Nanwalek is located at the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula, 10 miles southwest of Seldovia and east of Port Graham with a population of around 170.

The village was originally a Russian Post called Alexandrovsk. It was later called "Odinochka, (meaning "a person living in solitude"). The name English Bay was changed to Nanwalek by local consensus in 1991. Many of the current residents are of mixed Russian and Sugpiaq (Alutiiq) lineage. Villagers speak Sugtestun, a dialect of Eskimo similar to Yup'ik. Nanwalek is a traditional Sugpiaq village. Subsistence activities are a large part of the culture.

The school, subsistence activities, and summer employment at the Port Graham cannery provide income. Six residents hold commercial fishing permits. The community is working on a project to reestablish the local sockeye run, which has been very low in recent years.

Nanwalek is not accessible by road. Boats are the primary means of transportation locally and the State Ferry provides service to nearby Seldovia.