Vancouver Island - Canada's best kept secret

Canada is the world's second-largest country, stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific and into the Arctic Ocean, and everyone who visits Canada has heard of Vancouver – one of the world’s most beautiful cities, but far fewer people have heard of Vancouver Island, just a 90-minute ferry or short flight away from its bustling namesake, and this rare gem offers an extraordinarily diverse holiday for any lucky holidaymaker.

Vancouver Island is the largest island on the west coast of North America, with a total area of more than 12,000 square miles, and features a dramatic blend of temperate rainforests, the rugged Pacific coast, quirky small towns and the dynamic city of Victoria - the capital of Canadian province, British Columbia.

Assistant Manager at our Felixstowe shop, Emily, travelled to explore the highlights of this wonderful island courtesy of Prestige Travel, experts in self-drive, escorted tours and tailor-made itineraries across Canada and beyond. Like many Vancouver Island itineraries, Emily’s tour began in Victoria. The city retains much of its colonial heritage and historical landmarks form many of its best attractions, such the Parliament Buildings and Royal BC Museum. “Vancouver Island is proud of their native heritage and in everything they do they try and give back to the land and their community.” confirms Emily, “Victoria has the feel of a city but is also full of greenery and surrounded by water, so it felt very calm place to be.”

Away from the city, Vancouver Island offers plenty of Canada’s renowned outdoor activities, from hiking in forests to beach swims, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the island's natural beauty. The wildlife is a key attraction too, with opportunities to spot whales and bears amongst others. “We took a whale watching trip whilst in Victoria,” confirms Emily, “We saw the first whale breach of the season, which was incredible, and another day we spotted sea otters!”

Emily’s trip also featured vineyards, cider makers and a lot of food! Bannock is local delicacy to try - bread with spices and dried fruit, and of course being surrounded by water, sea food is a speciality, including creamy soup-style seafood chowder. “I loved trying all the Canadian foods,” enthuses Emily, “And I also tried scallops for the first time.”

Emily summarises her trip, “From the cities to the small towns, as you travel from one place to another, everywhere on the island is so different, with so much to see and do for all ages. This was an unbelievable experience, and travelling from Victoria in the south, along the coast to the north, gave us a great understanding as to the scope of what Vancouver Island has to offer - I loved it!”