what part of vancouver island wbetter to visit
15 Summit-Rated Attractions & Things to Do on Vancouver Island
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Off Canada'southward W Coast, Vancouver Isle is the largest isle on the Pacific Coast of North America. Old-growth forests, cute rugged shorelines, and beaches offer an countless repertoire of things to do, from hiking and camping to surfing and whale watching. The upper-case letter of British Columbia, Victoria delivers cultural attractions, nightlife, dining, and shopping.
Small towns spread around Vancouver Island are some of the best places to visit, where you'll find a slower pace of life and discover remote lodges in the rainforest, where y'all can relax and soak up nature.
The mild littoral climate draws visitors hither year-round. Vancouver Island is one of the warmest places in Canada in winter. Although summer is the busy season, in wintertime, it's not uncommon to discover surfers riding the waves on the western shore, while skiers caput to the slopes in the interior of the island. The landscape is ane of mountains, lakes, rainforest, and dramatic coastline dotted with minor towns and villages.
About visitors begin their trip to Vancouver Island in Victoria, at the audio stop of the island. Arrival is ordinarily by air or by ferry from Vancouver or Seattle. Ferries also run regularly from Vancouver to Nanaimo.
On the west side of Vancouver Island are towns like Tofino and Port Renfrew, and the famous West Coast Trail. On the east side of the island, looking out over the Salish Body of water, are the towns of Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Parksville, Qualicum Embankment, Courtney, and Comox.
To help plan your trip, run into our list of the tiptop things to see and exercise on Vancouver Island.
Encounter also: Where to Stay on Vancouver Island
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i. Visit Victoria
Every bit the master gateway to Vancouver Island, Victoria is where virtually visitors will begin their trip, and it is a swell starting place. Looking out over the Juan de Fuca Strait to the mountains on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, British Columbia's capital is one of the most beautiful cities in Canada.
The scenic Inner Harbour is where much of the action is centered and where many of the tourist attractions are located. The historic Fairmont Empress , one of Victoria's landmark buildings, looks over the Inner Harbour. Congenital in 1908, this hotel has hosted visiting royalty throughout the decades. Loftier Tea at the Empress has get a popular matter to do in Victoria, where visitors can sip tea and relish sandwiches, scones, and desserts in a lovely old room filled with antiquarian effects.
Likewise unmissable on the Inner Harbour are the Parliament Buildings. Lit upwardly at night, they are impressive no matter what fourth dimension y'all visit. Another major attraction, located between the Parliament Buildings and the Empress Hotel, is the Royal BC Museum, offering insight into the natural and human being history of British Columbia.
Victoria is a small city, and the compact downtown makes visiting the sites incredibly easy. It'south besides filled with stores and restaurants that range from casual to fine dining.
If you are spending a few days in Victoria and want to expand your sightseeing to include parks and outdoors activities, beautiful hiking trails are scattered effectually the city and nearby areas.
- Read More: Height-Rated Tourist Attractions in Victoria
two. Encounter Vancouver Island's Quondam-Growth Forests
Vancouver Island'south erstwhile-growth forests are truly a national treasure and an absolute must-meet for anyone with an appreciation for nature. Plant in a few small pockets around the isle are some remaining virgin forests, home to enormous trees up to 800 years old. Some of the best places to see these giants are around Tofino, Port Renfrew, and an area known as Cathedral Grove.
Cathedral Grove
Near Port Alberni, in MacMillan Provincial Park, is Cathedral Grove. This is i of the most popular places to see aboriginal trees. It's an easy end on the way to Tofino. Cathedral Grove is a stand of towering Douglas firs , with some trees between 600 and 800 years old, reaching 75 meters tall and equally much equally ix meters in circumference.
You tin can park at a roadside pullout on the Alberni Highway (Hwy 4) and follow an easy and relatively level walking trail through the grove. Also in the park are erstwhile western cherry-red cedar .
Cathedral Grove was striking by a major current of air tempest in 1997, which took down many old trees. Y'all can see the huge trunks that are now on the footing and still an impressive site.
Official site: http://world wide web.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/macmillan/
Port Renfrew: Eden Grove, Big Lonely Doug & Avatar Grove
From Victoria, another fantastic day trip to see old-growth rainforest is to have a drive up to Port Renfrew, almost two hours from the metropolis, and only beyond to the big trees. This breathtaking trip takes you lot up Highway 14, past Sooke and Jordan River, along a curvy road.
The most famous sites in this expanse are Eden Grove, Large Lonely Doug, and Avatar Grove, all of which are free to the public. All of these are establish merely north of Port Renfrew, with Big Alone Doug and Eden Grove at the uttermost end, xviii kilometers from town.
Eden Grove is arguably the nigh impressive area to meet erstwhile-growth wood on Vancouver Island that visitors tin access on their own. Information technology is a much less visited surface area than places like Cathedral Grove or Tofino, but much more worthwhile. There is a serenity here you won't detect at the more pop sites and a feeling of truly being in the forest.
Home to Douglas fir and western red cedars, the trees are enormous! One cedar is more than 12 feet wide. Volunteers accept built a rough boardwalk through the stand of trees that allows you lot quick easy access to the forest.
Just a few hundred meters earlier you lot reach Eden Grove is a clearing that has been logged. I huge one,000-year-quondam Douglas fir stands alone in the cutover. This is Big Lonely Doug. He was the i tree not logged here, and stands at present every bit a stark reminder of what has been lost by logging and what future logging may destroy.
About 1.viii kilometers before you reach Large Lonely Doug and Eden Grove, the road becomes very rough in a couple of spots. If you don't accept a 4WD vehicle, you tin park hither and walk in, and many people do. At this point, yous volition also probable see people who have come here in an try to protect the wood from logging. They are an extremely helpful and friendly agglomeration who are happy to see you, point you in the correct direction, and answer questions. Eden Grove is in a logging area and at extreme risk of being destroyed.
Also worth seeing is Avatar Grove, which you will laissez passer on your way back to Port Renfrew. Here, trails run through the woods on both sides of the route, and also atomic number 82 by several giants.
Pacific Rim National Park, Tofino
Pacific Rim National Park, just outside the resort boondocks of Tofino, is some other excellent area to see the giant trees of Vancouver Isle's rainforest. One of the best hikes in Pacific Rim National Park is the Rainforest Trail. Two one-kilometer loops pb by hundreds-of-years-sometime copse. You can even settle in on a park-provided Adirondack Chair for a while and gaze up at i of these beauties while you listen to the sounds of nature.
3. Bask a Getaway to Tofino
The trivial boondocks of Tofino is the gem of Vancouver Island'due south western shore. Looking out over Claoquot Audio and surrounded by old-growth forest and seemingly endless beaches, this little fishing village is a popular tourist destination on Vancouver Island, but rarely feels busy. It's as well known for being Canada's hottest surf destination, with people coming here to surf year-circular.
If yous aren't into surfing, tempest watching from November to February, when huge waves coil in off the Pacific Ocean, is another reason people like to visit Tofino in the quiet of the off-flavour.
Just outside of boondocks is Pacific Rim National Park, an incredible natural area with some of Tofino'southward best hikes and campgrounds. This expanse is home to ancient cedars, which are some of the oldest trees in Canada. It'due south as well where y'all'll find Tofino'due south famous Long Beach, stretching along the coast for xvi kilometers.
Approximately 42 kilometers north of the pocket-size boondocks of Ucluelet, Tofino is 1 of the oldest settlements on the West Declension, and it has a very remote feel. Despite its popularity, it has remained small. The boondocks has surf shops, tourist stores, restaurants, and hotels. Nearby are a number of outstanding lodges and resorts with cracking views out over the ocean. The Wild Pacific Trail, one of the all-time on the isle, is located just s of town.
- Read More: Superlative-Rated Things to Practice in Tofino
four. Walk, Surf, or Relax at Pacific Rim National Park & Long Beach
Pacific Rim National Park covers a lush stretch of declension between Tofino and Ucluelet. The rainforest of ancient cedars and shoreline of beaches and rocky headlands reveals the wild and rugged natural dazzler of Vancouver Island.
Long soft-sand beaches are constitute all forth Pacific Rim National Park. The 16-kilometer-long Long Beach is a vast expanse of sand where people come up to walk, beachcomb, surf in the big waves, or but savor a dusk. Whales can sometimes exist spotted offshore, especially in spring and autumn.
Tempest watching has go a pop action in autumn and winter, when photographers and visitors come to the park to watch the huge waves crash against the shore. Massive piles of driftwood along some of the beaches prove to the violence of the ocean waves.
Official site: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/index.aspx
5. Tour Butchart Gardens
For those with a love of gardening, a visit to Butchart Gardens volition be i of the highlights of Vancouver Island. Fix in an one-time quarry exterior Victoria, these fabled gardens provide a yr-round opportunity to step into a peaceful natural setting with flowers, trees, pathways, and places to relax.
Begun in 1904 by Jennie Butchart, the grounds have been over a century in the making. In the evening, the gardens are illuminated with artistic lighting and on Sat nights you lot tin enjoy a firework display ready to music. Every evening in July and August live music performances take place at Butchart Gardens.
Botanical displays change seasonally and are particularly lovely between leap and fall. At Christmas, the gardens are lit with a display of Christmas lights and decorations, and various festivities and activities are on offer, including ice skating in an outdoor rink.
Official site: http://www.butchartgardens.com/
6. Run into Goats on the Roof at the Old Country Market, Coombs
Ane of the more than unique and long-standing attractions on Vancouver Island is the Old Country Market, complete with resident goats on the roof. For over 30 years, goats have been happily posing for pictures as they munch contentedly away on the sod roof. The goats are only out in summertime, but the expanse is a popular place to visit twelvemonth-round.
Located a brusk drive from the cities of Parksville and Qualicum, the Quondam Country Market is a fully-fledged tourist attraction and perfect family outing. Not only volition yous find the goats, you'll likewise find an assortment of restaurants, an water ice foam stand, gift shops, a vegetable and fruit market, a garden center, and a surf shop.
Official site: https://oldcountrymarket.com/
seven. Hike the Trails on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Isle is a dream destination for hikers. Remote, nonetheless well-maintained, the trails here offer outstanding scenery, a chance to see wildlife, and a solitude rarely constitute in popular national parks and more well-known hiking areas. The near famous hike is the W Coast Trail, although this is often much more than a typical hiker is looking for.
Much more reasonable and open yr-round is the Wild Pacific Trail. But you can observe interesting hikes from one end of Vancouver Island to the other.
Ane popular hiking area on Vancouver Isle is Port Renfrew. This is where you'll find the outset of the 47-kilomter Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, but also shorter hikes, similar a walk out to Phytology Bay or Botanical Beach that can be completed in a solar day or even an hour or 2. From Prc Beach, on the road to Port Renfrew from Victoria, not far across the town of Sooke, is the other end of the Juan de Fuca Trail. From here, you lot tin can walk a couple of kilometers along the trail to the waterfalls on Mystic Beach. This is an easy day hike that can exist washed on a day trip from Victoria.
There are several popular day hikes around Victoria. You won't exactly discover solitude on these hikes only they volition take y'all through beautiful scenery and to high lookouts, waterfalls, or onetime train trestles.
You can detect dozens of great hiking trails around Tofino, many of which tin can be completed in a half-twenty-four hours or less. You can fifty-fifty combine a kayaking trip with a hike here. Hiking around Tofino involves a mix of forests and coastal trails, and fourth dimension spent walking along the beaches.
Other areas for hiking on Vancouver Island include the remote regions to the n. Not far from Campbell River is Strathcona Provincial Park, and at the far northern stop of Vancouver Isle is Cape Scott Provincial Park. Both of these take interesting hikes to explore. For more details on these trails and other hiking areas, see our article on the best hikes on Vancouver Island.
8. Hike the West Coast Trail for an Epic Adventure
The almost 75-kilometer-long West Coast Trail is 1 of Canada's most famous hiking trails. Known for fabulous coastal scenery and treacherous atmospheric condition, it'southward a bucket-list hike.
Until the beginning of this century, Canada's stormy Pacific coast with its deceptive shallows and rocky headlands was known to sailors equally the "graveyard of the Pacific." A cracking many ships were lost in storms and fog. To requite survivors a ways of escape from this otherwise impassably rocky coastline backed by impenetrable rain forest, a archaic trail was opened in 1906, post-obit the route of the telegraph lines laid in 1890 between the various lighthouses.
The trail eventually became obsolete but was discovered by backpackers in the 1960s. Now managed by Pacific Rim National Park, the Westward Coast Trail is an extremely popular, although arduous hike beyond challenging terrain.
The hike is open from May 1 to September 30, and the numbers of hikers is limited from June 14 to September 15. Hikers must make a reservation and should book well in advance. The trail has very basic campsites, and hikers must comport all their supplies with them. The park offers detailed information for hikers who want to undertake this adventure.
Official site: https://world wide web.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/activ/SCO-WCT
ix. Have in the Views from the Wild Pacific Trail, Ucluelet
A wonderful way to experience some of Vancouver Island's most beautiful scenery without the treacherous ordeal of hiking the W Coast Trail, is to spend some time on the Wild Pacific Trail at Ucluelet. This trail organization offers piece of cake access to beautiful coastal areas with views of Barkley Sound and the Cleaved Group Islands.
The trail has different sections that can be washed independently of each other and vary from roughly ii.5 to eight kilometers. Sections include Lighthouse Loop, Big Embankment, and Brown's Beach to Ancient Cedars. Scenery ranges from waves crashing on rugged rocky shoreline to sheltered coves, and of course, behemothic trees.
Many consider the Lighthouse Loop to be the all-time route, specially the section from the parking area to the lighthouse. The trail winds its way along an incredibly rugged coastline with huge views to the south, eventually leading to the scenic Amphitrite Point. Information technology's here, you'll notice a lighthouse and good views up and downwards the declension. While hither, heed for the eerie sound of a foghorn just offshore.
It should be noted that visitors do not even need to complete these hikes to find beautiful views along the shoreline, and at that place are benches for resting and soaking up the scenery.
Official site: http://world wide web.wildpacifictrail.com/
10. Explore Clayoquot Sound
Clayoquot Audio is a remote area on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Much of it lies due north-westward of Tofino, with beautiful deep fiords, endless picayune islands, and one of the last surviving areas of temperate rainforest. It is a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
A decision by the provincial government to allow clearance of one-half the remaining 3,500 square kilometers of virgin wilderness met with much resistance and protests, and led to the preservation of this special place.
You tin can arrange trips to remote sections of this surface area from Tofino, which may involve a float plane, boat, or kayak, depending on the type of experience yous're looking for. Wild fauna tours, oft to see black bears, besides as other animals, are popular.
11. Go on a Whale Watching Bout
Whale watching tours are 1 of the top things to practice on Vancouver Isle. Two popular places for these tours are in Nanaimo and Tofino.
In Nanaimo, boats take visitors out on the Salish Ocean, between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia. Commonly spotted here are orcas, humpback whales, body of water lions, porpoises, and other marine life. Tour operators avoid viewing endangered southern resident orcas. Tours are in zodiacs or larger semi-covered bout boats.
In Tofino, you tin spot orcas and humpback whales, but the main species is gray whales, which can be seen regularly between March and November. Depending on the bout and the operator, boats range from a covered cabin cruiser to open Boston Whaler boats or Zodiacs.
12. Hit the Slopes at Mount Washington Alpine Ski Resort
Mount Washington is Vancouver Isle's most popular family unit ski resort with year-round activities. In winter, the mountain offers a variety of ski runs and a terrain park. The resort has more than 500 meters of meridian from base to peak.
There are besides opportunities for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, and tobogganing. In summer, visitors tin can enjoy alpine hiking, with the aid of the Breathtaking Chairlift Ride to the top of Mountain Washington, or on the trails at the base of operations.
Official site: http://www.mountwashington.ca/
xiii. Go Camping on Vancouver Island
Given the incredibly breathtaking nature of Vancouver Island, it's non surprising that camping ground is a popular pastime. You can gear up a tent at a walk-in site tucked amongst the tall pines, with views out over the Pacific Ocean, or park your RV at a manicured campground. Either way, it'south hard to beat waking up in the fresh air on a yet morning, looking out over drinking glass-calm water, or watching the smoke rise up from your bivouac.
Along the w side of the island, but a short drive northwest of Victoria, you tin can find a number of very prissy campgrounds at places like French Beach Provincial Park and China Beach. Kitesurfers camp at Jordan River Regional Park Campground.
Families looking for something a little less wild can detect some good campgrounds around Nanaimo, like Living Forest Oceanside Campground and RV Resort. You'll find numerous campgrounds around Tofino, catering to tenters or RVers. Several of the other provincial parks farther north besides offer skilful campgrounds. For details on these and more, come across our article on the best campgrounds on Vancouver Isle.
fourteen. Experience Nature and Tranquility in Port Renfrew
Just two hours northwest of Victoria, Port Renfrew feels far more than remote than you lot might expect. You won't find the cute tourist town temper hither like yous do in Tofino. In fact, you may wonder if y'all've missed the town as you drive through. The existent attraction is the feeling of isolation and relaxation that comes with existence surrounded by mountains, forest, and bounding main.
Rugged wilderness, beautiful views, and perhaps a relaxing stay at a gild are what you lot can expect to detect here. Spend a day exploring the area. Head out on a curt hiking trail to run across aboriginal copse in the sometime-growth forest at Eden Grove and Avatar Grove. Walk forth the oceanfront to Botany Bay and Botanical Beach, where yous can see small sealife in the tidal pools, or gaze out at the waves.
Port Renfrew offers some unique adaptation options, many of which truly offer a sense of place and a West Coast feel. At the Soule Creek Lodge , yous can book a social club room or a freestanding luxury yurt, and gaze out over the body of water from the hillside location. The lodge's restaurant serves fix meals, and you tin opt in or out later on hearing about the meal being planned for that night, but one of the owners is a graduate of the Culinary Plant of America.
fifteen. Chemainus Wall Murals
Almost an 60 minutes north of Victoria, Chemainus is known for its larger-than-life size murals that decorate the sides of buildings throughout the boondocks. The images illustrate the history of the town and are painted by well-known artists. A walking path leads visitors on a trail to see the murals.
This is a big tourist describe for the community, merely the Chemainus Theatre and the Chemainus Theatre Festival are also of interest, showcasing talent from beyond the province and Canada.
Where to Stay on Vancouver Island
The primary tourist destinations effectually Vancouver Island are Victoria, Tofino, and to a lesser extent, Nanaimo. Below are some quality hotels and resorts in these areas.
- Victoria: Set in a Tudor mansion from the 1930s, Abigail's Hotel is an adult-just property. Information technology offers affordable luxury, former-world amuse, sumptuous four-poster beds, clawfoot tubs, and complimentary breakfast and appetizers. For more of a mid-range option, endeavor the All-time Western Plus Inner Harbour . This hotel is within walking distance of Victoria attractions, features an outdoor pool, and provides complimentary hot breakfast.
- Tofino: The Wickaninnish Inn has been ane of Tofino'due south top luxury resorts since the 1950s. Its cute beachfront location, adjacent to a dramatic rocky headland, provides a stunning setting for the resort, with beautiful views from the rooms and restaurants, which overlook the ocean. Attack a beautiful stretch of beach, the Pacific Sands Beach Resort offers a diversity of rooms and cabins in a range of prices, from luxury oceanfront multi-room townhomes to new condo-manner units featuring modern decor, fireplaces, kitchens, and balconies.
- Nanaimo: Overlooking Nanaimo's harbor, the Coast Bastion Hotel is one of Nanaimo's well-nigh posh hotels, offering luxury rooms and suites, and fantastic views. The Best Western Northgate Inn is a upkeep-friendly property, conveniently located nigh shops and restaurants. It features an on-site sauna and fitness centre, and comes with a continental breakfast.
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Visiting British Columbia: Vancouver Isle is just ane minor expanse of British Columbia, a province that has much to explore. Many people add a trip to the island on to their overall BC or Canada itinerary. Other popular stops in BC include Vancouver and the resort town of Whistler. In the interior, many people head to Kelowna and the Okanagan to relax around Lake Okanagan in summer, or ski at the nearby ski resorts of Silver Star or Large White. These are two of Canada's pinnacle ski resorts.
Vancouver Isle Map (Historical)
Source: https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/vancouver-island-cdn-bc-bcvi.htm#:~:text=1.,Visit%20Victoria&text=As%20the%20main%20gateway%20to,most%20beautiful%20cities%20in%20Canada.
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