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 quite the gem for any rock collector out there. It's a bit hidden so it's nice and quiet…read more LOTS of trails and beach to explore. Also, a TON of wildlife!

A beautiful beach on Vancouver Island, just north of Bowser, BC. You will descend a fairly narrow…read moreroad down to the beach, where there are a couple spots to park and there's a bench overlooking the beach and a great view towards the coastal mountains. It's mostly rocky, but you may find a lot of wildlife here (and will probably see some bald eagles).

They kept my cash deposit even though I decided to not check in the next day. Then though I have a…read morereceit that states clearly that the deposit is refundable they proceeded to swear at my friend and myself repeatedly while maskless and not behind the screen. Circus is about right.

I bkd thru booking.com and have been battling to post a review. I stayed in a 1 bedr suite 1 night,…read moreJuly 2022. They say property renovated, far from it, toilet seal non existant, fixed with cardboard, so if u go sit on loo it actually sinks into floor. Basin in bathroomhas no pressure to any of taps barely a trickle. The futon is so torn and a fitted sheet pulled over it, it creaks and metal sticks into yr body. The dishdry rack has pink mucky slime in utensil section. Microwave timer totally off. This place is overpriced for what you get. I do not think owners ever check once cleaners are dine or just doing a walk thru once a week will avoid these problems. Issues with pool ect ect. Will defnitely not recommend this place to anyone. They also have a non smoking policy but you drown in the potsmoke smell all around you. Deee

Ocean Sands Resort is more of a spacious 2 bedroom condo than a resort…read more The suite we stayed in was on the second floor. It had a master bedroom with a king size bed and the second bedroom had 2 single beds. Our party was 4 adults and 1 child to share 1 bathroom, but it worked out for us. The full kitchen allowed us to cook breakfast whenever we wanted. The living room has enough seating for all of us and it was it was an open layout that connected with the kitchen as well as the dining room. There's a balcony right from the living room as well as a window looking out to the ocean. It was such a beautiful view to wake up to each morning. I remember waking at up 5:25AM to go to the washroom and I was such in awe of the sun just peaking out from the horizon that I decided to stay up to watch the sunrise. There's also a children's playground on the main Parking floor. It's small, but sufficient and kept my daughter happy. The only thing that prevented Ocean Sands from being 5 stars is due to the wear and tears of the place. The 2 Lazy Boy seats had tears near the head rest and generally the place was on the older side. There's also a few areas that needed cleaning and attention outside. Other than that, we all enjoyed our stay and would stay here again when we visit Parksville.

The Ocean Sands is a great value. Our well-furnished large room had a hot tub, shower,…read morerefrigerator, microwave, fireplace, large TV and good wifi. It was all clean and well-maintained and very reasonably priced. Our oceanfront unit (310A) had a fabulous ocean view, patio and lawn. Note: In the oceanfront units, rooms numbered in the 300's are the bottom floor and 100's area the top floor, probably because you take an elevator down from the parking lot.

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!

Xcellent customer service!!!! They brought the paddle board to our Vrbo rental AND picked them up…read morewhen we were done. VERY fair prices as well. Will definitely use them again.

Great place to rent SUP and kayaks for a little tour around Nanoose Bay! Owners (super nice couple)…read morewere very accommodating of our group and were very flexible in the face of some not ideal weather conditions (water was a little rough). Took care of all our needs to ensure we had a good time. Would definitely rent from them again if we're back in the area!

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 very nice scenic and relaxing beach and a very nice place for a nice relaxing walk.read more

Lovely public space on the neck of the park. The water isn't very clear, but it's nice and warm in…read morethe summer. Goose Spit is surrounded by a lot of sand and mud bottoms, making it great for wading in the water. Access from Hawkins Avenue by car, or the Hawkins Greenway on foot. There is ample free parking beachside, fire pit rings, and porta potties. At the tip/end of the Spit is the Naval base and civilians are restricted from visiting. If you want nice views, head for the Nob Hill Greenway. The trail begins with a set of stairs near the beginning of the Spit which lead up to residential areas. If you keep going along the narrow blackberry trail, you get even wider vistas.

I camped at the walk in sites at porteau cove campground. It's good that it's close to Vancouver…read moreand is a great location for viewing stars at night. However, as a campsite, it's quite noisy as there's constantly cars driving along the sea to sky highway, a nearby train, and sounds from the water. The walk in sites are very packed but the ones by the water are pretty neat. The parking lot to the day use area was full on the night of the pereseids meteor shower peak.

The boardwalk boasts an impressive backdrop of the Howe Sound, snow-capped mountains, and clear…read moreblue sky. This is the most southerly fjord in North America. With the parking lot being near the highway and free, many visitors (both people and dogs) stroll the area.  Watch out for the webby tents of caterpillars in the trees. They're a bit unsightly. Other things to do at Porteau Cove: - Scuba dive among shipwrecks, artificial reefs, sunken sculptures, and diverse marine life - Explore tide pools - Camp along the waterfront Porteau Cove was a picturesque stop along our Sea to Sky Highway road trip. I wish I could come back here to watch sunset or the stars at night. (Part 2)