Welcome to the Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada web site. From this site, you can view all of the links to the #1 Island in North America as voted on by the readers of Conde Naste magazine. This web site has a homepage link to almost every city, town and village on Vancouver Island. Most of the tourists to Vancouver Island are looking for information on Victoria BC, however we encourage you to look around the island and visit many of the communities that have so much to offer. Your visit will be a lot more successful if you see more of this fantastic island and what it has to offer. Scroll down or Click here to get to the Vancouver Island city, town and village index.
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This is a map of Vancouver Island showing where it is in relationship to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State and Vancouver British Columbia. Click to enlarge.
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Vancouver Island is located to the West of Vancouver British Columbia. A good portion of the Island is below the 49th parallel (American Border). Vancouver Island is over 500 kilometers long (300 miles). It takes about 6.5 hours to drive from Victoria BC on the south end of the Island to Port Hardy on the north end of the Vancouver Island. There are small towns and cities along the way so you will never be far from the services you need. Although Vancouver Island is well inhabited, there are many places where you will find wilderness. Wild life is abundant throughout the Island.
Vancouver Island has a population of 750,000 plus and stretches southeast to northwest along Canada's west coast. It starts below the 49th parallel (USA border) and goes well north of Vancouver British Columbia. The west coast of Vancouver Island is open to the wild Pacific Ocean and is cut deeply by fjords (inlets) bordered by mountains. Many of the communities are located along the shoreline or in protected bays and inlets. The eastern shoreline is protected from wind and surf and is much less rugged but rich with forests, farmland, fishing streams, and bustling communities.
Each region has something unique to offer. Check it out. Click pictures to enlarge.
You can explore as many regions of Vancouver Island as you like, year after year, when you buy a timeshare in the area. Because Vancouver Island is such a beloved vacation destination, you should have no trouble finding a timeshare for sale, especially if you buy on-line.
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The South Island region contains Greater Victoria, Sidney to the North and Sooke, Jordan River and Port Renfrew to the West. Victoria has most of the attractions like Butchart Gardens shown on the right. To the West of Victoria are some beautiful rugged beaches that should not be missed. Victoria is the hub for Whale Watching excursions. Sooke and Port Renfrew are famous for fishing. Victoria has a good number of golf courses and many attractions and it is the seat of the Provincial Government. The South region is often considered the portal to Vancouver Island.
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The Cowichan Region contains the communities of Mill Bay, Duncan, Shawnigan Lake, Cowichan Lake, Ladysmith, and Chemainus. This area is rich in native heritage. Duncan is considered the City of Totems and has a beautiful Native Cultural Centre. The area is rich in forestry history and there is a forestry museum in Duncan. Chemainus is a little town that built a tourism industry around murals. Duncan is the main metropolitan centre and has lots of shopping and retaurants. The Cowichan region also has a great wine region.
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The Gulf Island Region is situated on the Eastern side of Vancouver Island. The southern Gulf Islands go from just north of Sidney to just south of Nanaimo. There are however more islands all the way up the island and all are worth a visit. Many of the Island have incredible view points like this one on Mt. Warburton-Pike on beautiful Saturna Island. Salt Spring Island is the largest and most populated and has a great Saturday market. Each Island has something special and everyone is worth a visit.
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The Central Island Region contains the communities of Nanaimo, Parksville and Qualicum Beach. Parksville and Qualicum are famous for their big beaches and warm summer water, great for long walks and children playing in the ocean. Nanaimo is Vancouver Island's second largest city and it has a beautiful waterfront area and Newcastle Island seen to the right is just off shore. It is a great park. Don't miss the Country Market at Coombs while in the area. It is, in my opinion the worlds best tourist trap. Look for the goats on the roof.
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The Pacific Rim region includes Port Alberni, Ucluelet and Tofino. Port Alberni is a great stop on the way to the West side of the island. Port Alberni has a great history built around the forest industry. Ride the steam train and visit their museum. Also check out Stamp Falls. On the way to Port Alberni be sure to stop at Cathedral Grove and see the old growth forest there. It is amazing (see right). When you get to the west side of the island you turn left off the main highway to go to Ucluelet and right to go to Tofino. They are about 30 km apart and between them lies a string of white sand beaches called Longbeach. There are a number of beaches in the area all worth a visit. At Ucluelet be sure to walk the Wild Pacific Trail and visit Amphitrite Light Station. This is the wild pacific. If you can go whale watching, site seeing or kayaking in the Broken Group Islands. They are incredible. There are tour operators who will fly you over the area and this is one opportunity you should not miss. Seeing whales from the air is quite spectacular and the scenery is unbelievable. When you go to Tofino be sure to see the old growth forests on Meares Island. Take in Hot Springs Cove and Cougar Annie's Garden. Whale watching is spectacular in this region and kayaking is the best in the world. You can take incredibly long walks on the beaches or join the surf crowd in the ocean.You can golf here or fish. So much to do, so little time.
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The North Central Region takes in Courtney, Comox and Campbell River and a number of smaller towns. It is a recreational playground that has much to offer. At Mount Washington you can alpine or cross country ski in the winter and hike alpine trails in Strathcona Provincial Park in the summer. When you alpine ski you can see down into the blue ocean. This is an awesome site. In this region you will find a number of larger islands such as Denman, Hornby, Quadra and Cortez off of Campbell River, and others. They are beautiful and have much to offer.
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Above you can see an bald eagle that we actually looked down on from the viewpoint in Boyle Park on Denman Island. To the right of the eagle is the beautiful sea side bluffs at Halliwell Park on Denman Island. The hikes through this park are phenomenal. The city of Campbell River has a spectacular snow-capped mountain backdrop. The salmon fishing in Campbell River is world famous. Scuba diving is also some of the best in the world. The area also has some spectacular golf courses. You will never have enough time to do our beautiful island justice. Plan to stay a while and take it in.
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The North Island Region takes in Port McNeill, Telegraph Cove and Port Hardy as well as some smaller communities. From Telegraph Cove seen in the right you can venture into one of the best whale watching areas on the Island. Scuba diving in the North Region is some of the best in the world. Check out God's Pocket or Stubbs Island. You can catch a great Grizzly Bear Tour out of Telegraph Cove as well. Black bears abound in the region. Eagles are everywhere. This area does not have a large human population so it is a bit more natural than some other parts of the Island.
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Telegraph Cove is a small boardwalk community that seems right out of the 1800's. Port Hardy has much to offer as well. There is fishing, scuba diving, golf, and much more.
We have not told you about all the secrets on our very special island. Most communities have numerous artist studios and crafts shops, museums and places to eat or buy local produce. There are places on the Island where you can go caving (like Gold River and Horn Lake). There is some phenomenal back-country hiking. You can ATV. There are great golf courses all over the Island, some world-class. It is impossible to tell you all you can do on Vancouver Island in one web page, but I tried. Visit the communities on this page and find out more.
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