VANCOUVER ISLAND RV VIBES
For first-time RVers, the West Coast is just the place for a road trip adventure.
By Lisa Mesbur
With its spectacular natural beauty, winding roads and charming towns, Vancouver Island is a great place to try RVing. | VIDEO: COURTESY OF RICHARD LAM
On the road near Kennedy Lake, between Port Alberni and Tofino. RV provided by Go RVing Canada. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF RICHARD LAM
“Come on in!” says Eddie, swinging open the side door of the Winnebago Spirit.
It’s spring, and my husband and I are standing in the back lot at Triangle RV in Sidney, B.C., staring into what will be our home for the next five days. As recreational vehicle (RV) newbies, the 2025 Winnebago looks intimidating. It’s significantly larger than our compact car — a 25-foot-long Class C motorhome that sleeps five and rolls with a fully equipped kitchen and bathroom.
But I’ve been curious about RV travel for years, and as soon-to-be empty nesters, the time feels right to try something new. And with its mix of wilderness, charming towns and early-blooming spring, Vancouver Island seems like the place to do it.
After a tutorial from Eddie, one of Triangle’s staff members, we load in, accept the keys to our temporary rolling home and pull out of the parking lot. Can we pull this off?
We’re ready to try.
Victoria’s historic Chinatown features vintage neon, mature cherry trees and lively streets. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF LISA MESBUR
The journey begins
At 31,285 sq. km, Vancouver Island is the largest island off the Pacific coast of North America. The plan for our five-day adventure is to travel from Victoria to Tofino and back, with stops along the way.
In Victoria, we navigate to an open-air parking lot where we can safely park the RV to explore on foot. After backing into a spot — very carefully — I realize I’d like to change my clothes before we set out. We laugh out loud, realizing I’ll need to change in the middle of a parking lot in downtown Victoria. It’s kind of like travelling with your hotel room, I think, opening up the suitcase to rummage for my sneakers.
Downtown, Canada’s oldest Chinatown is compact, colourful and full of century-old buildings and narrow brick alleys. The surrounding area is home to unique shops and a curving waterfront trail with views of Inner Harbour and the grand Parliament Buildings. Before heading back to the RV, we pick up provisions for the trip, including a box of handmade truffles from Chocolat & Co., featuring flavours such as smoky single-malt scotch and rosewater-infused ganache. Who said camping food had to be rustic?
As the sun sets, we drive south to Pedder Bay RV Resort and Marina, 40 minutes away. The RV handles the curving road well, and when we arrive, camp set-up is easy, thanks to Eddie’s tutorial. By dark, we’re hooked up to the utilities and the queen-sized bed is made. Tomorrow, the serious driving begins.
(Left to right) Provisions in hand beside the Winnebago Spirit; Chinatown’s Fan Tan Alley is filled with charming shops; boats moored in Victoria Harbour; handmade truffles from Chocolat & Co. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF LISA MESBUR
Across the island: Victoria to Tofino
The Trans-Canada Highway snakes up the east side of Vancouver Island from Victoria to Nanaimo. Just north of Nanaimo, Highway 4 branches west, crossing the Vancouver Island Mountain Range. It’s a scenic route, famous for its incredible views — and infamous for its numerous twists, turns and switchbacks.
“Let’s take it slow,” my husband says from behind the wheel.
“Sounds good,” I say, gazing out the window at the changing scenery. I’m thankful that this highway includes regular pullout lanes — they mean we won’t impede the progress of faster vehicles for long.
Between Nanaimo and Port Alberni, we stop to stretch our legs and walk in Cathedral Grove, where trails wind between stands of magnificent old-growth trees, some 800 years old. Today, Cathedral Grove is quiet, and we spend an awe-inspiring hour under the green rainforest canopy before getting back onto the highway.
Bonus stop: the Alberni Valley Museum
This compact museum in Port Alberni uses an innovative “visible storage system,” allowing guests to open drawers and explore the full collection of artifacts, from First Nations basketry to early Industrial Era logging tools.
As we head west, the landscape grows more remote. Waterfalls shimmer and turquoise rivers flow by the side of the highway, fed by spring runoff from the still-snowy peaks. Finally, Highway 4 splits and we swing north for the final stretch, Tofino bound.
A stump as tall as the writer, in Cathedral Grove. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF LISA MESBUR
Vancouver Island’s coastal temperate rainforests are home to centuries-old trees, ferns, mosses and lichens. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF LISA MESBUR
“Back at our site, we're about to make a campfire and settle in for the evening when we notice the orange sky through the trees. We race down to the beach to watch the clouds turn from brilliant orange to pink and purple, the silhouettes of wetsuited surfers bobbing between the waves. A moment of pure Tofino magic.”
Sunset hues colour the twilight sky over Cox Bay. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF RICHARD LAM
Waves and natural wonders
At Tofino’s Surf Grove Campground, the sky is overcast, the sound of crashing waves a steady roar through the trees. We back the RV into our campsite, already more comfortable with maneuvering the vehicle. Cox Bay is just 200 m away, one of several big-wave beaches that attract surfers year-round to the wild west coast.
But surfing isn’t the only draw. Over the past few decades, the area’s popularity as a destination for experiencing pristine wilderness, elevated culinary experiences, Indigenous-led ecotourism and innovative sustainability practices has grown — yet Tofino and its surroundings still feel remote and largely untouched.
We experience this firsthand with Ahous Adventures, an Ahousaht Nation-run company offering cultural and wilderness tours of their ancestral lands. Speedboating over the water to Hot Springs Cove, our guide Aaron periodically cuts the motor to point out our surroundings and share his deep knowledge of the local wildlife — sea otters drifting on their backs, sea lions sunning themselves on rocks, and even a few grey whales, feeding and diving in Clayoquot Sound on their spring migration north.
At Hot Springs Cove, a boardwalk winds through dense coastal rainforest to the springs, a series of small natural pools with steam rising between the rocks. We change into our bathing suits and our group slips in one by one, sighing with pleasure. The sky is brilliant blue, and we have the pools to ourselves for a blissful hour.
By late afternoon, we’re exhausted but elated from a day on the water. Back at our site, we’re about to make a campfire and settle in for the evening when we notice the orange sky through the trees. We race down to the beach to watch the clouds turn from brilliant orange to pink and purple, the silhouettes of wetsuited surfers bobbing between the waves. A moment of pure Tofino magic.
Spring foraging in the Cowichan Valley
In the morning, we bid Cox Bay goodbye and hit the road, crossing the mountains from west to east. This time, we pull over at the Kennedy Lake lookout for the stunning vista below. RVing, we’re learning, is less about speed and more about taking the journey at our own pace.
Soon, side-of-the-road farm stands appear alongside wineries, bakeries and orchards. We’ve arrived in the Cowichan Valley, where the mountains’ rain shadow creates a Mediterranean-like climate, supporting dozens of small-scale producers. It’s early in the growing season, but stands display flats of eggs, bouquets of flowers and jars of homemade jams and jellies. I’d like to load up on it all — but today, we forage.
Bonus stop: Cowichan Valley farm stands
During the growing season, no driving trip through the Cowichan Valley is complete without stopping at the region’s many farm stands. For a comprehensive map, visit islandfarmstands.com.
Just outside of Duncan, chef and 12-time cookbook author Bill Jones has been hosting guests at Deerholme Farm for 20 years, cooking seasonal sit-down dinners and running foraging workshops that celebrate local wild ingredients. Today, at a long wooden table, we learn about (and sample) spring greens including miner’s lettuce, dandelion, chickweed and Bill’s favourite, stinging nettle.
“It’s very versatile and packed with nutrients and medicinal properties,” he explains. “I also love morel mushrooms, wild onions and grand fir needles at this time of the year.”
After a lunch of homemade sourdough, mushroom-infused hummus, sautéed fiddleheads and morels with Japanese-style congee, we head outside. Bill points out the leaves, shoots and roots that can — with knowledge and proper verification — be transformed into delicious food. When we return, we end the afternoon with Bill’s warm apple and wild blueberry crumble over vanilla ice cream (made with organic Cowichan Valley milk, of course). It’s a sweet finish to the day.
(Clockwise from top left) The spoils of springtime foraging on display at Deerholme Farm; calm waters and blue skies around the boat landing dock at Hot Springs Cove; fiddleheads and mushrooms sautéeing in Bill Jones’ kitchen; steam rises from between the rocks at Hot Springs Cove. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF LISA MESBUR
(Above) Cozy under the RV awning at Tofino’s Surf Grove campground. (Below) Two of over 40 totem poles that stand proud in Duncan’s downtown area. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF RICHARD LAM
Duncan to Victoria: the final stretch
In the morning, we wake to birdsong. We intend to make the most of our last day of island life — slowly, without a plan.
At Cowichan Bay, we wander down to the wharf, then pick up sticky cinnamon buns for the road from True Grain, a bakery and local institution where every item is made with stone-milled organic B.C. flour. After a leisurely stroll through town, we hop back into the RV, treats in hand.
“Where to next?” I ask.
My husband sticks the keys into the ignition and smiles. “Wherever the road takes us.” CAA
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