LIGHTHOUSE COUNTRY, THE ENCHANTED LAND FOR A VACATION
"Vacations are necessities, not luxuries" - Linda Bloom
Vancouver Island, being the largest Pacific island east of New Zealand with a length of 460 kms & its widest point at 80 kms, has so many walking, hiking, biking trails & so much more to offer for adventurous, relaxing, spiritual, transformational, educational, rewarding exploring holidays.
The possibilities are endless suiting whatever fancy you are feeling. Visiting Vancouver Island for just a day, a weekend or a few weeks, whether it is spring, summer, fall or winter, the island welcomes you.
My blog so far has focused on the walking, hiking, biking & exploring trails in Lighthouse Country, but there is so much more to experience here & I would like to give you a little peek into what you can enjoy here. This part of the island covers an area of roughly 300 sq kilometres situated on the eastern shore of the island. The coastline & beaches stretch for about 90 kms allowing for countless recreation & leisure opportunities.
Lighhouse Country extends west of the island crossing over the new Inland Highway for approximately 20 kms & includes Spider Lake & Horne Lake which are both fresh water lakes & provincial parks offering trails for walking, hiking, biking & exploring.
There are three main communities in Lighthouse Country which are situated along the coastline; Qualicum Bay to the south, Bowser in the centre & Deep Bay to the north.
Just to give you a little tasting of things to do in the area, I am going to paint you a little picture of what is on offer in Lighthouse Country.
Horne Lake Provincial Park is famous for it's caves where there are different tours to go on with experienced guides to take you through.
There are also a couple of caves open to the public that do not require a guide, but it is advisable to bring a helmet, a torch & suitable shoes. You can rent a helmet with a light at the park. The caves are dark & narrow so it is easy to hit your head if you don't have the suggested equipment. Click here if you are interested in learning more about this adventure.
Horne Lake Cave Provincial Park also offers Family Adventure Camps where families can spend the weekend having fun camping in a teepee & a weekend full of adventure.
| Horne Lake caves |
Horne Lake is also home to Horne Lake Regional Park where there is a fantastic family orientated camp ground. This is wilderness camping, so be prepared to rough it. The camp-site is very popular, so make sure you book ahead so as not to be disappointed. There are canoes & paddle boats for hire, it is a popular lake for fishing & there is a boat ramp, plus the caves are right next door, so lots of fun things to do.Click here to find out
To find Horne Lake, you take the Inland Highway from Nanaimo heading north to Courtenay until you reach exit 75, turn left & follow the road for approximately 15 mins. You will hit a dirt road, so be prepared for that; generally it is well maintained, but it can become pretty bumpy due to the traffic. Folk up north, just drive south heading for Nanaimo until you come to exit 75, then turn right!
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| Horne Lake camp ground.
Spider Lake is closer to the Inland Highway than Horne Lake. You again will turn left off exit 75 & almost immediately you will see the sign for Spider Lake on your left, turn there & follow the road for about 5 mins until you see the lake. There is no camping here & no motorised boats allowed. This is a popular lake for swimming, kayaking, canoeing & fishing, both lakes have walking, hiking & biking trails to explore. Click here for more info on Spider Lake Provincial Park
If wondering whether there is anywhere in Lighthouse Country to buy provisions for camping, wonder no more. Bowser is the centre for this area where you will find Tom's grocery store where the shelves are well stocked & fresh veggies & fruit available. Georgia Park has a liquor store, post office & general store where they carry propane & ice. There is also the Lighthouse Gift shop that has an array of things ranging from food to beach toys & right next door is the Bean Counter Cafe, great food & coffee to be found there. In Qualicum Bay there is a vets in the event of an emergency. The trip from Lighthouse Country to Horne Lake takes about 30 minutes along a very beautiful drive.
Camping, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, water-skiing, beach-combing swimming, fishing, digging for clams, picking oysters,(don't forget your fishing license), golfing, photography, relaxing, walking, hiking, biking & exploring are some things to be enjoyed in Lighthouse Country. There are tours to be taken or do it yourself.
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| Parrot Sanctuary |
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| Goats on the roof |
The Parrot Sanctuary can be found just down the road from the market.
This is home to over 800 parrots living there that had previously been abandoned or abused & now have a permanent home there. Browse in their thrift store for unusual treasures, this is one of their main avenues to raise money in order to take care of these parrots. The Butterfly World & Gardens is also in the same vicinity as Coombs Market where you can see butterflies, turtles, orchids & different reptiles.
While touring around, just branch off & follow the artist signs to their galleries & discover beautiful & unique pottery, jewellery, paintings, carvings etc.
Heading west towards Port Alberni is the home of the famous Cathedral Grove Provincial Park where you will be in awe of the giant Douglas Fir trees, some of them are more than 800 years old. If you carry on this road you will eventually reach Tofino & Ucluelet where there are spectacular beaches & home of the surfers & whale watching.
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| Tofino |
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| Qualicum Beach |
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| Cathedral Grove |
Just south of Lighthouse Country is beautiful Qualicum Beach which is a treat in it's self. It is always fun to go exploring the unique shops here which have a range of unique gifts, art work, clothing, home décor etc. This is a quaint little town where you will not find any fast food restaurants, instead you can enjoy a variety of fresh foods from diverse eating establishments. Every Saturday morning during the summer Qualicum Beach hosts a farmers market where you can purchase local products, but you have to get there early as it sells our fast!! There is a great beach to be enjoyed here, especially when the tide is out & there are some great trails to walk, hike, bike & explore in the area.
Check out this site to learn more about Lighthouse Country & the surrounding area.
So whether you are living on Vancouver Island, mainland Vancouver, the other side of Canada, North America, or any where in the world, Lighthouse Country has something for everyone & welcomes you to come & experience a taste of life here.
HAPPY WALKING, HIKING, BIKING & EXPLORING
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