Vancouver Island makes list of world's best island getaways
Vancouver Island is the only Canadian destination to make this year's list of top island vacations in the world, according to travel website Conde Nast Traveler.
Vancouver Island was chosen as a top vacation spot alongside other islands in Vietnam, Hawaii, Spain, Ecuador and beyond, according to Conde Nast's list of "16 Best Island Vacations in the World, According to Our Travel Specialists."
The travel website is quick to point out that the island has a range of activities to offer beyond spending time in B.C.'s capital city.
"Many people don’t realize, however, that Victoria is at the southern tip of the island and that the island is nearly 300 miles long," writes travel editor Sheri Doyle, who contributed to the list and owns travel website Pacific Northwest Journeys.
"One of my favorite places on the island is Tofino, a small town on the far west coast about halfway up the island that’s a great destination for outdoor adventures with fantastic food and lodging," she wrote.
Other classic island activities include visiting Butchart Gardens and watching whales off Victoria or Tofino, as well as black bear watching in some of the more remote areas of the island, according to Doyle.
While not mentioned on Conde Nast's list, another Vancouver Island community has been growing into an up-and-coming whale-watching spot.
Residents of Port Alice on northern Vancouver Island have been watching a family of humpback whales visit the village year after year.
The whales spend much of their time in the village's sheltered inlet and can be seen from the shoreline.
"The whole community gets excited," said Port Alice resident Jacqueline Mackenzie in late January.
"You see people coming down to the marina, coming down along the sea walk and just checking it out – it's great," she said.
The frequent visits have even brought tourists to the small village, with visitors coming from as far afield as Europe, according to resident Marnie Chase.
"We just have to figure out some accommodations for them other than the B&Bs, they fill up quick," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.