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City in British Columbia, Canada
Photo: Shannon LaBelle - User: (WT-shared) Minnow at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Nanaimo is the central hub city of Vancouver Island in BC, Canada. It is the second largest city on the island and has the second biggest harbour. In many ways it is the smaller cousin of Victoria. Like much of Vancouver Island it has moved from being primarily an industrial town to a tourist city that attracts a large number of retirees from the rest of Canada.
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Swy-a-lana is a saltwater lagoon that makes use of the tide's natural ebb and flow, creating a home for marine life. An arched foot bridge crosses the lagoon, leading to Maffeo Sutton Park, where you'll find a sandlot playground, a fishing pier, picnic tables, benches and grass fields. Both Swy-a-lana and Maffeo Sutton Parks offer commanding views of the waterfront, Gulf Islands, and coastal mountains.
S pedestrian walkway that winds along the waterfront from Cameron Island (near Port Place Shopping Centre) to the Nanaimo Yacht Club. Visitors especially enjoy the section of the seawall near the Bastion, where craft shops and restaurants dot the path.
The Bastion, built in 1853 as an original Hudson’s Bay Company outpost is now a museum that gives great insight into the way of life a century ago. Historic cannons are fired daily at noon throughout the summer. Admission is by donation.
Covers Nanaimo's history & modern day contributions to Canada's West Coast in the 1,486 sq m (16,000 sq ft) museum in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. Stroll through time in the main gallery to get a sense of what life was like for Nanaimo's earliest settlers & hear stories of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. Feel what it was like below the surface in the replica Coal Mine exhibit. The museum’s feature exhibits change three times a year and exhibit everything from vintage undergarments to shellfish to the history of radio in Canada.
There is a small park for the kids just south of the main beach. Dedicated swimming area during summer months.
An annual race of bathtubs that have been converted into boats and race through the harbour of Nanaimo.
An annual 3-day event held in Maffeo Sutton Park. Over 70 teams and 1,400 participants take part in this annual event.
Bungy Jumping, TreeGo aerial tree obstacle course, and Ziplines. This is North America's first permanent legal bungy jumping site. Ziplining crosses a river canyon. There is also a high-speed "king swing" ride. About 10 km south of downtown.
Newcastle Island Provincial Marine Park offers spectacular trails through beautiful forests and along its wild coastline. The island used to dig coles in the back days, and many historical places are left to see as well. A 10-minute ferry ride from downtown.
18 hole golf course located near the airport.
Nanaimo has world famous cold water scuba diving.
Go walking, cycling, swimming, and fishing.
Casual fine dining restaurant; reservations recommended.
A Mexican restaurant in a bright pink building on the hill in downtown Nanaimo. Excellent, if mild, Mexican food, $12-27 for an entree.
A secret fine dining restaurant inside of Vancouver Island University, where the university's hospitality and culinary students gain experience.
Has excellent drink specials every day, 20 beers on tap, as well as live music on weekends. It's huge, has a dozen flat panel TVs, aesthetically pleasing, and the menu is excellent because it shares a kitchen with a gourmet dining restaurant, The Green Olive.
Power House Living Foods
Organic raw vegan foods in downtown Nanaimo. In a city with very limited selection and high food prices this might be an option you want to explore.
Buccaneer
The Buccaneer Inn features comfortable, plush beds with down duvets in a separate bedroom, full kitchen facilities, ensuite bathrooms, full coffee and tea making facilities, games and books basket and local art all in a spotlessly clean room. Free wireless internet and free use of the front desk laptop, secure gear storage for scuba diving gear, dive gear rinse station, storage facilities for bikes and kayaks, BBQ deck. AAA 2 Diamond and Canada Select 3.5 Star accommodation. Across from 5 restaurants and pubs including waterfront dining. Beautiful walk along Harbourside Walkway to downtown. Central Nanaimo location; great for seeing all of southern and central Vancouver Island including Victoria, Tofino, Oceanside, Chemainus and Comox Valley.
An upscale hotel in the heart of downtown Nanaimo.
A simple but friendly hostel aimed square at the backpacker set, in the heart of downtown Nanaimo, around the corner from The Old City Station Pub, and The Green Olive: Nanaimo's Premier Shared Dining Experience. Rooms are free of phones or televisions, but free wireless internet covers the hostel.
By plane
Flights to Nanaimo from Vancouver (30 minutes) and Calgary (1.75 hours).
By bus
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Nanaimo · Regional · YCD
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