I left you at the end of my last post, at Horseshoe Bay. Which is where we’ll be starting the next part of my trip: Vancouver Island! If you hop on a ferry at Horseshoe Bay, it’ll take you to Nanaimo on the South East of the Island. I didn’t spend any time in Nanaimo, but it must be a pretty great place because they invented Nanaimo Bars there. And they are delicious! Anyway, in this post, I’ll be sharing all the highlights of Vancouver Island that you must visit if you’re travelling by road.
Travelling with Moose Bus
In the month before university started, I went on a 14-day tour by a company called Moose Bus. I did the Pacific tour, which you can view here. Over the 14 days, we visited Vancouver Island, Whistler and the Canadian Rockies using Vancouver as a base. In total, we spent three nights on Vancouver Island; two nights in Tofino and one night in Victoria.
I chose Moose Bus tours because I was looking for a small group tour which went to all the highlights of BC and Alberta. I chose to do the tour all in one go, though I ended up with two days in Vancouver between the Whistler and Rocky Mountains sections. However, you can also buy a bus pass and hop on and off as you please. This would be a great option if you wanted to spend more time in Banff or Whistler, for example. Make sure you check that the next bus you want to hop on has enough space, though, because the tours can be full. Alternatively, you can just choose to do certain sections of the tour. So you could just go to the Rockies, or just to Vancouver Island. It’s super flexible!
Anyway, back to the Island.
Looking at a map of Vancouver Island, I’d say we barely brushed the surface of what there is to explore. But that’s not to say we didn’t see and experience loads. We might have only stayed in two towns, but between those two towns and all the places we stopped along the way, I’d say we definitely saw the highlights of Vancouver Island. Below, I’ve written about all the places we visited and why I loved them.
Places to visit on the road
Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park
Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park is a very popular destination on Vancouver Island due to its beautiful scenery and picnic areas. A river cascades through a gorge here, making for some pretty stunning waterfalls. The surrounding forest is also beautiful and green, which makes it a very peaceful place to stretch your legs and have a quick lunch break on the road. If you have a bit more time to explore, Cameron Lake is also located within the park and is meant to be a great place for a swim!
To be honest, I had to look up someone else’s blog to find out which park we actually went to here… All I wrote in my diary was that we stopped at a waterfall! Real helpful. You can check out her post here.
Wally Creek
I really wanted to include this stop but finding it on the internet was easier said than done… Probably because I wrote “Wolf Creek” in my diary. Like the movie. Honestly, I’m hopeless! Anyway, I’m glad I found it and can now share it with you all, because it’s such a stunning location! This was definitely one of the highlights of Vancouver Island for me! The water is a bright aquamarine colour, which I never saw anywhere else. It’s also surrounded by some incredible scenery and mountains.
Apparently this is BC’s ultimate secret waterhole. Clearly it’s not a very well-kept secret because when I was there, there was plenty of people around. It’s right on the side of the highway so a great place to stop to stretch your legs (or go for a swim if you have more time).
Cathedral Grove
If you visit only one of the places I have suggested in this section, let it be Cathedral Grove. We stopped here on the way to Victoria from Tofino. If you’re wanting to see gigantic Douglas Firs, this is the place! The trees are absolutely HUGE. According to their website, the largest trees are around 800 years old, 75 m tall and 9 m wide! Our entire group could barely hug HALF of one of the giant trees. They are seriously impressive. It kind of makes you feel a bit small and insignificant, to be honest.
Coombs
Coombs is famous for their goats on the roof. Yes, you heard that right. The Old Country Market in Coombs has goats living on top of it. It’s just so completely random and I love it!
Honestly, how can I not include this as one of my Vancouver Island Highlights!? You can see the goats on the roof from the highway so if you drive through the town, make sure to keep your eye out! I’d recommend stopping as well, though, because the Old Country Market does really great cookies. I could totally go for one right now… Too bad they’re 12,000 km away!
Sproat Lake Petroglyphs
Petroglyphs are rock carvings created on rock surfaces using stone tools. Nearly all of the sites containing petroglyphs in Canada are near water and those on Vancouver Island are no exception. Sproat Lake Provincial Park is home to one of the finest panels of petroglyphs in British Columbia. No doubt in the picture below you can see why – they are very well preserved!
Sproat Lake is a beautiful location in itself so I’d definitely recommend going for a bit of a wander to admire the view over the lake. If you have a bit more time, the lake is a good spot for a swim or other water sports like canoeing.
Things to do in Tofino
Tofino is a cute little town on the East coast of the island. The area really has it all, from stunning mountains, lush forests and beautiful beaches. No wonder it’s one of the highlights of Vancouver Island: there’s something for everyone! Below, I’ve talked about all the different things we did in the Tofino area. I loved them all so would definitely recommend them to you all!
Wander around town
If you don’t explore the town your staying in, did you really visit? Whilst Tofino is very small and there isn’t heaps to do in the town itself, it’s worth admiring the scenery and trying to catch a sunset. The view of the surrounding fjords is stunning on a clear day. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures because it was cloudy for my entire trip (aside from the first 2 minutes before I had a chance to take a photo) but you can kind of get the idea from the featured photo up the top.
Visit Hot Springs Cove
This was definitely one of the highlights of my time on Vancouver Island, if not THE highlight! On our free day, most of us decided to head on a tour to Hot Springs Cove. This is a natural hot spring in Clayoquot Sound, Maquinna Provincial Park. The hot water from the springs runs down into the sea, gradually mixing with the cool sea water. Therefore, further up the rocks, the water is hotter than closer to the sea. The water from the springs is extremely hot so I don’t recommend sitting too high up. It was also raining on the day we visited, so we had the added cool water from the rain!
To get to the springs themselves, you have to walk for 2km through the forest. It’s a beautiful walk and definitely well worth the effort when you get to the end! At the hot springs, you might also meet one of the local wolf dogs. These beautiful animals are a mix of wolf and dog (obviously, given the name) and are rather friendly (and extremely cute!). There is a village across the water from the hot springs, so they most likely swim across from there in the hopes that tourists will give them food and attention.
Getting there
To get to Hot Springs Cove, you’ll need to take a boat. On the journey, make sure you keep an eye out for wildlife! The area is home to lots of marine life so you have a great chance of spotting something cool. We saw Humpback Wales, Sea Lions, Sea Otters and Puffins on our cruise, which was really incredible! As we were pulling into Tofino, we also spotted a pair of Bald Eagles sitting in one of the trees.
We went to the hot springs with a company called Remote Passages Marine Excursions and they were fantastic. They provided everything you needed, including beanies and waterproof jackets for the cold, and hot drinks on arrival back in Tofino. Whilst the hot springs tour is rather expensive at around $130 CAD, it’s definitely worth it.
Explore Long Beach
A short drive out of Tofino you can find Long Beach. Not sure if any of you know the book “Where the forest meets the sea”… But I thought this place was the Canadian version. Beautiful green forests stretched right to the beach and even extended beyond onto a little island which you can walk to at low tide. Both the beach and forest were stunning, despite the grey, wet weather. I think the forest was my favourite, though; the boardwalk winding through was beautiful.
One of our guides also managed to find a banana slug in the forest. These are bright yellow slugs that produce a secretion that causes numbness. It’s a great adaptation to prevent being eaten! Our guide managed to convince a couple of girls on my trip to lick it (talk about gross!) and it actually did make their tongues numb. So there you go. Interesting fact: crows have learnt that if they roll the banana slugs in dirt before eating them, they can do so without having a numb beak! What clever birds.
Anyway, enough with the animal facts. Let’s move on.
Things to do in Victoria
Victoria is probably the most famous place on Vancouver Island, so deserves it’s place as one of the highlights. The city is home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and a whole heap more history. Here are some of my favourite things we did:
Wander along the waterfront to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The waterfront in Victoria is a really nice area. Admittedly, I just find walking along the water a relaxing pastime in any city. But the waterfront in Victoria is especially beautiful in summer because of the flower baskets hanging from all of the light poles. All cities in BC seem to have these flower baskets, and if you follow me on Instagram you might have seen my photo of the flower baskets in Vancouver. They are such a nice touch and really bring a summery feel!
As you’re wandering around, make sure to keep an eye out for all the colourful buildings! This was something I absolutely loved about Victoria; quite a few of the buildings were painted in a whole variety of colours, from pink to yellow to blue.
Eventually, you’ll come across the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. It’s a big, regal looking building so you can’t miss it! You should definitely check out the gardens outside. There are yet more beautiful flowers, a cute fountain and a huge totem pole. You can also go inside. We did but I must admit I can’t remember what it was like. Very fancy, I’d imagine! There’s a small fee to get in but I imagine it’d be worth it, especially if you like beautiful, historic buildings.
Explore Chinatown
Another area worth exploring is Chinatown. This is the oldest Chinatown in Canada and the second oldest in North America, and is full of interesting shops and tiny alleyways. Of particular interest in this area are the Gate of Harmonious Interest, with stone lions made in Suzhou, and Fan Tan Alley. Unfortunately I only took a handful of blurry pictures of Chinatown, but I’ve included a picture of Fan Tan Alley below so you can get an idea of what it’s like. To get a better idea you’ll just have to go explore yourself!
Have you been to Vancouver Island? If you have any suggestions for more Vancouver Island highlights, let me know where you went in the comments below! I’d love to head back someday and check out some other areas. Next week, I’ll continue sharing highlights from my Moose Bus tour and we’ll be heading to the Canadian Rockies! Make sure you subscribe below to get an email each Sunday when I post. 🙂