Vancouver Island Road Trip
My most recent trip to the island started in Victoria before heading north to Pacific Rim NP and Tofino. Victoria, British Columbia’s capital is filled with gardens and seafront parks, stately hotels and museums, bohemian eateries, and craft brewers. A few days is well spent here, my favourite attraction being Butchart Gardens, which is about 30 mins drive north of Victoria.
I had both my parents with me on this trip and the gardens were their favourite highlight. We visited in mid June which was perfect bloom time for the gardens. Butchart Gardens are an 118-year-old internationally-renowned 55-acre display garden located in Brentwood Bay. The garden has with five main gardens, stunning fountains, intriguing sculptures, trickling streams and explodes with wave upon wave of colour for much of the year.
The Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is one of Canada’s most cherished natural treasures, renowned for its lush temperate forests, dramatic coastal scenery and long sandy beaches. Established in 1970 this is rugged, unspoilt wilderness at its very best. The ultimate natural outdoor playground you can hike for miles along the breath-taking coastline and through remarkable old-growth rainforest. Kayak in emerald waters among hundreds of tiny islands and bays. Marvel at the diverse wildlife and witness the incredible sight of migrating whales. Or stroll, paddle and relax to your heart’s content along expansive soft-sand beaches.
We spent 2 full days in Tofino, a pretty fishing village on the west coast of the island. It is home to some of the best surfing in the country, as well as whale watching, hiking, bear watching. It also has the best fish and chips in North America! On our first day we took a whale watching cruise, dressed in beautiful orange insulated boiler suits there is no chance of going missing or feeling the cold! The highlight of this trip for my mum was the sea otters, the whales were also fabulous, but those furry little creatures are very entertaining! On our second day our small boat cruise hugged the western coast as we searched for bears and bird life, and we were not disappointed! 3 bear sightings and numerous bird species encountered! I highly recommend Vancouver Island as part of a Canada fly drive itinerary, or as a cheeky add to a inside passage cruise. Please contact me if you would like to know more!