We’re going to give you some quick adventure ideas whilst you’re out this way, BUT FIRST, here’s some of our favourite spots and things to do on the coast for whilst you’re here (mostly involving food…of course)

Things To Do

Activities:

  • Trail walk @ Cliff Gilker - nice and easy options for a walk in the woods for all abilities. If you want some suggestions for a little more challenging / less groomed trails, just shout

  • Roberts Creek Pier walk - check out the pier, you might see a whale, you’ll almost certainly see a seal or a bald eagle at the least, you can also stroll along the beach too 

  • Henderson Beach - this is our local beach and a little more tucked away so it doesn’t get that busy in the summer

  • Bonniebrook Beach - this is another beaut of a beach, worth a stroll 

  • Sommes Hill Park - hike up the big ol’ hill and get a nice view

  • Trout Lake - nice peaceful spot

  • Mountain Bike some trails around Roberts Creek - we have some of the best trails in the world funnily enough around here so shout if you want more info!

  • Fishing, cycling, canoeing, paddle boarding, there’s all sorts to keep you busy

    There’s also generally always events, markets, live music and things going on, so when we get a little closer to the time we can update this page with some of those, in the meantime, the tourism board website is a good place for any other ideas

Eating / drinking:

  • Persephone - brewery + farm near ferry terminal, good beer, lovely spot for a drink

  • Sharkey’s - for fish & chips

  • The Gumboot - our local cafe (also a restaurant round the corner), relaxed atmosphere, solid food 

  • Sunday Cider - really good cider, usually a food truck knocking around too, outdoors only, excellent spot

  • Banditry Cider - good cider, really nice spot for a drink

  • Beachcomber Cafe - solid coffee, killer apple fritter

  • Black Bean Cafe - less good coffee, but still a good option for a quick bite

  • Tapworks Brewery - great beer, epic view from the balcony

  • Smitty’s Oyster House - excellent location and vibe, experience of the food has been average, but worth a visit still

  • Nagomi - really good sushi place

  • Pepper Creek - solid pizza

  • The Wobbly Canoe - food is average but there’s no better place to watch the sunset from

  • Middle Child - there’s not many places to get good coffee on the coast if you’re a snob like Lew, but this is the best, it’s in a bike shop

  • Little Spoon Ice Cream - they usually have a truck at Davis Bay during the summer, but if you see them around, that’s the spot for ice cream

  • Brickers - yet another cider place, also great, simple decent food as well for a quick bite

  • El Segundo - mexican fare

Vancouver Island:

This place reminds me of New Zealand for its landscape and the amount of things you can do and see in such a small package. Many people hire a camper van during the summer and explore which is a big recommendation if you can, or scoot around in a hire car and stop over at some pretty unique rentals dotted around the place. Hikes, adventure parks, whale watching, breweries, botanical gardens, there’s all sorts to check out. 

Highlights:

Tofino - surf capital, little beach town, very cool vibe

Ucluelet - like a mini Tofino

Victoria - main city on the island 

Nanaimo - the other city where you’ll most likely get the ferry into - have a nanaimo bar

Travel:

Access the island by plane or ferry. Plane options you can find via the airlines mentioned in the ‘travel’ section of our website.

For the ferry - unfortunately there’s no direct ferry from where we are, so you’d need to catch the ferry back to Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) and then catch the other ferry over to Nanaimo.  

Find all of the travel options and route plan on BC Ferries website

And now… Right, so you came all this way, the wedding’s weekend shenanigans are wrapped, you’ve had the time of your life, now what? Well, you’re well placed for some pretty killer adventures if you so desire. Here are a few quick suggestions of places you might want to think about to maximize your trip with some travel suggestions - if you have any burning questions or would like more info, give us a shout!

Squamish/Whistler:

A short drive up the ‘sea to sky’ highway from Vancouver (45 mins to Squamish, 1hr 30 to Whistler….yes that’s ‘short’ in Canada).

We’re lumping these 2 in together because if you’re going to one, you’ve got to check out the other. Mountain towns with some of the best outdoor activities and scenery in the world. 

Strap on your danger pants and go white water rafting, mountain biking, climbing, zip lining or kick back with a round of golf or a few pints at one of the many breweries. 

Seattle, Portland, maybe even California…

If you’re feeling REALLY adventurous, you could hop the border and check out some of the US west coast. 

Cities like Seattle (1 hour), Portland (1hr 15m)  and San Francisco (2h 20m) are all accessible via Vancouver International Airport (YVR) for pretty reasonable prices.