With grad school has come the flexibility to manage my schedule, allowing for me to spend a lot of time exploring Vancouver Island and the coast. It has been an absolute pleasure having the opportunity to adventure around this summer and fall and I wanted to provide a few quick cheat notes of some highlights, without giving away all the best spots. First, I recommend you grab yourself a copy of the old faithful Back Roads Map Book, pick up a few field guides on marine & terrestrial flora & fauna, and just go for it!
Sooke
Must eat: Stoked Pizza Must visit: French Beach Provincial Park
Victoria
Favourite local hike: Mount Doug Park
Favourite local coffee: Township Coffee
Favourite local beach: Corvoda Bay
Downtown highlights: while you're enjoying walking around classic downtown streets (Government Street, Wharf Street, Johnson Street, Fan Tan Alley, Trounce Alley, etc.) be sure to stop at these favourite spots: The Tug Eatery, Munroe Books, Russel Books, Nubo Sushi, and Migration.
Sidney
Must eat: The Surly Mermaid
Best coffee & bistro: Gray's Cafe
Must visit: Sidney Island & the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea
​Highway 4
Camping: lots of cool neat little beach camping spots along the Kennedy River
Classic swim stop: Kennedy River Rapids (near Walley Creek)
Must do: hiking off the various Forest Service Roads in the area and swimming at the many access points on the Kennedy River
Ucluelet
Must eat: Seom Modern Korean Comfort Food
Favourite tide-pooling: Terrace Beach Must visit: Ucluelet Aquarium
Texada Island
Must do: dip netting crab, oyster picking, tide-pooling, hiking, mushroom picking
Powell River & the Sunshine Coast
Must eat: Costa del Sol and the Coastal Cookery
Must visit: Powell Lake & Ruby Lake