Vancouver Island is located off Canada's west coast and is the largest island on the west coast. The island is a popular
tourist destination with a varied geographical scenery. A mountain range in the island's center, sandy or rocky beaches,
rainforests and the metropolitan life in the province's capital Victoria offer something for everybody.
Natural beauty
with snow capped mountain peaks, many lakes and streams and the pacific ocean on the west coast make vacation dreams come
true.
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Culinary delicacies such as salmon and crab make you feel like being in haven. The island's climate is one of the
mildest in the country, especially at the southern end, where it is protected from the ocean by the northerly arm of
Washington state. There is substantially less rain in Victoria than in Vancouver.
Vancouver Island has a diverse birdlife. More than 440 different species can be found here, even the golden eagle can be
seen along the coast. Millions of migrating birds cross Vancouver Island on their way north or south with the changing of
the seasons.
Vancouver Island is known as a spectacular place for Whale watching. From May to October Orcas can be seen in the waters
off Southern Vancouver Island.
Vancouver Island's west coast invites you in the months of March and April so see the
impressive migration of up to 20,000 Pacific gray whales.
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California and Steller sea lions and seals can be viewed in the Seal Bay Regional Nature Park. In spring, following the
annual herring migration, sea lions arrive and can be best viewed. From Courtenay follow the signs to the Powell River
ferry from Hwy. 19A. Take Waveland Road to Bates Road (North). At the north end of the road trails begin. There is a
staircase to the beach.
Juan de Fuca Provincial Park
Near Port Renfrew the Botanical Beach of Juan de Fuca Provincial Park offers an amazing view of the marine life,
particularly at low tide. At this time many tide pools are filled with marine animals of all colors. Enjoy starfish in
red and orange color, sea urchins, sea anemones and sea cucumbers. The park is a protected zone. Please take nothing but
pictures from Botanical Beach!
Goldstream Provincial Park
The annual spectacle of spawning salmon draws visitors to the Goldstream Provincial Park each year. It begins in October
and lasts trough December, when Chum, Coho and Chinook salmon find their way home to the spawning grounds, where they had
been born years ago. The park is located 16km northwest of Victoria.
Pacific Rim National Park
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Pacific Rim National Park is the only National Park on Vancouver Island. The park covers an area of 49,962 hectare of land
and ocean and is divided into three separate areas: Long Beach, the Broken Group Islands and the West Coast Trail. The
Broken Group Islands is made up of about 100 islands at the entrance of Barkley Sound. The area is popular with canoeists
and offers one of the best scuba diving in Canada. The West Coast trail is well known for tough hiking paths. If you want
to hike the trail, you should put your name on the waiting list well in advance as there are only 52 people permitted each
day - 26 in each direction.
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For more information call 1-800-663-6000
Black bears, cougars, wolves, elk, deer and many other mammal can be found on Vancouver Island.
Vancouver Island in figures
Vancouver Island has a total length of 450 km.
There are 698,117 people who call Vancouver Island their home (July 1998).
Victoria, located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island is British Columbia's capital.
Vancouver Island can be traveled year round, however August and September, when the sky is usually blue, are excellent months for exploring the beauty of this unique island.
Arrival
There are frequent scheduled flights from Vancouver and Seattle to Victoria. You may book a connecting flight to other Island communities such as Nanaimo, Courtenay, Comox, Campbell River and Port Hardy. Charter flights can bring you to the most remote place on the Island.
The most common way to arrive is by ferry. There are frequent scheduled passages from Vancouver, the Gulf Islands and
the US-Mainland to Vancouver Island. You might want to check the BC Ferries website.
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Further information can be found here:
Comox Valley
Nanaimo
Nanoose Bay
Sooke
Victoria
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