Nanaimo, the Harbour City is located on the east side of Vancouver Island, 113 km (70 miles) north of Victoria, and 48.3 km (30 miles or 26.1 nautical miles) west of Vancouver, BC.

Stroll the Harbourside Walkway, a 4-kilometre (2.5 mile) public walkway between Harbour Park Mall and Departure Bay Ferry Terminal. The Bastion and Nanaimo District Museum are situated along this walkway. The Bastion Museum, built in 1853 and newly restored, is the oldest structure of its kind in North America. During the summer, daily at noon, there is a canon-firing ceremony complete with Scottish bagpiping and Highland dancing. The Nanaimo Museum highlights archeological artifacts, 10,000-year old petroglyphs, a miner's cottage, and an amazing replica of a coal mine, and the heritage of Nanaimo's Chinese community as well as the history of Coast Salish life, the Snuneymuxw people.

The Walkway also passes through several park areas including Georgia and Maffeo-Sutton Parks. Take the paddlewheel ferry at Maffeo-Sutton Park to Newcastle Island Provincial Marine Park. 18 kilometres of designated trails here for hiking or cycling. Other favorite pastimes in this park include swimming, picnicking, canoeing and kayaking, camping, and wild life watching.

Visit Fisherman's Wharf to buy fresh seafood, shop in the downtown boutiques, with options ranging from unique art and gift shops in historic buildings, to modern shopping centres. Nanaimo Art Gallery is located on the beautiful Malaspina University-College overlooking a panorama of the city of Nanaimo and east across the Strait of Georgia to British Columbia's mainland mountains. The Gallery's mission is to enliven and enrich the Nanaimo and central Vancouver Island region with exhibitions and educational programming that encourage active public involvement with the visual arts.

Nanaimo's new 800-seat Port Theatre on the waterfront showcases an interesting mix of musical styles, dance, theatre and variety events. The CIBC Centre for the Arts is located in the downtown Arts District and showcases dance academies, art galleries, potters, sculptors and weavers studios.

Bowen Park, an excellent recreation park for families features a petting zoo, a nature centre, swimming and wading pools and hiking trails. For swimming and ice skating visit Beban Park Recreational Complex.

Those who like strenuous hikes will enjoy climbing the 3000 ft. summit of Mount Benson and the view at the top is worth it! Easy to moderate hiking or cycling excursions are available on the 20 km Parkway Trail, or the shorter E & N Railway Trail. Mountain bikers enjoy the Top Bridge Trail, a distance of 5 km from Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park to Top Bridge Park. Another popular location is in Englishman River Falls Provincial Park where the annual Hammerfest Mountain Biking Race is held each May.

Two activities which will appeal to thrill seekers are Nanaimo's bungy jumping, located on a 42-meter bridge over the Nanaimo River and for the most terrifying, the Ultimate Swing and the Flying Fox - a zip line that can send you soaring up to 100 kilometres (62 miles) an hour.

Nanaimo's harbour has moorage for over 1200 boats, making it the ideal base for boaters planning to explore nearby areas. Kayaking is big in Nanaimo, with the sea sculpted cliffs of nearby islands offering sheltered waters and incredible rock formations. Home to a number of festivals, the most famous is Nanaimo's annual World Championship Bathtub Race in July. From the first bathtub race in 1967, the "Great" INTERNATIONAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BATHTUB RACE & 4 day Nanaimo Marine Festival has evolved. The Marine Festival encompasses many different family and adult events from Kiddies Karnival, Beer Gardens, Sail Past Parade, Vancouver Islands' biggest summertime Fireworks display, and Street Fair. The "Great" RACE starts in Nanaimo harbor and ends at Departure Bay beach. The course (36 miles) leaves Nanaimo harbour around Entrance Island up to and around Winchelsea Island past Schooner cove and back to Departure Bay in Nanaimo.

Nanaimo is a favorite destination for divers and you will find two of the largest artificial reefs in the world just a 15-minute boat ride from the harbour. Encounter many amazing species and perhaps you can get up close to the Giant Pacific Octopus - a celebrity in this area.

Morrell Nature Sanctuary on Nanaimo Lakes Road, Piper's Lagoon Park off Hammond Bay and Buttertubs Marsh Bird Sanctuary are ideal birdwatching locations. Check with Tourism Nanaimo for information about the many nature adventure tours available. Sport fishing for salmon, cod or red snapper is a very popular holiday activity also and skippered or bareboat fishing charters are available.

Nanaimo offers dining opportunities to suit every taste. Spectacular freshly caught seafood entries, sushi, continental cuisine or distinctive West Coast specialties. Visitors will find the decor and character of these establishments as enjoyable as the food itself including Canada's only floating pub, the Dinghy Dock in Nanaimo's harbour.

The Original Nanaimo Bar Recipe

Bottom Layer
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/4 c. sugar
5 tbsp. cocoa
1 egg, beaten
1 3/4 c. graham wafer crumbs
1/2 c. finely chopped almonds
1 c. coconut
Melt first 3 ingredients in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 X 8 pan.

Second Layer
1/2 c. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. and 2 tsp. cream
2 tbsp. vanilla custard powder
2 c. icing sugar
Cream butter, cream, custard powder and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Third Layer
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. When cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator.

BC Ferries has regular sailings to Nanaimo from Horseshoe Bay, north of Vancouver and from Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver. You can access 24-hour schedule recordings by calling 1-888-BCFERRY or visit BC Ferries web site.

If you are a foot passenger and need transportation, shuttle, taxi, and car rental services are available from both terminals.

Vancouver-Nanaimo bus service (via Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay)- In Vancouver call (604) 482-8747. In Nanaimo, call Laidlaw Coach Lines at (250) 753-4371 for information on Greyhound bus service via Departure Bay-Horseshoe Bay.

Nanaimo Airport has daily flights from Vancvouer and other mainland locations. The Nanaimo Seaplane Terminal provides facilities for scheduled seaplane flights. Several companies offer harbour to harbour service, scheduled flights, charters and sightseeing flights to other locations on the island.

Golf Courses in the area:

• Arbutus Ridge Golf & Country Club, 3515 Telegraph Rd, Cobble Hill 18 hole
• Beban Park Pitch & Putt, 2280 Bowen, Nanaimo. 9 hole
• Cottonwood Golf Course, 1975 Haslam Rd., Nanaimo. 9 hole
• Eaglecrest Golf Club, 2035 Island Highway West, Qualicum Beach. 18 hole
• Fairwinds Golf & Country Club, Nanoose Bay. 18 hole
• Gabriola Golf & Country Club, South Road, Gabriola Island. 9 hole
• Glengarry Golf Links, 1025 Qualicum Rd, Qualicum Beach. 18 hole
• Nanaimo Golf Club, 2800 Highland Blvd., Nanaimo. 18 Hole
• Pryde Vista Golf, 155 Pryde, Nanaimo. 9 hole