Pacific Marine Circle Route
Go full circle on Southern Vancouver Island with the Pacific Marine Circle Route. A road with varied landscapes, stops and views, the loop is a popular trek amongst driving enthusiasts. The total drive clocks in at a total of 289 km or 179 miles. With the beach pull outs, broad ocean views and a leg that takes you past some of the most majestic old-growth forest on Vancouver Island, the Pacific Marine Circle Route ranks high amongst drivers. It’s also a thrilling drive—winding roads and steep hills will put your handling skills to the test!
You can start at whichever point along the loop that you please (heading in either direction), but we suggest launching fromVictoria. From the Lower Mainland, arrive via ferry at Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal and head into the city to settle into the Vancouver Island vibe for a day or two. Explore Victoria’s quaint and vibrant downtown before hitting the road towards Sooke. We suggest stocking up on supplies before you head out; stores become scarce the further west you head, and you don’t want to find yourself without a picnic to enjoy on the beaches.
Victoria to Sooke
40 km | 45 minutes
From Victoria, go as fast or as slow as you’d like, meandering through the winding roads into Sooke (only about a 45-minute drive from Downtown Victoria). Here, take a break from the road to explore “where the rainforest meets the sea”; stretch your legs with a trek out to the geological wonder that is the Sooke Potholes, or set out on a scenic shoreline walk along Whiffin Spit – extending between the Sooke Harbour and Juan de Fuca Strait. For something faster-paced, you can go ziplining with AdrenaLINE Zipline Adventure Tours, or set out on a fishing excursion with True Key Adventures. The oceanside town is also home to some spectacular local haunts like Stick in the Mud Cafe, and the 17-Mile House Pub (its namesake is the distance from Victoria’s City Hall) on route into town.
Exploring all that Sooke has to offer may mean you turn in for the night; we recommend SookePoint Ocean Cottage Resort or Sooke Harbour Resort & Marina. If you decide to make this portion of the road trip into a day trip, making a pitstop in Sooke and continuing on to Sheringham Distillery to taste small batch, Island-made hand-crafted spirits and stop in at the famous local staple, Shirley Delicious Cafe, for a late lunch.
Charging stations:
Prestige Oceanfront Resort, 6929 West Coast Rd, Sooke
Seaparc Leisure Complex, 2168 Phillips Road, Sooke
Sooke Harbour House, 1528 Whiffen Spit Road, Sooke
812 Wharf St, Victoria, BC, CA, V8W 1T3
Experience the best whale watching in Victoria with Prince of Whales Wildlife Tours. Explore the stunning marine wildlife of British Columbia with our expert-led tours.
5120 Gillespie Rd, Sooke, BC V9Z 0E2, Canada
Experience a thrilling treetop zipline adventure park on Vancouver Island. Enjoy breathtaking views and unforgettable experiences in a safe and fun environment.
4382 W Shr Pkwy, Langford, BC, CA, V9B 5Z1
Sheringham Distillery, located on Vancouver Island, crafts exceptional gins and liqueurs that showcase the essence of British Columbia's West Coast.
1000 Sooke Point Pl Unit 48B, Sooke, BC V9Z 1N8, Canada
SookePoint Ocean Cottage Resort in Sooke, BC, offers luxury cottages perched above the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by nature and near East Sooke Park. With 4 cottage room types, enjoy stunning ocean views and marine life sightings.
6971 W Coast Rd, Sooke, BC V9Z 0V1, Canada
Sooke Harbour Resort & Marina offers year-round oceanfront getaways in Sooke, BC. Enjoy fishing, whale watching, kayaking, zip lining, hiking, and beach exploration. Relax in spacious townhome vacation rentals managed by True Key Vacations.
Sooke To Port Renfrew
71 km | 1.5 hours
Travel Info
The Port Renfrew to Cowichan route is where you really get to test your wilderness mettle. The road in this section is a former logging route, recently paved over to encourage Vancouver Island visitors to venture through the threading road surrounded by tall trees and rushing waterfalls. A note of caution: there’s no cell service along this portion of the route.
As you’re now heading into one of the most scenic and “wildest” legs of the route, be sure to leave time for stops along the way. We recommend a stop in Jordan River to watch the surfers catch two- to ten-foot waves. This section of the drive also offers access to some of Vancouver Island’s best beaches within Juan de Fuca Provincial Park; Sombrio, Botanical, China and Mystic Beaches are all great places to pull off, explore tidal pools and take in some fresh ocean air.
Further along the route, Port Renfrew will greet you with wild vibes and wide-open ocean – this destination feels inherently West Coast. It is the perfect place to wander great hikes (it’s home to the trailhead of the famous West Coast Trail), explore magnificent old-growth and encounter a sport-fishing mecca. Keep the West Coast rustic vibes going with stop in at Bridgemans Bistro for a meal featuring local Island food and beverage. If you are turning in for the night, it doesn’t get much better than Wild Renfrew Resort – offering luxurious seaside cottages or the more economical West Coast Trail Lodge. In the evening, stoke a fire outdoors while you map out the next day’s drive.
Important Notes:
Cell phone service is spotty or unavailable along this part of the route.
Charging stations:
Wild Renfrew – 17293 Parkinson Rd, Port Renfrew
Gas station:
Pacheena 1, Juan de Fuca, BC *Note: this is the only gas station between Sooke and Lake Cowichan
17293 Parkinson Rd, Port Renfrew, BC V0S 1K0, Canada
Wild Renfrew offers cozy cabin rentals in Port Renfrew, nestled in the lush Vancouver Island coastline. With spacious living areas, comfortable bedrooms, and pristine bathrooms, these accommodations provide a private retreat within walking distance of Port Renfrew amenities.
Port Renfrew To Lake Cowichan
62 km | 1.25 hours
Waking up in Port Renfrew will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to hit the wild road again, but not without a quick detour to visit Avatar Grove (best accessed with a four-wheel-drive vehicle). This magical clutch of old-growth is where you’ll discover some of the Island’s oldest old-growth forest – Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir giants – including Canada’s Gnarliest Tree and a bit further down the road, Big Lonely Doug.
Luckily, Avatar Grove wasn’t the last stop for old-growth forest – lookout for signage for the Harris Creek Spruce (about 20 km outside of Port Renfrew), measuring 4-metres in diameter and approximately 80-feet in height. And, as if the old-growth forest wasn’t magical enough, on this part of the route you will catch site of Fairy Lake, home to the “bonsai” – a tiny Douglas fir tree defying odds, growing on a submerged log in the lake.
The winding forest road will eventually deliver you into Lake Cowichan – a charming town on the lake and popular tourist destination for swimming, fishing and (most famously) floating down the Cowichan River on a tube on a hot summer’s day. We recommend stopping for a bite to eat on the water at Jake’s on the Lake or a slice at Carmanah Pizza.
Important Notes:
Cell phone service is spotty or unavailable along this part of the route.
Charging stations:
Kaatza Station Museum, 125 South Shore Road, Lake Cowichan, BC
Gas station:
Pacheena 1, Juan de Fuca, BC*Note: this is the only gas station between Sooke and Lake Cowichan.
56 N Shore Dr, Lake Cowichan, BC, CA, V0R 2G0
Riverside Inn Lake Cowichan offers a newly renovated hotel, a cozy pub serving pub-style food, and a well-stocked liquor store. Enjoy picturesque views of the Cowichan River.
Lake Cowichan to Duncan
29 km | 30 mins
Just a quick hop from Lake Cowichan, Duncan, a.k.a “The City of Totems,” is a great stop for a walkabout and a cultural experience. Take a short detour off the highway towards downtown and wander through over 40 magnificent carved totems that each depict a unique story told by the Indigenous carver. The newest edition is the Sesquicentennial Totem in Station Street Park (carved by Tommy Hunt Jr. from the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation) erected to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday. In between totems, explore the town’s boutique clothing shops, book shop and, if you’re in town on a Saturday, the Duncan Farmers’ Market.
If you’re feeling the need for speed, make a pitstop on your way to Duncan from Lake Cowichan at the Island Motorsports Circuit for a high-performance driving experience like no other!
Important Notes:
Cell phone service is spotty or unavailable along this part of the route.
Charging stations:
Island Savings Centre, 2687 James Street, Duncan BC
Coronation Mall, 361 Trans-Canada Highway 1, Duncan
Duncan Train Station, 120 Canada Ave, Duncan
Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre, 2892 Drinkwater Rd, Duncan
4063 Cowichan Valley Hwy, Duncan, BC, CA, V9L 6K4
Experience the excitement of Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit, a premier motorsport facility offering thrilling driving experiences. With 19 corners and 98 meters of elevation change, it's a must-visit destination for driving enthusiasts.
200 Craig St, Duncan, BC, CA, V9L 1W3
Experience the vibrant Duncan Farmers' Market in the heart of Cowichan Valley, offering a diverse range of fresh produce, artisanal goods, and delicious food trucks.
124 Canada Ave, Duncan, BC, CA, V9L 1T4
Discover the stories behind beautiful totem poles in Duncan, each representing unique cultural narratives and artistic traditions.
Duncan to Cowichan Bay
9.5 km | 12 mins
From Duncan, head over to Cowichan Bay on the East Coast of Vancouver Island. The small maritime town is the first “Cittaslow” village in North American; a network of towns and villages in over 28 countries, and an offshoot of the Slow Food Movement founded in Italy. Cowichan Bay offers the opportunity to truly “slow down and savour life”: pay a visit to an Old World-style bakery, True Grain Bread, explore Indigenous art at the Arthur Vickers Gallery or call it a day in the car and hop onto a zodiac for whale watching tour with Ocean Ecoventures.
1735 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay, BC, CA, V0R 0C2
True Grain is a BC-based bakery offering a variety of organic ancient grains and heritage wheat products. From stone-milled flours to artisan pasta and signature cookies, we have it all!
1719 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay, BC, CA, V0R 0C2
Discover the exquisite artwork of First Nations artist Arthur Vickers at the seaside village of Cowichan Bay.
1721 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay, BC V0R 0C2, Canada
Ocean Ecoventures Whale Watching offers unique and unforgettable tours in Cowichan Bay since 2003. Enjoy killer whale sightings in the Salish Sea and meet a team of passionate conservationists and photographers.
1681 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay, BC V0R 1N0, Canada
Oceanfront Suites at Cowichan Bay offers a luxurious stay in the suburbs with waterfront views. Explore nearby cultural highlights and outdoor activities, from golf clubs to wineries.
Cowichan Bay to Sidney
74 km | 1 hour
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From Cowichan Bay, you’ve reached the final leg of the trip. We recommend a quick detour en route to Sidney, via the Kinsol Trestle. An iconic landmark on Vancouver Island, it is one of the tallest free-standing timber trestles in the world. Standing 44-metres tall and spanning 187-metres, it is part of The Great Trail spanning across the country. Get the whole story about this historical landmark at the Shawnigan Lake Museum before heading back to the Malahat Highway, with a stop at the Malahat Summit to take in stunning views of the Saanich Inlet and the Cowichan Valley.
If just a few minutes gazing at the Malahat views isn’t enough, stop in for a stay at Villa Eyrie Resort where you can enjoy the gorgeous views over dinner or from the comforts of a luxurious suite.
The quaint Sidney-by-the-Sea is a seaside sanctuary with plenty to do. It is the perfect destination to wrap up your road trip by spending some time on the water – whether that’s kayaking, fishing, diving or whale watching with Sidney Whale Watching. If you’d prefer to explore on solid ground, venture out to Sidney’s twelve bookstores or quench your thirst at the local wineries, breweries or distillery. If you have a green thumb, we recommend a stop at the Horticultural Centre of the Pacific’s year-round garden en route back to the ferry.
Alternate Route: Save time and take the scenic route by driving onto the Mill Bay – Brentwood Bay ferry for a quick (and stunning) 25-minute crossing to Sidney. Be sure to check departure times before you get in line to wait – this ferry doesn’t operate in the late evening.
Charging stations: Kerry Park Recreation, 1035 Shawnigan Mill Bay Rd, Mill Bay
2869 Glen Eagles Rd, Shawnigan Lake, BC, CA, V0R 2W0
Discover the historic Kinsol Trestle, one of the tallest timber rail trestle structures globally. Enjoy activities like cycling, hiking, and more.
600 Ebadora Ln, Malahat, BC V0R 2L0, Canada
Rated as having one of the best views in Canada, Villa Eyrie Resort offers a stunning location in British Columbia. Perched atop Malahat Mountain, it provides breathtaking views of Finlayson Arm, Olympic Mountains, and Mount Baker.
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