Top 10 Things to do in Courtenay, BC (& surrounding Area)

From VPO Courtenay Staff

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1. Skiing Mount Washington : Blessed with either the most snow in the known universe or hardly any at all, this mountain has great terrain and a nice feel with the walk in village and small mountain friendliness. There are X-C trails, snowshoeing trails, a great learning “green” zone and a fun tubing zone. If you venture into the backcountry on skis, go prepared with all the avalanche gear and the practice to use it. It may save your life. In the summer, there are chairlift rides, hiking trails extending right into the heart of Strathcona Park and a number of events on the mountain such as the Bearclaw International, Tapped Beer Fest and Alpine Wine and Food Festival. You can even book your wedding for up on the hill and have the reception at the Raven Lodge. How cool would that be?

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2. Biking Cumberland is the epicentre for the Comox Valley’s trail riding, but the riding is awesome no matter what your preferred flavour. There are lots of quiet roads if you like skinny tire bikes, but plenty of trails of you prefer putting dirt under your feet. More Info

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3. Paddling The Comox Valley is a hopping off spot for any number of paddling adventures. You can keep it mellow by sticking to the Comox Harbour or in behind the Goose Spit with your Stand Up Paddle board. But you can do a circle trip around the Sayward Forest Canoe Route or head out into the Georgia Straight. Be cautious with tides and winds, though.

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4. Fishing You can fish the rivers, lakes and the ocean, opting for a whole variety of experiences, from over the top fishing lodge charter style to a quiet drive up the forestry service roads for some fly fishing undisturbed by anyone except maybe the occasional black bear.

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5. Festival The Comox Valley hosts a number of great festivals including the Filberg Festival and the Vancouver Island Music Fest. Whether it is cultural or athletic, there is always something exciting going on in “The Valley”. More Info

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6. "19 Wing" Comox - Royal Canadian Air Force The local base is Canada’s west coast air force base and was established in 1942 to protect our Pacific coast against possible Japanese invasions. It also houses the Canadian Forces School of Search and Rescue and is an important part of the local community. The commercial airport is also located on the base and it occupies the eastern-most part of Comox bordering the ocean along its eastern edge. As an added bonus, sometimes the Canadian Forces Snowbirds practice over the waters off of Comox where we get to see them fly in formations like these. "19 Wing" Comox Air Force Base Click here for photos

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7. Strathcona Park Strathcona Provincial Park is the oldest provincial park in BC and occupies a big chunk of wilderness right in the centre of the Island. It is rugged and for the most part, untouched. Vancouver Island’s highest peaks are located within the park – The Golden Hinde at 2201 metres and Elkhorn Mountain at 2195 metres. We tell people that these mountains give the alpinist as much climbing as the Canadian Rockies [ 7000 vertical feet [from 0 to ~7000’ vs. Rockies from 4000-11,000] just with more oxygen and nicer temperatures and sometimes views of the ocean! What could be nicer?

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8. Rock Climbing There is a small climbing area above the waters of Comox Lake and a larger area north of Campbell River called the Crest Creek Crags and of course, if you’re an alpinist, then the peaks of Strathcona Park will keep you busy for more than a few seasons.

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9. Beachcombing At low tide the beaches just north of town [ Saratoga and Miracle beaches to name a couple ] are awesome places to play, whether you are young or just young at heart. And when the tide comes in over the warm sand the ocean feels closer to bathwater than you would believe possible.

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10. Diving Apparently none other than Jacques Cousteau rated the waters near the Comox Valley as the “second best cold water diving destination in the world”. There are two shipwrecks to explore and a wealth of sea life, both plant and animal varieties including the six-gill sharks, Steller and California sea lions, giant Pacific octopi, wolf eels and more. There is snorkeling with the salmon in the Campbell River during spawning, too. That would be weird and wonderful.