British Columbia is Canada’s most southwestern province. Thanks to the overwhelming nature and beautiful cities such as Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia is one of the most visited provinces in the country. Many tourists who visit western Canada at least visit British Columbia (as the province is called in Dutch). The landscape is partly dominated by the Coastal Mountains and the Rocky Mountains. Between these two mountain areas lie beautiful lakes, vast fields, ravines and prairies. The varied landscape is therefore never boring when you travel through British Columbia with a camper, car or motorcycle. Thanks to the many campsites, British is a very popular destination for a campervan holiday in Canada. If you think that BC (as it is often called) is just a destination for nature lovers, you are wrong. Thanks to cities such as Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and Vernon, there is certainly something to do in British Columbia for those who prefer urban life.
British Columbia ‘s Top 10 Things to Do
#1. Vancouver
According to topbbacolleges, the metropolis of Vancouver is one of the most liveable cities in the world. Anyone who has visited this city in southwest British Columbia will understand why. The city has a very positive vibe and the inhabitants are civilized, friendly and very accessible. In Vancouver you can eat and drink delicious, the city is safe and within Vancouver there is enough to see and do to keep you busy for a few days. Many Dutch tourists therefore book Vancouver a few days before or at the end of their motorhome trip through the western part of Canada.
#2. Whale watching
Who says British Columbia, you say nature. In this province many animal species can be admired in the wild. One of the most special experiences in that area is whale watching. From various places in British Columbia you can take part in whale watching boat trips. In most cases it concerns orcas. Such boat trips are organized from Victoria (on Vancouver Island) and Steveston (near Vancouver) among others.
#3. Wells Gray Provincial Park
With no fewer than 49 waterfalls, Wells Gray Provincial Park is considered the pinnacle of waterfalls in western Canada. Here you will find a number of impressive waterfalls such as Helmcken Falls, the Moul Falls and the Dawson Falls. The park also offers extensive opportunities for horseback riding, visiting ranches and spotting a variety of wildlife.
#4. Route 99
The Canadian Highway 99 is one of the most beautiful routes you can drive through Canada. It’s the road that runs from Vancouver to Whistler and then further inland to Chache Creek. The route takes you through many different landscapes, allowing you to enjoy a continuously changing panorama. Along the way are several places where you can stop for a photo opportunity or for a nice picnic with a beautiful backdrop as a background.
#5. Haidi Gwaiic
The Haidi Gwaii archipelago is located on the north coast of British Columbia. The more than 150 islands of Haida Gwaii are also known as ‘Queen Charlotte Islands’. Some of these islands fall under the protected area of Gwaii Haanas National Park. Here are still villages of the original inhabitants, Haida Indians, and rainforests. Many of the handicrafts and art of the Haidi culture can be found in Old Messett. You can then go canoeing in the waters of the Yakoun and Kumdis rivers on the island of the same name and the most beautiful hiking trips are made in Naikoon Provincial Park on Graham Island. In Queen Charlotte itself you can enjoy art and culture.
#6. Victoria Victoria
is located in the extreme south of Vancouver Island. In this capital of the province of British Columbia, about half of the total population lives on Vancouver Island. The highlight of Victoria is the center where you will find the world famous Empress Hotel and the Parliament Buildings. The parliament building is especially amazing in the evening when it is evening. The contours of the building are then beautifully illuminated. Fisherman’s Warf is a nice tourist spot on the harbor. Here you walk between colorfully painted houseboats and in the summer months you can eat outside by the water.
#7. Bears
About half a million bears live in the wild across Canada. About a third of all black bears and grizzlies live in British Columbia. The chance that you will encounter one in the wild in the summer months is therefore very real. For many foreign tourists, spotting a bear in the wild is the highlight of their vacation in Canada. It is important to observe the rules regarding an encounter with a bear. This is for the safety of the visitors, but also to protect the wild animals. The moment they get used to people, they become a danger to people.
#8. Long Beach
British Columbia has several beaches. One of the largest beaches in the province is Long Beach. The long and wide sandy beach is a wonderful location for walking or watching the surfers conquer the waves here. If you are lucky you can see dolphins or whales from the beach. Sometimes you can also see a stray bear walking on the beach. Although the beach is not their natural habitat, it can happen that they end up on the beach from the Tofino area.
#9. Chemainus
The village of Chemainus is located on Vancouver Island. Until the eighties of the last century, the money here was mainly earned by sawing wood. When the sawmill at the time came into trouble and had to close, Chemainus devised a plan to bring artists to the town to paint murals. Today you can see more than forty murals in Chemainus, all of which depict something related to the history of the region. Thanks to the fact that Chemainus has become an open-air museum, it attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists today.
#10. Okanagan
Lake Okanagan Lake is one of the many lakes you will encounter in British Columbia. Thanks to its favorable location in the Okanagan Valley, there is a pleasant climate around the Okanagan Lake, which corresponds reasonably with the Mediterranean climate such as France. That is why there is a lot of wine growing around the lake. As a wine lover you can taste and buy wine at the various wineries. There are also several beaches on the lake where you can take a refreshing dip during hot summer days. Because the lake, consisting of three basins, barely consists of meltwater, the water temperatures are quite pleasant in the summer.
Interesting towns to visit on Lake Okanagan are Vernon and Kelowna. For people who are on a motorhome tour, these are popular places to enjoy the pleasant city life for a while. A nice attraction is the O’Keefe Ranch, where you can get to know life on one of the largest eighteenth-century farms in the area.
