A Honeymoon on Vancouver Island from The World's Greatest Honeymoons

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The world's 43rd largest island—it's 285 miles long and 50 miles across at its widest point—Vancouver Island is almost certainly one of the most beautiful as well. Mother Nature was quite indulgent here, bestowing high peaks, broad and peaceful valleys, lush rainforests, peaceful lakes, rocky shorelines, offshore islands, white sandy beaches...and, nearly everywhere, jaw-dropping vistas of sea and sky.

All that and great weather, too! In fact, the Island has the mildest climate in Canada, with warm, Mediterranean-like summers and winters that rarely fall below the freeze point. It rains here year-round—Henderson Lake is the wettest place in North America; rain is heaviest in fall and winter, lighter in spring, and lightest of all in summer.

Vancouver Island is divided into seven regions, indicated on the map below (Click to enlarge): North Island, North Central Island, Central Island, Pacific Rim, Cowichan, Gulf Islands, and South Island.

Download a large Vancouver Island map

A brief rundown of each region:

North Island: Rich in First Nations tradition and culture, the North Island region offers a wealth of recreation opportunities in spectacular settings.

North Central Island: From the deep blue Pacific to Vancouver Island's highest peak, the North Central region is a year-round destination with a dazzling line-up of outdoor adventure and fishing experiences.

Central Island: Sandy beaches, warm ocean temperatures, tranquil lakes, beautiful gardens, fabulous fishing, and exceptional golf courses make Central Island a wonderful year-round holiday destination.

Pacific Rim: The Pacific region of Vancouver Island is renowned for pristine beaches, whale watching, wilderness camping and hiking, incredible fishing, and awesome winter storms.

Cowichan: Inspiring vistas of valleys and vineyards, forests and farmland, sparkling lakes and crystal-clear rivers abound in the picturesque Cowichan region.

Gulf Islands: Idyllic in landscape, rustic in character, the Gulf Islands bask in a balmy climate and pastoral tranquility.
South Island: People love the South Island region, including Victoria BC, for its diversity. You can surround yourself in the liveliness of a vibrant downtown or immerse yourself in the tranquility of nature

Why honeymoon here? This island offers everything from a small and charming city (Victoria) to some of the world's most gorgeous terrain. You can enjoy gentle outdoor adventure or wild and extreme thrills. You can get close to nature while still being close to civilized pleasures, or go ultra-remote.

Vancouver Island Honeymoon Ideas

Nanaimo's Colorful Cabins: Located on the east coast of Central Vancouver Island, Nanaimo boasts countless hidden spots—places where you can relax and escape reality for a while. The oceanside Piper’s Lagoon Regional Park is certainly one of those places. A man-made causeway protects the shore from surf, resulting in a calm, pebbled beach loaded with colored sea glass. Just offshore is a small island dotted with brightly-colored and abandoned cabins. It's accessible by swimming or boat; during low tide you can reach it by walking across a muddy flat sprinkled with oysters, barnacle-encrusted rocks, and seaweed. Known as Shack Island to locals, it's a step back in time to the days when simple island cottages were popular. The history of the Island remains a mystery—some say it was settled by fishermen squatters in the early 20th century and then passed down through the generations to its current owners. While the story of the characters who built and lived on Shack Island remains unknown, visitors can enjoy it as a beachcomber's delight, a boater's sanctuary, a dreamer's escape, and a writer's inspiration..

Cortes Island—Secret Dungeons and Castles: Situated at the northern end of the Strait of Georgia, between Vancouver Island and the mainland, Cortes Island is one of two Discovery Islands reachable by ferry. This island paradise is a place of beautiful lakes, lagoons, forests, white sandy beaches, abundant wildlife, and delicious shellfish. Activities abound, including fishing, swimming, hiking through forest trails, sea kayaking, bird- or animal-watching, shopping for island-made crafts, and on and on. ~ One of the island's oddities is a forested castle fronting Cortes Bay. Wolf Bluff Castle—known locally as King Karl’s Kastle—is not your average castle. Karl Tiller, the man responsible for its design and construction, dreamed of castles and dungeons as a child. When he moved to Cortes Island in the 1980s, he decided to make his dream a reality. The five-story, triple-turreted, eight-bedroom castle took 13,000 hand-made cement blocks and twelve years to complete. The dungeon features a torture chamber with homemade dummies in various states of torment and placards announcing their sins. Visitors can tour the castle or stay overnight in one of the rustic yet comfortable bedrooms.

Beyond Port Hardy—Ronning’s Garden: Bernt Ronning made his life in Port Hardy until the 1960’s, working as a trapper, fisherman, and camp cook. His house and garden—with a pump organ and built-in dance floor—became a regular (and lively) stop for people hiking from Cape Scott, Raft Cove, and San Josef Bay. Ronning eventually cleared five acres of rainforest, ordered seeds and cuttings of trees and plants from around the world, and created what has become a magical garden. After he moved on, the garden nearly disappeared under the encroaching forest, but now it's been restored. Among the garden’s most fascinating attractions is a pair of Monkey Puzzle trees (male and female), the oldest and largest of their species in BC and one of the few pairs in North America that produce viable seeds. Ronning's Garden—a member of the Vancouver Island Garden Trail—is open to the public and can be reached by a ten minute walk on a restored section of the old San Josef Wagon Road (about a 1.5-hour drive by gravel road from Port Hardy).

Read More about Canada: Provinces & Territories Overview • Montreal • Quebec City • Saskatchewan Driving Trip • Toronto • Vancouver • Vancouver Island • Victoria • British Columbia: Food Scene • British Columbia: Golf • Quebec City Wine Tour • Vancouver Island's Wines & Brews

Around Vancouver Island—Follow the Road Less Traveled: The island contains hundreds of miles of logging roads, many leading to hidden gems. Some of the most adventurous roads are located around Port Alberni, with its extensive logging history. While some roads are private, many are open to the public for exploration. ~ On the south arm of the Alberni Inlet, 60 miles of gravel logging roads lead to the remote and quaint village of Bamfield, located in Barkley Sound. Aside from its superb salt water fishing, Bamfield is a staging post for adventures such as hiking the West Coast Trail, sea kayaking the Broken Group Islands, surfing and parasailing Nitinat Lake, and exploring Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park (home to huge spruce and cedar trees, some estimated to be over 800 years old). ~ Then there's the Nahmint Lake Loop, a 45-mile circle through the mountains west of Port Alberni, accesses several lakes and camping spots. Another great idea: the 45-mile Sproat Lake Loop takes adventurers around the long narrow lake. ~ Many of the Island’s best fishing spots are also accessible via logging road: Doran Lake, stocked with Steelhead fry; Flora Lake and Gravie Lake, renowned for excellent Rainbow Trout fishing; Henry Lake, a small sub-alpine lake stocked with Steelhead; and Lowry Lake, with its excellent fly-fishing opportunities. Safety tip: while exploring the back-roads, always give logging trucks the right-of way.

Duncan—Aboriginal Chefs: Many regional attractions, cultural displays, and tours provide an opportunity to learn about the ancestral home of the Cowichan tribes. One element that always brings people together is good food, and—since ancient food customs of Aboriginal peoples have endured to this day—First Nation cuisine is now impressing critics around the world. Many Aboriginal families follow the traditional 100 Mile Diet, gathering fish and shellfish from the seas and rivers; berries, seeds and greens from the earth; and game from the land. Lucky visitors to the Quw’utsun’ Cultural and Conference Centre in Duncan can experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of the region at a single destination. The Centre's Riverwalk Café offers authentic Native cuisine. Chefs use traditional ingredients such as salmon, venison, buffalo, and halibut—each dish prepared individually and served with a complimentary basket of freshly baked native breads. Treats include venison chili, roasted buffalo, pan roasted elk escalope and blackberry sweet scow bread, among many other options. Guests are also welcome to partake in a Salmon BBQ; they'll dine on succulent salmon, cooked on cedar stakes over an open fire, while watching dancers perform on the river bank.

Campbell River—Caving: Vancouver Island is home to more than 1,000 caves, many of which can be found around Campbell River. Coral Cave is a medium-to-difficult cave located above the village of Tahsis (see photo), accessible by a short hike. On the road between Gold River and Tahsis are perhaps the most famous caves of the region—the Upana Caves. First discovered in 1971 and explored and mapped in 1975, the caves have since attracted thousands of visitors, including the film crew for the TV series Huckleberry Finn and his Friends. The cave interiors remain in a relatively wild, undeveloped state, without the comforts and conveniences of major North American show caves. There are fifteen known entrances within the system, and caves vary in size from single rooms to branching passages of considerable length. Dozens of undiscovered caves, rock arches, sink holes and disappearing streams await those who like to explore. More Caving info.

Around Vancouver Island—Spirit of 2010 Trail: The Spirit of 2010 Trail, intended to honor the upcoming Vancouver/Whistler Olympic Games, spans the entire province of British Columbia. It’s constituted from four significant rail trails. Three are on the mainland (Kettle Valley, Slocan, and Salmo-Troupe Rail Trails). The fourth, the 47-km Cowichan Rail Trail, is on Vancouver Island; it runs from Shawnigan Lake, past Duncan, and as far west as Lake Cowichan. The trail also links by ferry to two Gulf Islands (Saltspring and Thetis/Kuper), the Saanich Peninsula, and Horseshoe Bay. The Cowichan Rail Trail passes through rural communities, forest lands, and protected areas that provide habitat for cougars, black tail deer, the pileated woodpecker, salmon, trout, and other species. Western hemlock, broad-leaf maple, arbutus, pacific dogwood and Douglas fir are the main forest species. The trail network also allows access to the stunning Cowichan Valley, where hikers/bikers can enjoy regional treasures such as local winery tours, bed and breakfasts, fishing and kayaking tours; and agricultural tourism operations, including farm tours, harvest festivals, and farm fresh culinary events. »» Trail Map

The Comox Valley—Eye to Eye with Nature: Home to countless wildlife viewing experiences, the Comox Valley offers exceptional opportunities to observe and photograph birds, wildflowers, and beautiful scenery. ~ Accessible only by boat, and receiving half the amount of rain as some of the neighboring communities, the Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park is home to the largest seabird colony in the Strait of Georgia; it’s an important nesting colony for thousands of Glaucous-winged Gulls. Nearby, the Courtenay River Estuary is home to spawning herring, which attracts seals, Osprey, eagles, Blue Herons and many other marine birds looking for a meal. The region is also hosts more than 2000 over-wintering Trumpeter Swans, the largest colony on the west coast of North America. The Lazo Marsh project complex consists of a total of 130.7 hectares of marsh and second-growth forest. Over 140 bird species, including Mallards, Wigeons, Wood Ducks, and Canada Geese, as well as a variety of forest wildlife species, have been recorded in this marsh. Birdwatchers will love Cumberland's Chinatown Marsh, with its traditional Chinese plants—legacy of the significant Chinese community residing there at the turn of the last century.

Qualicum Beach—Quaint & Quiet: A key participant in Canada’s Communities in Bloom competition, Qualicum Beach offers a colorful array of attractions while maintaining a remarkably quiet and quaint atmosphere. Other favorites such as Milner Gardens or the Horne Lake Caves generally take the spotlight hereabouts, and many more fabulous sights and sounds are to be found. The Echo Players Village Theatre has won numerous awards. The Old School House Arts Centre, housed in an 80-year-old schoolhouse, offers visitors a chance to see resident artists at work. The Power House Museum has a growing collection of powerful artifacts. The Vancouver Island Paleontology Museum displays one of the most complete collections of island fossils. The Heritage Forest of Qualicum Beach, a 35-plus acre nature reserve, showcases an old-growth Coastal Douglas Fir eco-system, complete with forest trails and a salmon-bearing stream. The area is also home to a number of refugees at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre and the World Parrot Refuge. If birds and butterflies are what you seek, look no further than Butterfly World & Gardens, where you can stroll among hundreds of free-flying exotic butterflies. Find the goats that live on the roof at the Coombs Old Country Market or check out the doings at the Big Qualicum Fish Hatchery. Of course, you can always enjoy the scenery at the sandy Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, walk trails and enjoy beautiful Englishman River Falls Provincial Park or Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park, hike to the 6000-foot summit of Mount Arrowsmith, or try guessing the age of the 200-foot Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock, and Western Red Cedar trees at Cathedral Grove.

More Info: Tourism Vancouver Island

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Thanks to Tourism Vancouver Island for the article that formed the basis of this page. ~ Photos: Thanks to Tourism Vancouver Island and ChrisCheadle.com (Qualicum Beach, Couople walking in ocean, Alberni Highway); and to Comox Valley Tourism.