Imagine skiing, golfing and scuba diving in the same day!

Vancouver Island's mild year-round climate offers an endless variety of activities, all easily accessible.  Where else can you enjoy beaches, camping, hiking, golfing, skiing/snowboarding, whale watching, fishing, scuba diving, canoeing/ kayaking and surfing/windsurfing all in the same place? From world-class sports fishing in Campbell River to caving and bungee jumping in Nanaimo to scuba diving in Victoria, there is something for everyone, right here on Vancouver Island.

Sports for everyone!

The current major sporting and entertainment complex, for Victoria and Vancouver Island Region, is the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre arena. The arena is the home of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) team, Victoria Salmon Kings.

Other local sports teams include: Nanaimo Clippers Junior Hockey Club (BCHL); Victoria Lions Australian Rules Football Club; Victoria Grizzlies (British Columbia Hockey League); Victoria Shamrocks (Western Lacrosse Association; Nanaimo Timbermen (Senior Men's Lacrosse in the Western Lacrosse League); Nanaimo Vancouver Island Raiders (junior football team); Victoria Rebels Junior Football (CJFL); Victoria United (Pacific Coast Soccer League); Victoria & District Baseball Association (VDBA); University of Victoria Vikes teams and Camosun College Victoria Rams.

Is gardening your passion?

The immense variety of plants, shrubs, and trees that flourish here in the rich soil and moderate climate, makes this a horticultural paradise! Year-round gardening lets you truly indulge yourself in the wide array of unusual and interesting plants that thrive here. Visiting the many gardens throughout the region can also offer any gardener new ideas and inspiration or simply enjoy seeing the magnificent diversity of flora.

Art, music, theatre & festivals are thriving on Vancouver Island! 

Vancouver Island and the neighboring gulf islands are home to a vast number of artists and artisans. The island cities and towns boast a lively art and cultural scene. There are numerous galleries, artisan studios and tours, theatres, and performance halls. Regional craft fairs, art shows and farmers markets makes Vancouver Island an interesting location to explore the variety of local art. The performing arts are active throughout the island in both large and small theatres, indoor and outdoor venues and offer a wonderful choice of drama, dance, and music all year-round.

Music for all tastes fills local concert halls, cathedrals, nightclubs and pubs. The Victoria Symphony entertains audiences all year long and each season performs a free concert performed from a barge in the Inner Harbour to over 40,000 people, known as the Symphony Splash.

Music and arts festivals throughout the summer and throughout the Island celebrate jazz, blues, r&b, folk, independent film, Shakespeare and fringe theatre. Buskers and street performers add colour to the streets of Vancouver Island's cities.