DAY
TOURS NORTH OF THE BUCCANEER INN
Thanks for visiting buccaneerinn.com. While in the process of planning your trip, make use of the quick links below to help plan your activities in Nanaimo and on Vancouver Island , find the right restaurants and why you should use Nanaimo as your base for touring all of Vancouver Island:
Art-lovers
will enjoy this relaxing day of exploring studios and showrooms.
You can enjoy viewing paintings, pottery, sculptures, photography
and many different crafts.
This
extremely popular provincial park boasts a great beach and an excellent
network of interpretative trails. Programs exist at various times
of the year for park visitors. The beach at Rathtrevor is very
shallow for a long way out and makes a great place for families
to wander about, check out the tidal pools and collect shells and
other treasures washed ashore. No wonder this is the most popular
park on Vancouver Island!
Trails
lead to a beautiful waterfall and inviting pools. Great fishing
spots abound.

This
Mecca for golfers (there are 5 major courses in this area!) has
been developed around great beaches and inviting communities. During
April, the Brant Festival celebrates the migration of Brant geese
who stop to rest all along this coastal area.
The
Market is well known for the family of goats that live on the roof
of the building (yes you read it right!). The Village is dotted
with several heritage buildings. July is time for their 'Old West'
activities: fiddle jamboree; bluegrass festival and rodeo.
One
of the must-sees on Vancouver Island. These preserved stands of
old-growth Douglas Firs are at least 800 years old. Interpretative
signs dot the trails explaining what you see. The largest tree
in this grove is over 30 feet around!
Port
Alberni is 45 minutes west of Nanaimo and is a community reliant
on fishing and forestry. MacMillan Bloedel Forestry Information
Centre is located here and worth a trip to visit. You can even
book a tour to view an active mill or logging site! A side road
takes you to the beautiful Stamp River, which teems with fish during
the fall salmon run. The Martin Mars water bombers, used by forest
firefighters throughout British Columbia, are located on Sproat
Lake just outside of town.
A
beautiful and very unique West Coast community divided in half
by the Pacific Ocean. The Venice of North America is 90 kilometres
from Port Alberni along a well-maintained logging road. Bamfield
East is home to many fishing charter and adventure touring companies.
Bamfield West, part of the community without direct vehicle access
from Vancouver Island, and its cute oceanside boardwalk, is accessed
by boat from Bamfield East.
Bamfield
is the start, or end, of the world famous West Coast Trail. This
challenging 5-day hike follows the rugged West Coast of Vancouver
Island. Over 10,000 hikers a year complete this odyssey.
The
Buccaneer Inn is located near Departure Bay ferry terminal and
can provide you with quality accommodation for your and your fellow
hikers prior to being picked up at our doorstep by the West Coast
Trail Express. For information on the West Coast Trail Express,
please visit them at www.trailbus.com.
When you arrive in Nanaimo and need a ride from the ferry, please
call 250.753.1246 for pick-up (subject to availability).
Our
central location near a large Overwaitea food store, pharmacy,
liquor store, bank, restaurants and pubs is a convenient starting
point for to finish your final preparations. After you've finished
hiking The Trail and need a place to relax and unwind, we have
2 dry rooms to dry off your tents, sleeping bags and other gear
after you've finished hiking. We also have laundry facilities and
a rinse station. Need a ride to the ferry in the morning? No problem,
we can get you there!
This
fabulous National Park is a rainforest and inter-tidal zone preserve.
Massive trees tower over the world famous Long Beach. A great place
to spend the day wandering along the boardwalk trails or along
the beach hunting for critters and shells. The winter months provide
an excellent opportunity to watch tremendous Pacific Storms blow
their furious gales. If you want nature at it's finest, this is
the place to be. Click on our Adventures Page for more information
about our very popular Pacific Rim Explorer Package that comes
complete with detailed itineraries, use of Pacific Rim National
Park Permit, packed lunch (optional) and lots of local information.
A
Vancouver Island must see! Tofino's small population hides its
huge international presence. This is the place to:
- Venture
out on a whale-watching excursion
- Catch
a water taxi to an outer islands
- Spend
the day at Hot Springs Cove Provincial Park
- Flores
Island is the home to 'Walk on the Wild Side', this boardwalk
connects 3 beaches and features a living totem pole.
Clayquot
Sound and the pristine old growth forests in this area are home
to countless Bald Eagles, Black Bears and other wild animals.
Little
known Tonquin Park, off of Arnet Road, is a great little retreat
away from the summertime hustle and bustle of 'downtown' Tofino.

At
the opposite end of the peninsula from Tofino, the village of Ucluelet
has lots of amenities worth stopping for. A great biking trail
leads from the intersection of the main highway 8 kilometres into
Ucluelet.
He
Tin Kis Park has beautiful oceanviews and a serene setting. Amphitrite
Point Lighthouse gets you up close and personal with a lighthouse
or to enjoy the roaring Pacific. A new walking trail, the Wild
Pacific Trail, connects He-Tin-Kis Park with the Lighthouse and
back to the He-Tin-Kis parking lot.
The
road to Port Albion takes you around Ucluelet Harbour to give you
a totally different view of the peninsula.
A
15-minute ferry ride from Buckley Bay takes you to another world.
These laid-back islands have friendly people to meet and natural
beauty to enjoy. Bicycle touring is a great way to get around,
with rentals readily available. You'll have lots to enjoy and the
occasional hike, beach comb, swim or picnic is allowed!
A
small interesting community with vintage buildings and a great
mining museum.
A
community of artists! Courtenay boasts more artists per capita
then anywhere else in Canada. Galleries and studios are plentiful.
The Filberg House hosts an annual festival in July is a picturesque
waterfront setting. A round of golf at Crown Isle is a must! Canadian
Air Force Base at Comox provides Search and Rescue aircraft for
all of Vancouver Island.
Great
skiing conditions in the winter and fabulous overnight and day
hiking during the summer. Forbidden Plateau is the gateway to excellent
day hikes and cross-country skiing, through this lake-filled pristine
wilderness. Mount Washington ski hill has the most snow of any
mountain in British Columbia and is a snowboarder's paradise!
Nestled
between Vancouver Island and the Coast Mountain Range, the many
islands of the Discovery Islands Group provide a great salmon-fishing
environment (although Nanaimo has had a lot more fish in the past
few years!). Campbell River is next to Strathcona Provincial Park.
This area features a variety of nature, terrain and hikes for all
abilities. Elk Falls Provincial Park is home to an impressive 90-meter
waterfall.
|