Destinations
Oceanside
Enjoy the sunshine on the east coast of Vancouver Island with its sandy beaches and warm ocean temperatures, tranquil lakes, beautiful gardens, fabulous fishing, and exceptional golf courses makeing Central Island one of the finest year-round vacation destinations in Canada.
It has to offer spectacular sandy beaches, lush temperate forests, and coastal mountain vistas, Oceanside enjoys the mildest climate in the country, with an annual average of 2,047 hours of sunshine. The tourism region of Oceanside is comprised of the holiday communities of Qualicum Beach, Parksville, Nanoose Bay, French Creek, Coombs Country, Errington and Lighthouse Country.
Oceanside is Vancouver Island’s family vacation paradise. A wide variety of activities awaits, ranging from Oceanside’s famous golf courses, to browsing artisan studios, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, and horseback riding. The area has no less than seven provincial parks within a 30 minute drive which provides a myriad of recreational activities including camping, hiking, caving and golfing.
Oceanside also offers every watersport imaginable, including sport fishing, canoeing, sea kayaking, diving, beachcombing, sailing, and windsurfing
Population: Approximately 25,000
Location: Oceanside stretches 19 kilometres along the south central east side of Vancouver Island, from Nanoose Bay in the south to Deep Bay in the north. Oceanside is an area on the east coast of vancouver Island that consists of 7 towns: Nanoose Bay, French Creek, Lighthouse Country, Coombs, Errington, Qualicum Beach, Parksville.
Centrally located on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, it lies in the heart of a region that enjoys Canada's mildest year-round climate. It is famous for its beaches plus warm saltwater swimming and diving conditions. Parksville is a very popular destination for summer family vacations due to the numerous amount of activities and attractions. Its location makes it an ideal home base for day trips to many points on central Vancouver Island as well as a few of the islands off that part of the coast.
Qualicum Beach
A seaside village in a quaint British heritage setting. Known for spectacular gardens and passionate gardeners, Qualicum Beach is the proud winner of a Five Blooms Award in the 2001 Communities in Bloom national competition. Enjoy all the independently owned and unique shops as you stroll through the village. Wide open skies, distant mountains, gorgeous beaches, lush forests, and an endless list of activities will bring you back to Qualicum Beach time and time again.
Nanoose Bay A beautiful seaside resort and residential community, Nanoose Bay has it all - an award-winning golf course, resorts, a spa, bed and breakfasts, and a full-service marina with moorage for visiting boaters. Nanoose Bay activities include kayaking, diving, fishing, walking, hiking, browsing artisan studios, kayaking tours to Winchelsea Islands, and sightseeing tours by boat to Jedediah Island Provincial Marine Park. Nanoose Bay enjoys a country atmosphere while being close to the city amenities of Parksville and Nanaimo.
French Creek
The popular marine community of French Creek is located beside the open water of the Strait of Georgia. French Creek's working harbour is home to a large commercial fishing fleet and many charter operations that can take visitors fishing, sightseeing, and diving. French Creek Marina offers sheltered moorage and yachting amenities for sailboats and pleasure craft. From French Creek, take passenger ferry to beautiful Lasqueti Island, where fishing and claming are very popular.
Lighthouse Country
Lighthouse Country is located across from Denman and Hornby Islands, incorporating the small communities of Horne Lake, Qualicum Bay, Bowser and Deep Bay. Rich in history, folklore and Native culture, Lighthouse Country offers its many visitors a genuinely friendly welcome and a fabulous vacation destination in a charming rural atmosphere.
Coombs
Is a small community only a few kilometers west of Parksville on Highway 4A. It is a popular stopping point for tourists on the way to Tofino, Ucluelet and the Pacific Rim Park on the west coast of Vancouver Island. There is an abundance of small craft shops and services at Coombs and the centre piece that created Coombs is the Coombs market, famous for the goats whom reside on the rooftop of the building.
Errington
Located in the Arrowsmith Coombs Country region of Oceanside, in the shadow of Vancouver Island's mountain spine, the tiny village of Errington was named after a small village in England's Northumberland County. Now home to an eclectic assortment of farmers, artists and craftspeople, Errington is also the gateway to the Englishman River Falls in the magnificent Englishman River Falls Provincial Park.