Vancouver Island — All Categories
Free Outdoor Activities
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Botanical Beach (Juan de Fuca Park)
Tide-pool wonderland near Port Renfrew — visit at low tide to see purple urchins, anemones and giant chitons in sandstone shelves.
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Cathedral Grove (MacMillan Provincial Park)
Walk among 800-year-old Douglas firs on an easy loop trail on the road between Parksville and Port Alberni.
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Goldstream Provincial Park
Old-growth cedars, a 47-metre waterfall, and the annual chum salmon run just 16 km from Victoria.
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Mount Douglas Park Summit
A short walk or drive to a 360° viewpoint over Greater Victoria, the Saanich Peninsula and the Olympic Mountains.
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Mystic Beach
A 2 km rainforest hike on the Juan de Fuca Trail ends at a sandy cove with a waterfall tumbling onto the beach.
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Tow Hill / Long Beach (Pacific Rim)
Sixteen kilometres of wide sandy beach in Pacific Rim National Park — surf, walk or storm-watch.
Best Restaurants
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Hilary’s Cheese & Deli
Cowichan Bay artisan cheesemaker and lunch spot — start a picnic here.
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Pluvio Restaurant + Rooms
Acclaimed multi-course tasting menu in Ucluelet by chef Warren Barr.
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Red Fish Blue Fish
Iconic dockside fish-and-chips from a converted shipping container on Victoria's Inner Harbour.
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Stage Wine Bar
Small-plates and an obsessive wine list in Victoria's Fernwood neighbourhood.
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The Aerie (Malahat)
A mountainside dining room overlooking the Finlayson Arm and the Gulf Islands.
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The Pointe Restaurant (Wickaninnish Inn)
Tofino fine dining with floor-to-ceiling Pacific views, focused on West Coast seafood and BC wines.
Just Restaurants
Best Restaurants
-
Hilary’s Cheese & Deli
Cowichan Bay artisan cheesemaker and lunch spot — start a picnic here.
-
Pluvio Restaurant + Rooms
Acclaimed multi-course tasting menu in Ucluelet by chef Warren Barr.
-
Red Fish Blue Fish
Iconic dockside fish-and-chips from a converted shipping container on Victoria's Inner Harbour.
-
Stage Wine Bar
Small-plates and an obsessive wine list in Victoria's Fernwood neighbourhood.
-
The Aerie (Malahat)
A mountainside dining room overlooking the Finlayson Arm and the Gulf Islands.
-
The Pointe Restaurant (Wickaninnish Inn)
Tofino fine dining with floor-to-ceiling Pacific views, focused on West Coast seafood and BC wines.