Vancouver Island and Coastal

The Vancouver Island and Coastal region is home to British Columbia’s capital city, Victoria, and features a temperate climate, unspoiled wilderness, and beautiful coastlines. It includes all of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and some of the coastal regions of the Mainland, from the Powell River area up to the Central Coast.

Vancouver Island Coastal Map

In addition to its natural beauty, this region offers high-quality education, easy travel to Vancouver and Seattle, and friendly cities and towns.

Public post-secondary institutions in this region include Camosun College, North Island College, Royal Roads University, the University of Victoria, and Vancouver Island University.

Photo: University of Victoria

Fun facts about the Vancouver Island and Coastal region

  1. Victoria has the first and oldest Chinatown in Canada and second oldest in North America after San Francisco.

  2. The 75-kilometre West Coast Trail on the west coast of Vancouver Island is ranked the world’s No. 1 hike by besthike.com. The West Coast Trail typically takes five to seven days to complete and is open May 1-Sept. 30 and requires an advance reservation to hike.

  3. One of the oldest known western red cedars, the Hanging Garden Tree on Meares Island near Tofino, is estimated to be between 1,500 and 2,000 years old.

vancouver island

Photo: Vancouver Island University

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