Find your element

Dream an island getaway to life in the heart of the Salish Sea. Make that islands, each with a distinct character yet all sharing unspoilt natural beauty and a tranquil pace of life. Everyone sets their clocks to “Island Time,” and that means no fuss, no rush (at least until the next ferry).

Slipping from the comfortably mild to the super, natural wild sides of Vancouver Island is one of the pleasures for visitors to the Central Island region. Action-packed weekend getaways and restorative weeks can fly by without a dull moment here on the central eastern coastline.

Foodie nirvana. A lively music and arts scene. And outdoor pursuits by the dozen within easy reach of town centres. That’s the Cowichan region in Vancouver Island’s southeastern front pocket. Dine in cafe’s and bistros and sample cider, spirits and award winning wine.

Tour fertile valleys, track pods of orcas, discover First Nations culture and visit museums dedicated to regional history. Enjoy exhilarating mountain biking, alpine skiing, diving, whitewater rafting, salmon fishing and putting on emerald green golf courses. Add it up and you’ve got a taste of Vancouver Island’s North Central region.

The remote North Island is a step further for travellers seeking a go-anywhere license to roam the West Coast wilderness. Peaceful, lightly populated and famously scenic, the North Island is about as far away from it all as one can get within a days travel of Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle.

Explore the deepwater ocean inlet and wild places of the Alberni Valley, the nation’s highest waterfall included. Then navigate an exciting, twist-and-turn road that leads to the fabled surfing beaches and dense coastal rainforest of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Whether racing out to sea in pursuit of pods of Orca whales or sampling award-winning craft beers in a waterfront bistro, the South Island delivers diverse, exciting and pleasurable experiences in a region based around charmingly cosmopolitan Victoria.