The Vancouver Island region is a large, sparsely populated area, encompassing Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, as well as a portion of the mainland. Condé Nast Traveler magazine's 2009 Readers' Choice Awards ranked Vancouver Island second in the "Top Islands of North America" category.
It has one of the world's most diverse ecosystems: Rainforests, marshes, meadows, beaches, mountains, oceans, rivers and lakes create habitats for multitudes of wildlife species. In fact, the region is one of the world's premier locations for whale watching, birding, as well as salmon and trout fishing. Much of the island is protected parkland. It contains many pockets of old-growth fir and cedar forests, as well as rare, naturally occurring groves of Garry oak. Vancouver Island is bisected, north to south, by the Beaufort Mountain Range, which is home to one of Canada's biggest all-natural ski bases.
The Vancouver Island region is best experienced out of doors. So much of it is protected, unspoiled wilderness that any visit here would be incomplete without an excursion to at least one park or nature reserve. Wildlife flourishes in abundance, making birding, whale watching and salmon fishing extremely popular pursuits for visitors and locals alike.
At 32,000 sq km/12,355 sq mi Vancouver Island is the largest North American island in the Pacific Ocean, and is one of 6,000 islands in British Columbia. It is 450km/280mi in length and 100km/62mi in width at its widest point, with a coastline length of 3,400km/2,138mi. A mountainous spine that runs its whole length breaks up into long mountain fjords along its west coast. The highest point on the island is the 2,200m/7,218ft summit of Mt. Golden Hinde in Strathcona Provincial Park. Total population of the the Vancouver Island Region is 726,367 (700,593 for Vancouver Island, 18,926 for the Southern Gulf Islands, and 6,848 for the Northern Gulf Islands).
Surrounded by sparkling ocean, Vancouver Island has an extensive network of rivers, lakes and streams. It is also home to Della Falls, one of Canada's highest waterfalls. It is separated from the BC mainland by the Strait of Georgia to the east and, to the south and southeast, from Washington State by the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The island contains many pockets of old-growth forests of Douglas-fir and western redcedar, as well as rare, naturally occurring groves of Garry oak. The west coast of Vancouver Island is largely unpopulated.
The capital city of British Columbia, Victoria boasts many historic buildings and some of the most fascinating museums in Western Canada. The city benefits from one of Canada's mildest climates, which allows its residents to pursue outdoor pleasures all year round.
Victoria also enjoys some of the country's most exhilarating scenery: there's an ocean or mountain vista around every corner, while the city's flower gardens are famous the world over. Whether your taste runs to golfing, hiking, biking and fishing or you're more the shopping, dining and theatre type, there are no ends of delights for you and your family in Victoria.
An urban oasis surrounded by ocean waters and mountainous wilderness, the city offers the best of both worlds: fabulous shops, restaurants, museums and city parks complementing world-class golf courses, ski hills, hiking trails and fishing expeditions.
What's so amazing about having such a variety of settings in such close proximity is that you can have a number of wildly different experiences in a single day: golf in the morning and ski in the afternoon, or visit Victoria Bug Zoo and walk through Butchart Gardens followed by an evening at the symphony.
Source: Tourism British Columbia