Lighthouse Country
Sourced from Wikivoyage. Text is available under the CC-by-SA 3.0 license.
Understand
Lighthouse Country has miles of shoreline on the Strait of Georgia with numerous beaches for swimming. Many streams join the ocean in this area and each one has a hiking trail beside it.
Qualicum Bay is a large natural bay with a huge expanse of sand at low tide. Qualicum Bay has roadside stores where you can stock up on fresh caught seafood.
The waterfront community of Bowser overlooks the gulf islands of Denman and Hornby. It is just a few minutes drive north of Qualicum Bay.
Bowser is the main community centre of the area and has most of the commercial facilities: a supermarket, liquor store and post office, restaurant, hardware store, gas station, and small resorts.
The small oceanside community of Deep Bay is devoted to fishing. Mapleguard Point is a spit that juts out and protects Deep Bay’s natural harbour right beside the larger expanse of Qualicum Bay. Sheltered by the Point, Deep Bay launches boats that fish for salmon in the area of Norris Rocks, Chrome Island and Eagle rock.
Qualicum Bay is a large natural bay with a huge expanse of sand at low tide. Qualicum Bay has roadside stores where you can stock up on fresh caught seafood.
The waterfront community of Bowser overlooks the gulf islands of Denman and Hornby. It is just a few minutes drive north of Qualicum Bay.
Bowser is the main community centre of the area and has most of the commercial facilities: a supermarket, liquor store and post office, restaurant, hardware store, gas station, and small resorts.
The small oceanside community of Deep Bay is devoted to fishing. Mapleguard Point is a spit that juts out and protects Deep Bay’s natural harbour right beside the larger expanse of Qualicum Bay. Sheltered by the Point, Deep Bay launches boats that fish for salmon in the area of Norris Rocks, Chrome Island and Eagle rock.
Get in
The main way in is Highway 19 (the Inland Island Highway), about 15-20 minutes north of Parksville-Qualicum Beach and a little more than an hour north of Nanaimo. Exit 75 (Horne Lake Rd) connects Qualicum Bay to the highway and Exit 87 connects Deep Bay. A slower and more scenic way is to take the old coastal highway, Highway 19A.
Get around
Having access to your own wheels car, bike or taxi -- will be the only way to get to all of the attractions in the area.
See
-
Deep Bay Harbour
address: at the end of Gainsberg Rd, Deep BayThe harbour, framed by the marina and Coast Mountains, is a beautiful spot to stop at for a few minutes or a few hours. There’s a small gift shop and restaurant (Ship & Shore) by the boat ramp with a small but tasty selection of ice cream. -
phone: +1 250-740-6611address: 370 Crome Point Rd, Deep BayA working research station operated by Vancouver Island University. There are exhibits on marine conservation issues and local marine life, including touch tanks and a whale skeleton. Guided tours are available as well as self-guided information sheets. The deck looks out over the Baynes Sound and provides some nice views.
Do
-
Horne Lake Caves & Outdoor Centre
phone: +1 250-248-7829address: 3905 Horne Lake Caves RdA provincial park with a number of caves and a 3 km hiking trail interpretive trail that explains the caves and geology of the area. The Outdoor Centre offers a number of guided tours to the caves, ranging from 60 minute family-friendly excursions to 5 hr adventures that mix caving and rappelling. Visitors are allowed to explore some caves on their own, but it is limited to the entrance area of the Main Cave, the Lower Cave and Andre’s Annex — a tour is required to see the other caves. A helmet and lights are recommended if you explore the caves on your own (there's no light inside them) and can be rented from the park Visitor Center. The Visitor Center also includes a small gift shop and the Cave Theatre. The caves are cold — about 8°C — and wet, so dress accordingly.
Buy
-
phone: +1 778 424-2012address: 110-6996 Island Hwy W, BowserShop with a variety of locally made crafts, jewelry and artwork.
Eat
-
phone: +1 250 757-9565address: 108-6996 Island Hwy W, BowserAll day breakfast bagel plus sandwiches, paninis, baked goods and a large selection of coffee, tea and expresso drinks.
-
Nickolini's Pizza
phone: +1 250 757-9996address: 6590 Island Hwy W, BowserKnown for its generous amount of toppings and lots of cheese. Take out or delivery only. -
phone: +1 250 240-2855address: 6001 Island Hwy W, Qualicum BayRoadside shack overlooking the beach that serves up tacos and burritos. Options include beef, fish, prawns, Thai chicken, veggie and vegan, with the fish tacos the most popular. Portion sizes are good but not huge.
Sleep
-
phone: +1 250-757-9445address: 420 Horne Lake Road, Qualicum BeachSuspended, completely spherical tree houses built out of fiber glass and wood. They're designed to vaguely look like huge nuts or seeds. They can be rented out overnight for the treehouse experience.
-
phone: +1 250-757-8765address: 6035 Island Hwy, Qualicum BeachSmall motel right on the water and the road. Rooms can accommodate 2-4 adults and some rooms have full kitchenettes.