Outdoor adventure or city sophistication – Vancouver Island offers it all.
Landon Sveinson/Tourism Vancouver Island photo
Everyone needs a little Island time
expeditions, ziplines, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding makes the “roughing” part of the equation a rare and special delight. As for the pampering, Vancouver Island delivers big time. Shop in unique retail outlets selling local fashion, food, wine, crafts and art. Book restorative stays in resort lodgings, welcoming B&Bs and funky hostels. Graze on the slowest of slow foods in unpretentious, quietly worldclass restaurants. Sip award-winning wine, cider and spirits on vineyard tours. Enjoy live music, theatre and the fine arts. Or simply chill with friends and family at getaway retreats far from the hurly-burly of the modern world. Warm Pacific Ocean currents give Vancouver Island one of the mildest climates in Canada. Spring, summer and fall deliver shirt-sleeve days and cool evenings. Conditions turn dry and pleasantly toasty in July and August, perfect for trips to the beach, camping excursions, open-air markets and a multitude of festivals. All this makes the Island one of Canada’s favourite escapes.
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elcome to Canada’s far west (read as ‘best’) coast. Paddle through serene coastal waters. Backpack in majestic wilderness parks. Marvel at the furred, feathered and finned wildlife on land and out to sea. Gaze at distant snowcapped mountains while striding barefoot along softly curving beaches. Bomb down mountain bike trails, surf the big waves and swim with the salmon. Inhale crisp, clean ocean breezes and the mossy fragrance of old-growth rainforests. Once you’ve had your day’s fill of nature, head for cosmopolitan centres, small towns and snug harbours to shop, dine, wine, educate and amuse yourself. Paradise for travellers seeking authentic, go-anywhere adventures both outdoors and in supreme indoor comfort has a new name: Vancouver Island. To prove it, the Island has yet
again retained its status as the #1 Island in Continental US and Canada in Travel + Leisure magazine’s 2014 World’s Best Awards. The warm welcome our visitors receive from locals is a big part of the appeal, and it’s no surprise that Victoria was recently voted the third friendliest city on the planet behind only Melbourne and Auckland in a CN Traveler readers’ poll. The Island stretches for 460km/285mi from charmingly sophisticated Victoria in the southwest to Cape Scott’s windswept beaches and rugged headlands at its northern tip. Many visitors mix it up in spontaneous, unscripted style by combining crunchy outdoor experiences with the smoothest of refined pleasures. Epic oceanfront hiking trails, wilderness camping, rock climbing, cycling, wildlife watching
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