All trails lead to stunning beauty and adventure in an unspoiled, untrammelled wilderness. The granddaddy of all hikes is the Comox Glacier Trail in Strathcona Provincial Park.
Not for the faint of foot, the three-day-long hike calls for backpacking gear, maps, compass, ice axe, ropes and a stove. An alternate route, the Kookjai Trail, takes longer, but circumvents the toughest climbing areas and renders the glacier and its lakes, alpine meadows and snowfields more accessible to hikers.
Mountain Biking
From ocean to meadow to forest to mountain, the Comox Valley offers five distinct areas of mountain biking trails for all levels of riders. Year-round trails near Comox Lake and along the Puntledge River represent some of the most varied and rewarding biking trails in BC. Nine different trails start out at the dam on Comox Lake. Stunning scenery, wildlife and unpredictability enthral bikers.
Golf
The varied landscape of the Comox Valley provides picture-postcard backdrops for nine golf courses in and around the Comox Valley. Six courses are year-round. All boast stunning mountain views and golf packages are available through hotels, motels and resort.
The big guy of golf courses is the Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community, marrying award-winning, Platinum-rated, championship course and golf community. Marvellous views of the Beaufort mountains, 11 lakes and eye-filling fairways complete a vision of Vancouver Island golf at its most sumptuous.
Skiing and Snowboarding
Vancouver Island may boast the mildest winters in Canada, but its higher elevations have plenty of snow. Mt. Washington Alpine Resort near Strathcona Provincial Park hosts the deepest all-natural snow base in Canada and offers 50 alpine runs, eight lifts and a high-speed quad chairlift. The Ozone snow-tube park offers tubing day and night. There are two parks for snowboarders. And for cross-country skiers, 40km/25mi of scenic trails await.
Arts, Cultural & Historical Experiences
The Comox Valley Visitor Centre distributes two free, detailed Heritage Experience walking tour brochures, the Downtown Courtenay Heritage Walk and the Courtenay Riverway Heritage Walk. The self-guided walks take about one hour and span history, culture, urban charm and Courtenay's graceful lifestyle.
Farms, Wineries & Vineyards
Astride land and sea, the Comox Valley harvests magnificent bounties. Almost 500 farms represent orchards, nurseries and vegetable, and dairy produce. The Comox Valley Growers Guide available at the Comox Valley Visitor Centre, maps out three driving tours covering the entire Comox Valley.
The surprise is Courtenay wineries. The Beaufort Winery won Gold in 2009's All Canadian Wine Championships for Panacea, a splendid blend of three Island grape varieties. Its Gewurztraminers, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cassis, a heady blackberry dessert wine, are not to be missed, either.
The Blue Moon Winery at Nature's Way Farm produces lively, crisp fruit wines made in small batches. The idea is to treat them as alternatives to conventional grape-based table wines – drop in and taste.
Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens
Unique among BC gardens, this one-man labour of love never fails to impress beyond all expectations. The Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens are a stunning marriage of woodland garden, rhododendron garden, a lake, ponds and a rainforest. Mulch paths lead guests from one surprise to the next. Sunlight filters through 100 varieties of trees, beckoning artists and photographers. The Gardens also play host to two three-day-long arts festivals every year.
Fossil Hunting
Once upon a time 80 million years ago, the Courtenay and Puntledge River areas teemed with prehistoric marine life, especially aquatic predators worthy of Hollywood. The Courtenay & District Museum & Palaeontology Centre offers fossil-hunting tours and even guarantees participants will take home 80-million-year-old souvenirs. When a split stone reveals a fossilized baby lobster, shrieks of triumph follow.
Spas & Wellness
Courtenay spas set the bar for the Comox Valley in a flurry of healing oils, exotic massages, algae wraps and mystery elixirs. Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa scores heavily with its first-in-Canada Pacific Mist Hydropath experience. Imagine, a spa fantasia of sandstone caves and pools, indoor rainfalls, glacial waterfalls and tidal baths. At the all-suites Old House Village Hotel & Spa in downtown Courtenay, Oh Spa! is an urban retreat with innovative treatments, couples rooms with big TVs and spa cuisine.
Driving Routes
Explore the beautiful landscape, thriving creative arts scene, and year-round outdoor adventure opportunities of Courtenay along any of four unique driving routes. Learn more about driving routes through Courtenay here: Driving Routes.
For more information on things to do in Courtenay, head to the Visitor Centre.
Read Less