Planning a holiday in British Columbia? If you are, visit to Vancouver Island is a must. Be sure to allocate enough time in your itinerary to take in some of the scope and variety of Vancouver Island's many places and environments. With a total area of 32,134 sq. km and a driving time of about seven hours from Victoria in the south to Port Hardy in the north, Vancouver Island has a lot of territory to explore.

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Vancouver Island has been selected by the readers of Conde Nast as the Best Temperate Island Destination in the World in the November 2002 issue of the Magazine.

For the second year in a row Vancouver Island is rated #1 "Best Island" in Continental US/ Canada by Travel + Leisure  Magazine readers.

For the third year in a row, British Columbia's coastal waters ( including those between Vancouver Island and the mainland ) have been named the top scuba diving destination in North America in a recent survey of Rodale's Scuba Diving, the largest scuba diving enthusiast magazine in circulation.

Vancouver Island wins second consecutive "Best Island" award

Vancouver Island has been named "Best Island in North America" by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine for the second consecutive year. The award, which designates Vancouver Island as one of the premiere holiday travel destinations in the world, was formally presented last night in a star-studded ceremony held at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

The 2003 Readers' Choice Awards, featured in the November issue of Conde Nast Traveler magazine, recognizes the world's top hotels, airlines, resorts, cruise lines, cities, rental car companies and islands.  The publication, with a per issue readership of 2 million, is considered an opinion leader in the travel field and has been conducting a Readers Choice awards program for sixteen years.

A random sampling of Condé Nast Traveler subscribers received the 2003 "Poll of Consumer Attitudes."  Each candidate was graded on a number of criteria.  Islands were graded on Scenery, People/Friendliness, Lodging, Dining and Activities/Excursions. ( 10-10-03 News Release from Vancouver Island Tourism )

Vancouver Island stretches southeast to northwest along the western coast of British Columbia. The rugged west coast is inundated with deep fjords between high mountains with a few small communities located on the shores of protected inlets. The eastern plain is rich with timber, farmlands, fishing streams, small communities and cities.

Climate

Vancouver Island boasts the mildest climate in Canada.

Summertime is generally warm and sunny, with frequent ocean breezes. Temperatures reach average highs in the mid 20's Celsius (70 to 80 Fahrenheit) with cooler evening temperatures. 

In winter, daytime temperatures are usually well above freezing throughout most of the region, with overnight frost on some occasions. 

Links to current weather conditions for Vancouver Island communities such as Victoria, Nanaimo, Tofino, Comox, Campbell River, Port Hardy and other British Columbia locations can be found here.