Nanaimo is the second-largest city on Vancouver Island, located on the east coast, and it has everything a tourist's heart can desire. This historic port city is known as The Harbour City among the islanders. But it used to be the Hub City; the reason for that was the special design of the streets that radiated like the spokes of a wheel. Nanaimo is also one of the best cold-water diving destinations on Vancouver Island.
The indigenous people of the city are the Snuneymuxw, which is Nanaimo in anglicized pronunciation.
About art in Nanaimo, it's enough to know that The Nanaimo Concert Band is 138 years old, and it's the oldest continuous community band in Canada. The Nanaimo Conservatory of Music is still offering music lessons and producing concerts since 1977.
During winter in Nanaimo, the temperatures rarely go below 0°C (32°F). In summer, the average temperature is 24°C (75°F). Nanaimo is known as one of the comfiest climates in all of Canada.
The best time to visit Nanaimo is from June to August. It is the period when the city is full of tourists.
Nanaimo Airport is 18.8 km (11.7 miles) south of downtown Nanaimo. Nanaimo is one of the main gateways to Vancouver Island, specifically for passengers who come from Vancouver and Calgary.
You can get on board from Vancouver Harbour to Nanaimo Harbour.
1. If you plan to visit Nanaimo from north and west of Vancouver Island or Horseshoe Bay, the access is via Deep Bay.
2. Access to Nanaimo is possible from Tsawwassen to Duke Point Ferry Terminal.
There are many parks and gardens in Nanaimo, each one with its unique beauty. Here are some of the most favourite landmarks. The water sports in Nanaimo are various and exciting and certainly won't fit inside a paragraph. The activities involve sailing, diving, fishing, kayaking and canoeing. Spend the day paddling around, or get out on a charter and start angling.
Nanaimo's museums are the museum of natural history, and there are some of the best Vancouver Island art galleries in the city. South of the city is where the most nightlife happens.
Lots of festivals and events take place in Nanaimo; among them is Marine Festival & World Championship Bathtub Race. It has been welcoming visitors for more than 40-years to participate in this famous festival and race. Maffeo Sutton Park & Sway-a-Lana Lagoon will play host to vendors, arts & crafts, and a Kiddies Carnival at the core of the bathtub festivities.
Nanaimo Public transportation is mostly buses and ferries. Using buses is for destinations inside of the island and ferry for the ones outside. You also can use the taxi services and The Hangar air taxi for transportation.
As a tourist, downtown is the best place to stay, close to the Harbourfront. Downtown is close to everything from whale-watching boats and seaplane tours to the museums, restaurants, and shops.
If you want to take a ferry to Vancouver, it is recommended to find somewhere near the ferry terminal instead.
In case you are looking for luxury accommodation, try the Coast Bastion Hotel downtown and enjoy a fantastic view.
If you're on a budget, though, HI Nanaimo - Painted Turtle Guesthouse is right next to Coast Bastion Hotel at a more reasonable price. Here are some suggestions for staying in the city:
Hotels:
Coast Bastion Hotel, The Grand Hotel Nanaimo
Self-Catered Accommodation:
Buccaneer Inn, Nanaimo Gibralter Rock Ocean View Bed&Breakfast, Surf Lodge and Pub, Best Western Northgate Inn
Hostels:
Departure Bay Motel, Value Lodge Motel
Guesthouses:
Beachwalk Guesthouse, Nanaimo Ocean View Guesthouse
Nanaimo has a few significant shopping malls. Woodgrove Centre is the largest on Vancouver Island, northwest of the city, Nanaimo North Town Centre, University Village Mall.
For Boutique Shopping, visit Old City Quarter and Waterfront.
Farmers Markets are active from late spring to Thanksgiving. You can find the products in Lantzville Farmers Market, Cedar Farmers Market, Bowen Road Farmers Market, Nanaimo Downtown Farmers Market.
The Bee's Knees Café and The Vault Café are two of the best cafes in downtown Nanaimo.
Asteras Greek food and La Stella Trattoria downtown and Nori Japanese Restaurant uptown are excellent restaurant choices.
The Nanaimo Bar and Milton Street Public House downtown and Arbutus Distillery & Cocktail Lounge on the west are a few of the best bars and pubs you can find in the city.
Misguided Spirits Craft Distillery is northwest, and Stillhead Distillery is south of the city. Qualicum Village Winery in the northwest, Emandare Vineyard, and Averill Creek Vineyard in the south are a few of the best Wineries and vineyards in Nanaimo. Wolf Brewing Compan, Longwood Brewery, and Cliffside Brewing Company are Nanaimo's only Breweries.
Hiking on Bowen Park Loop is a lovely urban walk along a river with stunningly beautiful nature that promotes a rich forest, a waterfall, and a scenic pond. This easy hiking trail is so well maintained with lots of facilities. Spend hours hiking on this loop as part of the Trans Canada Trail and have a memorable day in the park, great for different kinds of activities.
Westwood Lake Trail is not super challenging, but it is a lovely well maintained and well-marked hiking trail around Westwood Lake with beautiful viewpoints and greenery. The forest and lake are full-on herons, eagles and deer with lots of opportunities to have a great time, so bringing your family with you is a decision you will not regret!
Don't hike alone! It is an excellent hike for the whole family and pets. Cable Bay Nature Trail is scenic, easy, clean, and wide enough as a family trail. Not only your family but your pet can accompany you. Get the most out of incredible viewpoints. Hike through the forest near the coast and find a nice rock to take a break, grab a snack, and watch the marine wildlife.
Wear your hiking boots! It is going to be a challenging hike that may take about 4 to 5 hours. The lovely amount of elevation with fantastic views is what you can get hiking on the Mount Benson Loop near Nanaimo. As it is located in a reach environment, take lots of breaks to enjoy the area and get enough energy. If you are not ready for wet terrains, try it on a dry and cool day. You would be satisfied as an experienced hiker.
About 10 kilometres away from downtown Nanaimo, find yourself on an easy and well-marked hiking trail along the Nanaimo River with a smile on your face! It is a great short walk that impresses you differently at each section. Take your dog with you and get it some exercises too, as it is dog off-leash-friendly. You can find such energy there in the area with the Douglas fir plantation.
Ranked as the best cold-water diving destination in BC, Nanaimo waters are saturated with new diving experiences. BC Ferries, dive shops, accessible shores, and the chance to observe cute beaches have made Nanaimo an ideal destination for visitors. Diving enthusiasts find themselves in the heavens when they come to Nanaimo, for it is home to spotless diving spots.
For those marine life lovers, Nanaimo Yacht Club Whale Watching is a great opportunity. Participants can ride boats and surf the surrounding waters with the chance to explore the area and observe whales living near Nanaimo due to the high population of orcas and whales around there.
Protection Island Ferry provides its participants with high chances of watching whales and other marine creatures, along with the scenic view of three spectacular islands. You may also rent a boat to surf the water, and if you are in luck, encounter these gigantic marine beasts.
On Vancouver Island, you can spend every single day arriving in a new city comprising magnificent adventures. While you stay in the second-largest city on the island, you may enjoy several incredible activities, including whale watching. Whale watching in Nanaimo gives you the chance to explore the Salish Sea ecosystem and observe marine life from April-October.
If you are trying to get away from your lethal daily routine and your adventure flow has been stopped, why don't you plan a trip to the only multi-functional port city on Vancouver Island, Nanaimo? An assemblage of several distinguished bodies of water has made Nanaimo one of the best paddling locations in the world. You are provided with tons of other activities on both land and the sea.
Exceptional opportunities to explore the water while enjoying the scenic view of a city with a hundred years of history and culture preserved within the realms of Ladysmith. as an ideal kayaking destination, Ladysmith has several offerings to make your stay even more joyful. So, pack your bags and hit the road to this beautiful old city.
Get out of your comfort zone and go diving in one extraordinary place with quite a history behind it. The wreck of the Robert Kerr is the graveyard of a ship that sank about 200 years ago. Still, now it is a habitat for several marine creatures and offers excellent opportunities to dive deep and explore the underwater world.
Make your time on Vancouver Island count and go diving in Elliot's Beach Park. It is a pristine diving location for professional diving, but it has opportunities to discover underwater for ordinary folks.
You cannot believe your ears are hearing a diving place made after a Jet Plane was sunk. But, there is only one way to find out, especially for divers who like abnormal experiences. While you are in Chemainus, you can rent a boat and paddle till you reach this place, offering you unbelievable diving opportunities.
Looking for a daring diving experience? Hop on and drive to Alcala Point in Porlier Pass diving site. There is a fantastic diving place where you may need a diving guide during winter due to enormous waves. Also, plenty of marine life is living there, so employing safety is mandatory.
Parksville is known for its scenic, superb sandy beaches. This city is also famous for hiking trails, waterfalls, wildlife, parks, entertainment centres, and many fantastic restaurants and pubs. The city's most popular annual festival is Sandcastle Competition. Englishman River Falls, Little Qualicum Falls, and Englishman River Falls Provincial Park are among the most visited places.
It takes a short drive to Nanaimo Lakes south of Nanaimo. The pristine nature gives you a chance to stay away from technology. It is tranquil and peaceful around the lakes with scenic spots in the forest, great for a long walk or camping. The warm lake water makes it a fantastic spot for swimming and kayaking. Mountain climbing, hiking, and fishing are other possibilities.
Colliery Dam Park with Chase River, huge trees, Granny Falls, and two small ponds is a tranquil and wooded park. The spectacular views with some nice bridges make the park a good choice for photographers. It is possible to walk your dog off-leash at the upper dam. You can go hiking, seasonal swimming, boating, and fishing for rainbow trout.
Maffeo Sutton Park is a waterfront park with a perfect view of Nanaimo Harbour. It is a family park mainly known for its nice walking trails, playground, and picnicking areas. Swy-A-Lana Lagoon Fishing Pier is a nice spot located southeast of the park for fishing and swimming. This scenic oceanside park's Lions Pavilion Stage hosts community and musical events.
The Nanaimo River, with warm water and deep pools, is an excellent choice for swimming. It has lagoons for a family picnic or day trail and a rocky beach for kids to play in, and for you to lay on some large rocks. From April to June, and in September or October, test your fishing skill in the river for cutthroat and rainbow trout. Have the pleasure of hiking in trails and take some pictures.
Beaufort Park is a year-round destination in Nanaimo. Each season's nature and wildlife diversity make eye-catching scenery for visitors, so take a camera with you. A multi-purpose court suitable for sports like basketball and pickleball, and a tennis court are available. There are also a community garden and a food forest, and a dog off-leash area.
Pipers Lagoon Park is a waterfront park with Shack Island, the ocean, and Neck Point Park views. Stay there for sunrise and sunset, and don't miss watching the scene. The park is home to bird species and other animals, making it a perfect destination for wildlife photographers. Hiking and jogging, beachcombing, flying a kite, and doing water sports are other options.
It seems that all you need is available at Bowen Park; a waterfall, duck pond, wilderness and picnic areas, and lots of facilities and sports fields. The Millstone River passes through the park, where can be considered as your hiking trail. The duck pond and a beautiful rhododendron grove with more than 350 species are amusing. Be there for some exercise or relaxation in the woods.
Nanoose Bay is known as a place to relax with its large pebble beach, somewhere between Nanaimo and Parksville. The scene is stunning, specifically in the evening when the sun meets the ocean. No matters how many times you visited the beach, it is always peaceful and attractive. Nanoose Bay is home to many sea animals, and the beach is perfect for digging up some clams.
Walking from the ferry terminal to downtown Nanaimo, you can find a beautiful small garden, Chinese Memorial Gardens Park. A small public park with full-grown shrubs and trees and gracious lawns performs as a relaxing spot. The painted, formed pagoda structure and carved stones decorated it. The scenery is eye-catching and is mainly used for the background of family portraits.
Neck Point Park is a beachfront park with some lookout spots where land meets the ocean. It is a popular choice for photography, hiking, scuba diving, and historic and scenic features. Fishing, paddling, and swimming are other options you have to entertain yourself. This waterfront park has awesome sea life; also, you can see bunnies very commonly.
An excellent picnicking area and sunny weather attract many families in summer to relax on Qualicum Beach. This sandy beach is placed in an area with many facilities and attractions to enjoy your day. Let life lead you to the beach with the incredible landscape of Lasqueti Island Ecological Reserve hills, blue sky and the ocean. Choose kinds of water activities which you delight in doing.
If you plan to be away from urban life and spend hours in the woods watching wildlife and get relaxed, take a visit to Beach Estates Park, west of Departure Bay. With a beautiful designated hiking trail, Beach Estates Park is interesting for hikers and runners. The park's nature includes a lush forest with magnificent tall trees, a small river, a rocky beach, and Beach Estates Falls.
Silence is wiser than speech in nature. To get this atmosphere with a scenic view near Nanaimo and to have an excellent family time, Westwood Lake Park is a smart year-round choice. It is a perfect place with a playground for kids, an off-leash area, and a lifeguard patrolled freshwater swimming site. Hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and boating are other adventures to take.
Kanaka Bay is a gem on top of Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park. It has the best of what summer has to offer, a beautiful place to spend hours with your family. The beach is accessible by a short walk from the dock. The extensive picnic area and playground of Kanaka Bay are the sweet spots for children. Don't forget about water sports, and watching wildlife like raccoons.