This is a water access only marine park, over looking Georgia Strait towards Vancouver located on…read morethe edge of Porlier Pass.. A few camp sites for the boaters and a nice sandy beach if you can get to it..

A beautiful park with great views and the dirtiest washrooms--floors have tons of dirt around the…read moreedges (and everywhere else). Showers grubby.

Such a beautiful place...magical really. That's why it's so heartbreaking to see it so poorly…read moremaintained and run. No toilet paper, no hand soap, only cold showers, garbage all over the grounds, people camping off site under trees, no accountability for partiers, dirtiest bathroom imaginable (including garbage everywhere and raccoon poop), dirty underwear at our campsite and on the beach. Just so sad! I picture it how it COULD be and sadly, it is being trashed.

This first regional Park of Nanaimo area offers magnificent views but limited parking. The initial…read moredescent is steep but worth it. A bench is at the tip. Numerous short trails crisscross the area. No mooring or campfires allowed. Portapotty on site.

For an easy, scenic walk with ample parking, come to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park! You can walk…read morethe trails, on the beach and sit on one of the many beautiful benches they have provided. Vancouver Island is simply beautiful and scenic and reconnecting with nature is so easy in this lovely land. Highly recommend and will definitely return, eh!

While we were at Parksville on Vancouver Island, we took a morning stroll along a good length of…read morethe Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park. This is a beautiful place whether you want to stay for a couple of hours, or camp overnight (we didn't, so I couldn't tell you where the campsites were). Washrooms are conveniently spaced apart, there are lots of trees and shaded areas, and dozens upon dozens of solid picnic tables galore. I could imagine hauling all of our food with lots of friends/family down to this beach and NOT worry about having to find parking or a picnic a spot. There are plenty of trees to provide ample shade, and the sandy beach is never more than a minute away. The beach is the most awe inspiring and beautiful when it is low tide; you will see a stretch of sandy flats as far as the eye can see!

My parents live 5 mins from here, so it tends to be our go-to for one of our Island Beach Days!…read more They have a really great playground & water squirt park, clean change/rest rooms. The beach itself isn't bad, but it can be quite rocky so I would strongly suggest to wear a cheap pair of rubber flip flops on the beach and wear them in the water! Also, the water is COLD! You can swim in it, but it's a rough go on the way in! Another thing to be aware of is the tide. At times you can walk and walk and walk before you get to swim. However, the tide will come in quickly, so watch your bags, towels etc. When we were there the first week of July, we decided to go onto a rock mass that was above sea level by quite a bit and had a Tee Pee on it! It was quite private as there was only another coupon on it at the time. We swam (froze) but generally had fun. We had waded across below the knee level to get to it. When we decided to leave, it was no longer knee level- it came up past my chest (I'm 5-8) I slightly panicked as I didn't know how we were going to get back to the beach. Luckily my husband is 6-2, but he had to carry the bags above his head in order for him to safely get across without getting our phones etc. wet! Funny after the fact, not so much at the time !!

This is a huge park! There are plenty of parking all over. We parked somewhere in the middle near…read morethe children playground. Lots of families were there on the day we went. There is a green space in the middle where the arboretum is. It feels peaceful to walk in the greenery under the cover of the trees. During low tide, you can see the seabed as far as the eyes can see. Families will take the opportunity to be out there with their beach towels. I did not venture out there but I think you will also see shellfish in the seabed. The advisory was not to harvest them as they are contaminated. My favorite part of this park is at the end where there is a Legacy Labyrinth. It is quieter here. You can meditate while walking the labyrinth. There are also many cairns set on the logs. Pretty neat to see them.

This is a beach full of rocks, driftwood and a path that goes way out to B. Monahan Point…read more Small parking lot that holds about 20 vehicles. Dogs allowed while on leash. No services.

Locals will know about this place …read more I'm not a local but I know of it from my past youthful days of surf sailing here. It hasn't changed much since then. Rocky beach with a sharp drop off, so be careful. The lagoon will drain at low tide but will fill in again when the tide changes. If you're lucky, you may be able to catch a wave when the ferries come and go from Departure Bay. Idyllic spot for relaxing and a bit of climbing if you wish. I need to visit again.

Part of the fun of living in Vancouver is having little pockets of loveliness like Bowen Island,…read moreavailable to visit as a day-trip. As of yet, I haven't accumulated the funds to purchase my own private island a la Richard Branson...but Tunstall Beach allows us to indulge such fantasies. This gorgeous, sheltered beach can be accessed by car, bike or bus. At times it is busy, and other days we have had the beach to ourselves. When folks are there, it is fun to watch people kayaking, swimming and picnicking. There are 'rustic' but totally functional washroom facilities (bring Purel :) I do not recommend it for ones with mobility issues, as there is a small incline down from the parking to the beach area. Other beaches on Bowen Island are flat. Our favorite thing to do is pack a blanket, some pate, cheese and crackers, fruit, prosecco...and watch the sunsets that are truly breathtaking. It is a short ferry ride home to be back to work/life the next day but you will feel as if you have had a mini holiday! Bowen Island has some cute shops, restaurants, artisans and a riot of fabulous scenery if you feel like kicking around a bit longer during the day...

Nice beach with relatively easy access to water. A generally pleasant place to sit around. As with…read moreother beaches on the island, lots of mussels and sea stars.

A beautiful seaside stop on Vancouver Island! Qualicum Beach is an excellent place to take a break…read moreduring your island road trip, especially with its convenient public washrooms and plenty of free seaside parking. One of the highlights for us was visiting the north side of Qualicum Beach, especially the Seaside Nature Park - Faye Smith Memorial Pavilion. This area was very educational and a great place to learn more about the local environment. There are lots of interesting displays and information about animals from the land, air, and water, as well as local plants and the surrounding islands. We visited on a rainy day, so we couldn't fully capture the beautiful coastal landscape in photos. Even with the weather, we could see the potential of this area and how beautiful it would be on a sunny day. We will definitely be back to explore more, walk along the beach, and enjoy the ocean views when the weather is nicer. A relaxing coastal stop with beautiful scenery, easy parking, and a great educational experience for visitors of all ages.

Qualicum Beach, a small town located on Vancouver Island near Nanaimo, is a popular local vacation…read morespot. However, until last week, when my husband and I were invited to join a friend at her parents' vacation home in Qualicum Beach, I had never had the opportunity to go. We were only there for a few days so we did not have the opportunity to see much, but it was a nice, relaxing, much-needed mini vacation. One of the things we did was walk along the beach, and we saw several eagles and a heron, in addition to many, many geese. There were also a ton of tiny crabs skittering about on the sand, and we had to be careful to ensure that we did not step on them. I would like to go back and see more of Qualicum Beach, although as a non-driver, I would need to get a ride with a friend who drives. There is technically transit in Qualicum Beach -- I saw some bus stops, and once, I saw a bus -- but essentially, you need to have access to a car to get anywhere.