marine life.”