With over twenty Provincial parks within a half hour drive (many with waterfalls), seven Regional parks and more than 40 other municipal and neighbourhood parks and protected areas, there’s always a day trip, hike, or picnic at hand

There are seemingly endless trails from wheelchair accessible trails in town to moderate remote nature trails and rugged mountain hikes, climbs, and dog parks, more than 20 km of beach to explore and extensive leisurely cycling networks and mountain biking trails.
A water lover’s paradise. From the protected Georgia Strait, to beautiful fresh lakes, the Canadian Mediterranean is full of smaller islands and remote coasts to explore. There’s whale watching and deep sea fishing, skim boarding, sailing, and boating, extensive diving opportunities, wind-surfing, sea-kayaking, as well as great fishing.

Plenty of horse properties
Riding Trails
Riding Associations

Rails to trails – new trail from Parksville to Coombs
Impressive Parksville-Qualicum Beach network being improved – Trans-Canada Trail and Island Spine projects involved in the area
Top Trail trails
BMX Parks in Qualicum Beach and Parksville
Extensive network of bike paths and trails connecting communities

Extensive Golf Courses from mini-golf, 9-hole, to Award Winning 18 hole courses with many operating year round

To name a few there’s, Fairwinds in Nanoose Bay, Brigadoon and Morningstar in Parksville, Eagle Crest, Pheasant Glen and Qualicum Beach Memorial in Qualicum Beach and Arrowsmith north of town plus the Nanaimo Golf Club. There are more than 40 courses, in all. on the island.

Two courses made the Top100GolfCourses.com in Canada (Morningstar & Fairwinds)

On the Island,”TripAdvisor Users” rank Pheasant Glen the number 4 course followed by Qualicum Beach (Memorial) at 8, and Arrowsmith at 10.

The Canadian Mediterranean is hockey crazy just like any Canadian town.  It has a public twin-rink (plus a ‘skating pond’) which hosts minor league hockey, figure skating, public skating, a multi-tiered Old Timers Hockey League and the Junior B ‘Generals’ of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. Anyone remember Howie Meeker? He lived just a five-minute drive from the arena in his retirement..(I bet you’re hearing his voice right now, aren’t you?).

We’ve also got two active curling clubs, one in Qualicum Beach and one in Parksville.

The Canadian Mediterranean has almost as many clubs as the Hoyle factory. There’s a group for every interest, whether you’re looking for activities (bird watching, softball etc.), looking to make social contacts (PROBUS), crafting clubs, service clubs, or to maintain a lifelong connection to the Rotary, Elks, the Legion, Masons, Lions etc. Chances are the area has a group for you.

Beachfest, Father’s Day Show n’ Shine, Family Day, Coombs Fair, Brant Festival, Fire & Ice Chili Cook-off, Christmas Craft Fair, Party on the Drive, Van Isle Show n’ Shine, International Sandcastle Competition, the biggest Canada Day celebration on Island, Kids Fest, Seedy Saturday Spring Event, hockey tournaments, parades, multiple Farmers & Street Markets and more.