Experience the best of Nanaimo

Nanaimo lies on the east coast of Vancouver Island, facing the Strait of Georgia across a harbour dotted with islands. It grew in the nineteenth century around coal mining, and the Bastion, a small wooden fort built in 1853 by a fur-trading company, still stands on the waterfront.

A seawall promenade follows the harbour. Ferries leave for Gabriola Island and for Newcastle Island Marine Park, a car-free island with trails and picnic sites, and larger ferries cross to the mainland near Vancouver. Petroglyph Provincial Park, at the south edge of the city, has ancient carvings in sandstone, and the beaches of Parksville and Qualicum lie to the north.

The Nanaimo bar, a no-bake square of chocolate, custard and coconut, is named after the city. Salmon, crab and oysters from local waters appear on menus. In July the city holds a bathtub race, a long-running oddity.