Located on central Vancouver Island, the Canadian Mediterranean is ideally located to discover Vancouver Island’s treasures and amenities. Easily accessed by land, air, or sea.

Two hours to the west is the world-famous Tofino Long Beach. Two hours south is the capital city Victoria, two hours north you’ll find world-class sports fishing in Campbell River. As you drive up to Campbell River you’ll pass by Strathcona Park and Mount Washington ski resort. To the Southwest is Port Renfrew with majestic scenery, the impressive Avatar boardwalk, and the Port Renfrew Hotel. En route to Port Renfrew via Lake Cowichan is the Vancouver Motorsport Circuit, a 2.3-kilometre road course built to FIA standards.

People have been vacationing and retiring here for generations with our idyllic beaches, smaller islands, quaint communities, seemingly endless recreational opportunities and all the infrastructure you need.

While people enjoy the sedate pleasures of sipping a latte in a cafe courtyard or waterfront dining, the area is also celebrated for its natural environment. We really have an embarrassment of riches, from a dozen vibrant street markets and more social and activity clubs than you can count, to the stunning environment it’s situated in.

The unique climate provides a rich mix of coastal Douglas fir forests, rare Garry oaks, and beautiful red-barked Arbutus trees along a waterfront alternating between mile wide beaches and picturesque rocky bluffs, complete with snow-capped mountains and waterfalls.

The ecology is so stunning in fact that it has been designated part of the UNESCO Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Reserve, one of only two in the province. This is an official UN recognized area meant to promote conservation of biodiversity and foster sustainable development, research, and education.

The area is teeming with wildlife, from the frothing masses of herring and barking sea lions to soaring eagles along the water, to seemingly endless deer, and though you’ll rarely see them, healthy populations of cougars, bears, and wolves.

Getting outside. Entertaining visitors. The kids looking forward to coming back for a visit. These and more are the benefits of living in an area that is this beautiful. Super Natural British Columbia and especially the magic of island living. Nothing like it.