Introduction
Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, sits on the west coast of Canada. It is home to around 650,000 residents.
Geography
Vancouver Island covers 32,134 square kilometers and is the largest island off the North American west coast.
Cities and Towns
- Victoria, the capital of British Columbia
- Ladysmith
- Nanaimo
- Port Hardy
- Campbell River
- Courtenay
- Tofino is a popular resort village.
Sights and Activities
- The Butchart Gardens provide stunning floral displays year round. Admission prices for an adult range from CA$16.35 to $29 depending on the time of the year. Free for children under 5. Open daily 9:00am-sundown. Address: 800 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay
- Strathcona Provincial Park is the largest park on the island, covering more than 2,000 sq kilometers.
Weather
Vancouver Island has a mild maritime climate with generally wet conditions year round. There are huge variations though, ranging from just around 650 mm near Victoria to 10 times (!) as much at some locations along the west coast. Snow is possible in winter at higher elevations, but usually uncommon at sea level. Temperatures in winter (December to March) are mostly above zero at sea level, though frost is possible higher and more inland. In summer, temperatures up to 30 °C or even a bit more are possible, but only during a few weeks in total.
Getting There
By Plane
Victoria International Airport (YYJ) offers flights to/from Seattle, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, San Francisco and even seasonal flights south to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Honolulu, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
By Boat
There are several ferries operating between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia and between Vancouver Island and Washington State in the USA:
- Coho Ferry: Port Angeles, Washington - Victoria, British Columbia
- Victoria Express: Port Angeles - Victoria and San Juan Islands - Victoria
- Victoria Clipper: Seattle - Victoria
- BC Ferries operates between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia.
Getting Around
By Plane
There are flights between Victoria and places like Nanaimo, Comox and a few others towns on the island.
By Train
The Malahat is operated by ViaRail and travels between Victoria and Courtenay, stopping en route in half a dozen places like Nanaimo.
Sleep
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malahat Bungalows & Rooms | 300 Trans Canada Highway Victoria | GUESTHOUSE | - |
| Sun Lotus Yogic Life Center | 5070 Culverton Rd. Duncan | GUESTHOUSE | - |
| Mt H'Kusam View Lodge | 1165 Salmon River Main | Hostel | 100 |
| Riding Fool Hostel | 2705 Dunsmuir Ave, Cumberland BC Comox Valley | HOSTEL | 76 |
Contributors
Utrecht (82%)
from http://utrecht.travellerspoint.com
Peter (18%)
from My Shout
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This is version 12. Last edited at 2:00 on May 24, 13 by sleepBot. 12 articles link to this page.
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