Discover Nanaimo: Parks, Culture and Waterfront
Accommodation in Nanaimo
Nanaimo combines nature experiences, art and history with activities on the water. Its parks feature rocky cliffs, pebble beaches, riverside trails and habitats for waterfowl. There are also museums, an art gallery and self-guided activities in the city. If you’re travelling as a family and want to accommodate different interests, you can explore Nanaimo according to your priorities—for example, by spending more time on nature, culture, exercise or water activities.
Discover nature: from coves to the river
Neck Point Park covers 36 acres of coastal landscape. Its scenery features rugged rocky cliffs, pebble beaches along coves and winding trails through Garry oak groves. For diving enthusiasts, an access road provides drive-in access to dive sites. The park therefore offers a range of nature and water experiences without requiring you to focus your visit on a single activity.
At Bowen Park, interpretive and themed trails run along the Millstone River. A walk leads to a scenic waterfall and a fish ladder. If you’d rather explore a wetland and its wildlife, Buttertubs Marsh offers opportunities to watch waterfowl and learn about the local ecosystem. These places offer different ways to experience nature in Nanaimo: the river and its trails, the wetland or the coastal landscape.
Trails and activities to suit your interests
Nanaimo’s trails range from backcountry routes to urban and beach trails, as well as rocky routes. Westwood Lake Park has a trail around the lake, and nine connected mountain biking trails also head into the surrounding terrain. One of them is “Legalize it!”, Nanaimo’s first approved mountain bike trail. If you enjoy both walking and cycling, these details offer different ways to prioritize your activities during your stay.
There are different ways to enjoy the water, too: Nanaimo’s sheltered coves offer opportunities for boating and fishing, while providing quick access to the open waters of the Georgia Strait. The HMCS Saskatchewan is another diving attraction: the ship was sunk off Nanaimo in 1997 to create an artificial dive reef. At W.E. Mills Landing & Marina, berths are assigned to larger vessels over 50 feet when available.
Art, local history and discoveries
The Nanaimo Art Gallery at 150 Commercial Street houses a permanent art collection and presents temporary art exhibitions. The Nanaimo Museum explores coal mining, as well as the vibrant culture of the Snuneymuxw and their oral traditions. The Bastion is a municipally designated heritage site and is listed on the Canadian Register of Heritage Properties. These cultural venues give your trip a distinct focus alongside the trails and natural areas.
For independent exploration, Nanaimo offers walking or cycling tours through some of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods. If you’d rather follow a culinary trail, discover the Nanaimo Bar Trail: this self-guided tasting route takes you through cafés, bakeries, restaurants, breweries and boutiques. You can include neighbourhoods, art and tastings as different interests in your travel plans, rather than shaping your stay around just one way of exploring.
Bastion Square Park is at the heart of downtown. During the summer months, cannon firings take place there daily at 12 noon. When choosing your vacation rental, it may therefore help to first consider which Nanaimo experiences interest you most: culture and local history, trails and nature, or activities on the water. The options described here offer different themes to help you decide.
More places to discover: Cassidy, Bowser, Gabriola, Nanaimo, Parksville, Nanoose Bay and Qualicum Beach.
For the broader travel guide: British Columbia.
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