Parksville is a city on Vancouver Island known for its scenic, superb sandy beaches at Parksville Bay and Craig Bay. It is also famous for hiking trails, magnificent waterfalls, wildlife and spectacular parks. You can find several first-rate restaurants and shops in Parksville. The city's most popular annual festival is Sandcastle Competition that takes place from mid-July to mid-August from 1982; people also call it 'Parksville Beachfest.' The interesting fact about Beachfest is that it is the only World Championship Sand Sculpting event in Canada.
Human habitation in Parksville and the area has occurred for thousands of years. Several Coast Salish people have been living in Parksville throughout the years, including Qualicum, Snaw-now-as (Nanoose), and Snuneymuxw. The most significant part of the Parksville economy is the service industry which is the occupation of most people in the Parksville area.
Parksville has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. The max and min temperature in Parksville is 24°C (75.2°F) in July and 1°C (33.8°F) in December.
The best time to visit Parksville is from May 28th to September 23rd. It is when the city is most beautiful.
You can fly from Vancouver to Nanaimo, Nanaimo Harbour, Departure Bay, or Comox Airport. From there, car rentals and buses are available to take you to Parksville.
Harbour Air Seaplanes and Pacific Seaplanes have a regular flight from Vancouver to Nanaimo, and you can take a bus or taxi or drive for about 40 km (23.6 miles) to Parksville.
The Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal is in Vancouver. The ferry to Duke Point will put you near downtown Nanaimo. Drive up or take a bus or rent a car to Parksville on the Island Highway.
Parksville doesn't fail to offer more than the wonderful sandy beaches that it is so famous for.
The city has other natural beauties such as waterfalls like Englishman River Falls and Little Qualicum Falls. You can also enjoy great parks in Parksville like the Englishman River Falls Provincial Park, Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, and Top Bridge Community Park. As for the entertainment, Parksville provides various options such as Riptide Lagoon Adventure Golf, an amusement center, Bowling & Sports Lounge, GroundZero Acoustic Lounge, a live music venue, and many fantastic restaurants and pubs.
Public transportation in Parksville includes buses and taxis on land and ferries such as BC Ferries and C-Force Marine Ltd on water.
Parksville has all sorts of accommodation with a wide range of prices, from simple guesthouses to luxury hotels. Of course, if you want to be close to everything the city offers, then pick somewhere downtown.
Hotels:
The Bayside Resort
The Beach Club Resort - Bellstar Hotels & Resorts
Coast Parksville Hotel
Both downtown
The Bayside Resort
Ocean Trails Resort
Ocean Sands Resort
Sunrise Ridge Waterfront Resort
Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre
Hostels:
Travelodge by Wyndham
Sandcastle Inn
Skylite Motel
Arbutus Grove Motel
Guesthouses:
Tanglewood Beach House
Morning-Glory Guest House
Beachwalk Guesthouse
Potter's View Guesthouse B&B
If you plan to visit Parksville and want to buy gifts or clothes, take a look at these shops, they are some of the best shops in Parksville.
Coast & Cottage, Shades Of Green, Mystic Lotus, SOS Thrift Shop, Wilde And Sparrow, Refresh Clothing, Close To You Ladies Fashion & Lingerie
It's hard to pick just one place out of many good restaurants and cafes in Parksville. Most of them are around Island Highway West.
Dairy Queen Grill & Chill, Boston Pizza, Mekong River Restaurant Vietnamese Cuisine, Brazen Poppy Bakery Restaurant, Sushi Ichi, Papa's Burgers, Lefty's Fresh Food – Parksville, Dosirak restaurant, Samurai Sushi & Teriyaki, Lan Vietnamese Express, Poppa's Pizzeria, Masalahut Indian cuisine, Aioli Seafood Restaurant's, Chameleons, British Bobby Restaurant, Cedars Restaurant & Lounge, Bradley's on Jensen, Pacific Coastal Roast, Coyotes Coffee & Tea, Taste Cafe & Bistro
Misguided Spirits Craft Distillery and Bespoke Spirits House are the Parksville's distilleries; the former is southwest, and the latter is downtown.
Here is a list of breweries and wineries around Parksville:
LoveShack Libations, Fern + Cedar Brewing Company, The Blind Pig Home-brew Supplies, Mount Arrowsmith Brewing Company, Millstone Estate Winery, Chateau Wolff Estate Winery, and Vineyard, Wine Kitz Metral Place Mall, Hopfingers U-Brew & Winemaking, Oceanside Wine Works, The Winery, Qualicum Village Winery.
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.
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.
Despite its name, if you favour it, you can do tent camping with a sea view right in the center of Vancouver Island. one of the most significant fishing camps, Deep Bay s full of surprises for anglers. Not to mention that if you visit, you can observe various fantastic wildlife there. So, put your hesitates aside, and plan to visit Camping in Deep Bay RV Park this weekend.
Looking for a place on Hornby Island to stay the night while enjoying yourselves? You would better stop by camping in Ford's Cove Marina and camp with your RV or tent. This campground has cute oceanic views and glorious sunsets with gorgeous mountains. The Ford's Cove Marina Campground sites are charming, well-maintained, and spacious, with a pleasant grassy and treed atmosphere and beautiful scenery.
As a popular destination for campers from Nanaimo or Courtenay, Qualicum Bay Resort is one of the best places for nature admirers. Amuse your eye with the beautiful scenic view of this campground located on a beautiful beach. You are provided with almost every kind of camping and incredible landscape for those in the RV campground.
The great adventure in Fanny Bay will always hunt its visitors. The Lighthouse RV Park and Campground offer undeniable opportunities for camping of all kinds with a beautiful view of the ocean ornamented by mountains and islands. This campground offers excellent accommodation with every essential amenity. Not to mention that you can lose yourself in its charm, quiet, and unique sites and find it again.
Spacious, unique, private, and complete facility sites are provided in Bradsdadsland Campsite for visitors to have a perfect time camping on Hornby Island. Embrace this fantastic opportunity for adventure while you are in one of the gems of Hornby Island. You would feel peaceful while camping in the beautiful Bradsdadsland, away from your daily boring daily routine. While watching sunsets, enjoy the ocean view ahead of you.
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.
According to your level of proficiency or your preference, the depths for diving vary from shallow to deep in China Creek. Comprising a wall dive with an incredible view of Port Alberni and amazing marine creatures underneath the water surface multiplies the beauty of this diving experience.
Spend the gladdest moments of your life in Yeo Islands while diving into the waters. Also, you will have the chance to enjoy watching artificial cliffs that have embellished the area's view. Besides, the excellent adventure o diving visitors can benefit from other outdoor excitements and watching various marine life.
Don't just listen to people talking about Wall Beach. Come and see how beautiful this sea lion habitat is. Incredible diving opportunities are provided for both armature and professional divers. The chance to see several diverse marine life there is Wall Beach adds up to the reasons why one should come to this spectacular beach.
If you happen to wander around Nanoose Bay, The Jib Diving site is one of the most attractive diving destinations in the region, with a clean environment and easy access. Moreover, except for the beautiful view of the site, you can enjoy watching a diversity of marine life.
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.
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.
Wall Beach is a rocky beach north of Nanoose Bay. The peaceful atmosphere gives you an excellent chance to live in the sunshine, feel alive by the ocean air, and relax. It is the best escape anyone can have to get rid of work pressure. Do what makes you happy and improve your health. The beach has a dive site to dive, swim, and explore the rich marine life.
Parksville Beaches is a public beach with endless tidal flats of sand and rock. In July, a fantastic event takes place; the Sand Castle Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. In summer, soaking in the sun and watching the splendid sky could be relaxing. As the beach has an extensive area, it suits children's taste to spend hours running freely, playing and beachcombing.