Best Places to Visit on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
After living on the island for a couple of months I was able to discover quite some beautiful places on the island which are definitely worth visiting when you head towards the biggest island of British Columbia.
@arianka
Victoria
About the town
Victoria is the capital of British Columbia and is located on the southern tip of the island. When you walk around downtown it almost feels like you are in an old European town which was well kept over the years. The weather is mild compared to most of Canada, but during the winter it can get quite cold with the rushing winds in the city.
Where to go?
Victoria is known for a few main things: the Parliament Building, the Craigdarroch Castle, Government Street, Fan Tan alley and more…
Once you venture out of the city and drive (or take the bus) up to Butchart Gardens and you will find a paradise hidden near the city.
Another activity which is popular all over the island is whale watching. If you plan on going to Vancouver Island during the winter, I would recommend to go spot whales in Victoria, but during the other periods of the year, I highly recommend some other spots.
Check out my post about Whale Watching on Vancouver Island.
Where to eat/ drink?
During my time on the island I went down to Victoria a couple of times and made a list of my favorite spots to go hang out or grab a drink:
FOOD:
Blue Fox Cafe (brunch)
Frankie’s Modern Diner (breakfast)
The Old Spaghetti Factory (lunch)
Fan Tan Cafe (dinner)
Cafe Mexico (dinner + happy hour)
The Flying Pig (dinner)
DRINKS:
The Sticky Wicket Bar & Restaurant (great atmosphere)
Bard & Banker (lot’s of beers)
Irish Times Pub (live music)
Distrikt(club)
Check out my favorite food &drinks on Google Maps
Where to stay?
Hotel: DoubleTree Hotel Hilton
Tofino (& Ucuelet)
About the town
Tofino is a small town on the west coast of Vancouver Island, right below Tofino is Ucuelet, another small town which is often a bit cheaper to stay at than Tofino. The town is known for 2 main things: surfing and storm watching. During the summer, lots of tourists head over to the West Coast of Vancouver Island to go catch some waves, whilst in the winter people come to watch the high waves break and see the storms come in.
@dlasto
Where to go?
Deciding what to do & where to go in Tofino & Ucuelet really depends on the time of year you are going, but some year round places to visit are:
The Wild Pacific Trail (Ucuelet)
Long Beach
Chesterman Beach
Cox Bay
Wickaninnish Beach
Tonquin Beach
Explore downtown Tofino & Ucuelet
Another fun thing to do is book a tour and go to the Hot Springs Cove.
Where to eat/ drink?
During my time on the island I went down to Tofino a couple of times and made a list of my favorite spots to go eat or grab a drink:
Check out my food &drinks on Google Maps
Where to stay?
If you are traveling with a family, I highly recommend staying in Ucuelet as it is cheaper than Tofino.
Cabin: The Cabins at Terrace Beach
Comox Valley
About the town
The Comox Valley consists of 3 main towns: Comox, Courtenay and Cumberland. The valley is located in the middle of the island on the east coast. It is the perfect place to stay if you are going on a few day trips in the area, want to take a break from traveling for a couple of days and just relax or if you want to go to Mt Washington.
@souvenirpixels
Where to go?
Like I said, the main activity in the Comox Valley is Mt Washington, a ski area in the winter and a perfect place to go for a hik during the summer or off season.
But the valley has an other advantage, which is it’s proximity to other cool nature spots or cities on the island. These being:
Nymph Falls (near the valley)
Cathedral Grove (near Parksville)
Elk Falls (near Campbell river)
Coombs ( a small town with a cute market)
Nanaimo (a nice town + ferry to main land)
Where to eat/ drink?
During my time on the island I lived in Comox and made a list of my favorite spots to go eat or grab a drink:
FOOD:
Comox
Blackfin Pub (+19)
Land & Sea Brewery (great food too!)
Courtenay
Cumberland
DRINKS:
Comox
Courtenay
Courtenay Grind (takeaway)
Cumberland
Cumberland Grind (takeaway)
Check out my food &drinks on Google Maps
Where to stay?
The Comox Valley does not have that many good hotels, but there are tons of airbnb’s in the area, which allows for you to be in the middle of no where with pretty views, being near the mountain, or being right downtown.
