dougharper5625

I am headed to Vancouver with my girlfriend in October. We are staying 4 days in Vancouver, then 5-6 days somewhere outside vancouver. We both like hiking, kayaking, eating, fun towns, etc. I've been to Whistler (and haven't eliminated it as a possibility), but am seeing if there is another town that would be better.

Suggestions? We don't want to drive much more than 3 hours to wherever we are headed as we want to get settled quickly and enjoy the place.

BC_Robyn

A three hour driving radius limits your options.

Have you considered Vancouver Island at all? You could be in Victoria in three hours from Vancouver if you time the ferry perfectly. You drive 45 mins south of Vancouver to Tsawwassen, then the ferry is about an hour and a half, and it drops you off at Swartz Bay, and then it’s a half hour drive down the highway before you arrive in downtown Victoria.

Victoria is a small historic walkable city and has fantastic restaurants, bars, cafes, and lots of excellent craft breweries. I like Victoria for weekend getaways. Lots of kayaking nearby in all the ocean inlets and bays. Lots of hiking outside of town especially as you venture west toward Sooke (look up East Sooke Park, Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, Goldstream Provincial Park, Sooke Potholes).

The only thing Victoria doesn’t have that Vancouver and Whistler has are alpine hikes. But you can explore a lot based in Victoria, up the Malahat through the Cowichan Valley, or again, over to the Sooke and Port Renfrew area - totally doable in 5-6 days.

If you extend your radius to 5 hours, Tofino (stunning rainforest ocean foodie wilderness paradise) or Kelowna (lakes with fun beach scenes, semi-arid climate with sagebrush, dozens of wineries with restaurants, the Okanagan Wine Festival) would be possible.

Another idea is to base yourself on the Sunshine Coast. This is a rural rainforest area a 40 minute ferry ride north west of Vancouver with a string of waterfront towns - Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay, Garden Bay, etc. The towns aren’t big but you can stay in some oceanfront accommodation outside of town, visit the towns for their restaurants, cideries, breweries, farmers markets, etc. and explore the rainforest hikes and kayak options nearby during the day. It’s a totally different vibe than Vancouver and Whistler. 5-6 days would let you explore Smuggler’s Cove, Francis Point, Big Tree Rec Site, Soames Hill, Cliff Gilker Park, Skookumchuk Narrows. Unfortunately the only alpine hikes are only accessible by 4WD on gravel logging roads through the backcountry. October is also when the Sunshine Coast Art Craw takes place.

Regarding Vancouver, have you spent time exploring the Fraser Valley area - the hikes out by Mt Cheam in Chilliwack, by Harrison Hot Springs, out by Maple Ridge, or Hope and the wilderness at Manning Park? The Fraser Valley is suburban, agricultural, but it also has mountain wilderness and has a bunch of hiking hot spots that Vancouverites do on weekends. It’s just an hour drive east of Vancouver so you could just stay put in Vancouver, somewhere in East Van perhaps (a fun area), and spend 5-6 days doing day trips to the Fraser Valley.

NorthwestMale

Finally, an original poster fits JUST RIGHT for Victoria/ Vancouver Island.

They truly HAVE enough time... they HAVE interest in getting out of Vancouver proper... and they desire someplace somewhat close


Once they get over the big moat... they can create individual day trips for some of the added destinations that BC Robyn suggests.

dougharper5625

Thanks for the suggestions!