Discover Vancouver Island: The Pacific Island Escape With Everything!

Here aren’t many pacific islands where you can surf in the morning and ski in the afternoon, especially ones that are ranked number one by more than one well-known travel magazine, many years running!

But here is one!

An island with a history stretching back as far as the ice age, that perches on the western edge of a fantastic continent and one that is on the rise very quickly as a “must see” destination.

Only about three hundred and fifty miles in length , Vancouver Island sits in the Straits of Georgia, north-west of Seattle and an hour and forty minutes by ferry from the mainland of British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada. Vancouver Island is home to the capital city of British Columbia, Victoria, and has been since 1850 at which time the interior gold rush brought prospectors and a supporting cast of many people to this pristine island.

Today, the pleasant climate, stunning scenery and world class amenities make this island a travelers mecca, and for excellent wits: or to be precise, many excellent reasons. English speaking, well really “Canadian” speaking, simple to drive and everything within honestly small distances helps make any trip here very enjoyable and moderately stress free, especially as accommodations and food services are widespread, well located and of the highest standard: many rated the best on the continent and some, the best in the world.

But it’s the diversity that is the main attraction. Whale watching, body surfing, long cycling trails, wilderness camping, world class spa-resorts, museums, historical sites, well-known gardens, ski-ing, sailing, salmon fishing, diving, real wild-life, or spa treatment with a Pacific ocean view. Home grown produce markets, original seafoods, local wineries, breweries and cideries, wilderness camping, bed and breakfast or well-known five star hotels,

Vancouver Island supports it all and it’s here to be learned. Jazz festivals, art festivals, opera, book fairs, antique fairs, garden tours, agricultural fairs, theaters and ghost walks. Marathons, cycling races, golf, lacrosse, soccer and ice hockey: and even the tall ships make an appearance!

Vancouver island is a celebration of agricultural, maritime and historical; of First Nations peoples and others from many nations. Of British and Spanish and Asian influences against a backdrop of stunning mountain scenery: a wilderness with all the amenities. Quality shopping, extensive tourist services, modern transportation and yet, the unusual. Float plane services, eagles on the lamp posts, art galleries on the walls, eight hundred year ancient trees, sea kayaking and afternoon tea with triangular sandwiches.

But more to the point, what shall we have for lunch!

How about some local oysters to start with, followed by a home grown emu burger on a home baked bun with garden grown tomatoes and locally grown herbs picked original for the table. I don’t know some locally made goat cheese and a pint of ale brewed on the premises. Really I reckon I will have a small glass of the locally made blueberry port wine with my home grown strawberries, although the flambe’ pears look rather nice!

Hey, take some time to Learn Vancouver Island for yourself, you will be glad you did.