 Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens, Carol Clemens photo
Things To Do in Courtenay Courtenay bustles with shops, restaurants, galleries and entertainments. Mapped-out, self-guided urban walking tours lead visitors through the city's history and architecture. The abundance of the Comox Valley has much do to with shaping Courtenay: Eat at Locals, a local restaurant specializing in local produce and happiness. Spend a morning at the Saturday Farmers' Market. Drive out to the award-winning Beaufort Winery for a tasting.
Strathcona Provincial Park If Courtenay's heart is rustic sophistication, its muscle is unspoiled wilderness. The city serves as jumping off point for Strathcona Provincial Park, the oldest and largest provincial park on Vancouver Island. Strathcona boasts twin fascinations: The flat-topped Comox Glacier is the largest glacier on the island. Della Falls, eight times higher than Niagara, ranks as the highest falls in Canada and one of the 10 highest in the world.
Where to Stay Courtenay offers a city's total slate of accommodations from luxury hotels and resorts to motels, B&Bs, rental cottages, a hostel and campgrounds. The major hotels are conveniently located downtown, B&Bs are scattered on the fringes and the Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community is a short drive out of town.
Courtenay's Past The First Nations K'omox people have been here for thousands of years. European settlers arrived to embrace the valley's climate and agricultural potential in the 1860s. Blacksmith shops, stables, grocery stores, and restaurants followed. In 1914 the E&N railway arrived in town, linking the community with Nanaimo, Victoria and the rest of the world. Courtenay hasn't looked back.
Courtenay's Cuisine  From field and farm to restaurant and table, Courtenay loves food. The city takes pride in an oversized pool of culinary talent. It boasts a surprisingly large contingent of international restaurants, including Greek, Italian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Japanese and Thai, not to mention the bold new wave of homegrown BC cuisine.
Festivals & Events Every July, Courtenay plays host to the Vancouver Island Music Fest. It's the biggest festival on Vancouver Island and one of the biggest in BC, assembling some of the finest talents from Canada and the US. Some 1100 volunteers contribute to the impact of 200 musical performers on 6 stages, instructional workshops, art exhibitions, an interactive kidzzone and international eats.
Getting Here Courtenay lies 90 minutes northwest of Nanaimo and about three hours northwest of Victoria. Courtenay town centre is five minutes off the Inland Island Highway 19, exit 117. Its strategic location, encompassing ocean, mountains and farmlands, makes scenic drives not only natural but obligatory. Take time.
Where to Start The Courtenay and Comox Valley Visitor Centres at 2040 Cliffe Avenue publish and distribute walking tours brochures free of charge. Drop by for tourism information and maps of Courtenay, Comox, Cumberland, Comox Valley and Mount Washington.
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