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Gaze at distant snowcapped mountains while splashing barefoot along softly curving beaches. Relax, restore and recharge yourself in the region’s cosmopolitan centres, small towns and snug harbours. That’s Vancouver Island. This land is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Kwakwaka’wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Coast ...
- Places to Go
Nanaimo to Campbell River. Gaze up in wonder at Cathedral...
- Things to Do
Things to Do. Fill your days on Vancouver Island with...
- Plan Your Trip
Plan Your Trip. Plan your trip to Vancouver Island by using...
- Where to Stay
Accommodation in the Vancouver Island Region ranges from...
- Blog
Learn from those who live here! Our Vancouver Island blog...
- About Vancouver Island
Canada’s True West Coast Vancouver Island, located on...
- Contact
If you require more information about travel in the...
- South Island
For those coming from Vancouver, the Tsawassen to Swartz Bay...
- Places to Go
- Go Mountain Biking in Cumberland
- Take Afternoon Tea in Victoria
- Discover The Malahat Skywalk
- Cycle The ʔapsčiik T̓ašii
- Surf in Tofino
- Ski Mount Washington
- Hike The North Coast Trail
- Admire Indigenous Culture in Alert Bay
- Hit The Nanaimo Bar Trail
- Set Sail from Port Hardy
A once industrious coal-mining settlement, Cumberland was in danger of becoming a ghost town in the 1960s when the mines closed, and its population almost evaporated. Reclassifying itself as a village, it was rejuvenated in the early 21st century by a group of entrepreneurial mountain bikers. Under the umbrella of a registered non-profit organizati...
While provincial capital Victoria supports a trendy consortium of craft-brewers, wine sommeliers and third-wave coffee baristas, it also harbors a religious devotion to afternoon tea, a custom bequeathed by caffeine-fuelled British colonists. The tradition prevails in an array of refined tearooms where dainty cakes mounted on three-tier silver tray...
Vancouver Island’s newest and most novel attraction is a multi-tiered spiraltowerwith a lofty lookout and – we kid you not – a giant trampoline on top. Located 30km (18.6 miles) northwest of Victoria by road it offers 360-degree views over forest, sea, islands, and the glaciated hump of Mount Baker in the US. A 600m (1969ft) elevated walkway leads ...
Earmarked to be fully operational by 2022, this newly built cycling path stretches for 25km (15.5 miles) along the Pacific coast linking the two diminutive surfing towns of Tofino and Ucluelet. Its name (pronounced: ups-cheek ta-shee) means "going in the right direction on the trail" in the local Indigenous language. The unchallenging paved path cu...
Canada’s surfingcapitalmeets the tempestuous waves of the Pacific Ocean with a jagged spectrum of stormy beaches. There are sheltered Mackenzie Beach (good for beginners); two-pronged Chesterman Beach, separated by a wave-breaking sandbar and islet; legendary Cox Bay, host of numerous surfing competitions; and the expansive sands of 16km (10-mile) ...
In BC, all winter roads lead to Whistler, one of the largest and most comprehensive ski resorts in the world. But savvy islanders, wary of slow-moving lift lines and bulging apres-ski bars, often prefer to stick to the cheaper, less crowded runs ofMt Washingtonnear Courtenay. Inhabiting the mountain’s southwestern slopes adjacent to the craggy wild...
Conceived as a muddier, swampier alternative to the island’s perennially popular West Coast Trail, this five- to eight-day wilderness extravaganza tracks the extreme north coast for 58km (36ft) between Shushartie Bay and Cape Scott. Along its course it dips into sandy coves, empty beaches and thick, wind-contorted rainforest following a rough, unke...
Ancestral home to the Namgis First Nation, tiny Cormorant Island and its affiliated village, Alert Bay, is one of the best places in BC to absorb Indigenous culture. The island is awash with totem poles, including the world's tallest, a 173m (568ft) carving depicting whales, wolves and two-headed serpents held up by taut cables. There is also a cla...
Named after the island’s so-called "Harbour City," the Nanaimo bar is one of Canada’s most iconic food products. Comprising a three-layered slab of wafer topped with cream and icing, it combines coconut, vanilla custard, and chocolate in a rich explosion of densely packed calories. Despite its relatively recent invention, the Nanaimo bar’s history ...
Port Hardy is a small Alaskan look-alike town on Vancouver Island’s northeast shore and a primary embarkation point for carferriesnavigating the narrow channels of the Inside Passage on BC’s fjord-indented west coast. Book a cabin for overnight excursions (winter) or day trips (summer) and wave goodbye to civilization until you reach the isolated f...
Mill Bay Tourist Info Booth. Open Year-Round Phone: (250) 743-3566 ... Vancouver Island Visitor Centre. Open Year-Round Phone: 250-400-2882 ExperienceComoxValley.ca
Vancouver Island is a natural paradise in British Columbia, Canada, where you can enjoy stunning scenery, diverse wildlife and outdoor adventures. Whether you want to hike in the rainforest, surf on the waves, or relax in a cozy cabin, Lonely Planet has the best tips and recommendations for your Vancouver Island holiday.
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