Nanaimo

The Harbour City — Vancouver Island's second city, where history, ocean, and outdoor adventure converge.

Nanaimo is the second-largest city on Vancouver Island, a harbour city of about 100,000 people that serves as the commercial and transportation hub for central Vancouver Island. It is connected to the Lower Mainland by two BC Ferries routes — to Horseshoe Bay and to Tsawwassen — and its central location on the island makes it a natural base for exploring Vancouver Island's many attractions. The city has a rich history rooted in coal mining. The Nanaimo coalfields were among the most productive in BC, and the coal industry shaped the city's development from the 1850s through the mid-20th century. The Nanaimo Museum tells this story with excellent exhibits on the coal mining era, the Snuneymuxw First Nation, and the city's development as a harbour town. The Nanaimo waterfront is the heart of the city's public life. The seawall promenade, the Harbourfront Walkway, and the downtown marina create a pleasant waterfront environment with views across the harbour to Newcastle Island and the Gulf Islands beyond. Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park, accessible by a short ferry ride from the downtown, offers hiking, camping, and swimming in a beautiful island setting. Nanaimo is famous for the Nanaimo Bar — a no-bake dessert bar with a chocolate wafer base, custard filling, and chocolate ganache topping that was invented here and has become one of Canada's most iconic confections. The city celebrates its namesake dessert with a Nanaimo Bar Trail that connects bakeries and cafes throughout the downtown. The surrounding area offers excellent outdoor recreation, including diving in the cold, clear waters of the Strait of Georgia, fishing for salmon and halibut, and hiking in the regional parks that surround the city.