Ten of our favourite B.C. Summer Getaways

We asked our network of writers and freelancers to tell us their favourite getaways in B.C. Their responses range from mountain tops to valleys to beaches. Is your summer vacation spot one of the selected? If not and you want to let us know where your summer getaway is please email the Travel Editor at [email protected]

You won’t find it in the usual Best-of BC lists, but my summer secret is Courtenay and the Comox Valley. Ferrying in from the city and flying up Highway 19, the pace is relaxed, the outdoor attractions abundant, and the locals friendly. I’ll take my kids fossil-hunting for dinosaur bones in nearby river beds (we first learned about it with an excellent tour at the Courtenay District Museum and Paleontology Centre), take floaties down the Puntledge River, hike to the suspension bridge in Elk Falls Provincial Park, or along the expansive beach in Miracle Bay Provincial Park.

We might drive up the highway for an adventure in the cool Horne Lake Caves, bike the Forest Loop in Seal Bay Nature Park, or just relax at beautiful Comox Lake. The Gladstone Brewing Co is fantastic, and there’s always something to eat on 5th Street. Each time I visit Rawthentic Eatery my body wants to thank me. It doesn’t get nearly as much attention as other destinations on Vancouver Island, but Courtenay is a taste of B.C. summer living at its best.
– Robin Esrock