Chemainus Things To Do
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 Chemainus is prominent on Vancouver Island, North American, and international maps for one main reason: its outdoor murals. However, this Cowichan Valley seaside town offers plenty of other daytrip, overnight, weekend and long-stay reasons to visit. Boutique shopping, dining, and the Chemainus Theatre Festival top the to-do list in Chemainus proper.
The Vancouver Island region as a whole is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, who have a choice of hiking, diving, boating, cycling, mountain biking, and swimming. Less active hedonists can opt for winery tours and backroad scenic drives through a particularly fertile area the Coast Salish called "the warm lands."
Murals and the Theatre Don't take the town's remarkable murals for granted! Each of the 40-plus wall paintings and a dozen more sculptures with their own colorful stories are best explored on walking, horse-and-buggy, and faux steam-train tours that depart regularly in the summer from the Visitor Centre and Waterwheel Park. After a relaxing day, catch singalong musicals and laugh-aloud comedies presented by the year-round Chemainus Theatre Festival.
Land Activities  Just two feet are all that's required in walkable Chemainus. Shops, restaurants, coffeeshops, the museum and theatre are in the New Town neighborhood, and it's a real treat to wander past Old Town's character homes. An open-air market dedicated to locally grown and made produce, crafts and art is held on Wednesday afternoons in summer. Summer Fest (formerly Chemainus Days) is the town's major warm-weather kick-off event in June.
Askew Creek, the Hermit Trail, and Eco Heights Forest are within town boundaries for those seeking a tree-shaded respite in nature. Golfers head for the 18-hole Mount Brenton Golf Course on the southern outskirts of town. Hike to the peaks of three nearby mountains – Poirier, Sicker and Maple – or opt for a variety of easy and moderate strolls in the region. Dogs roam free in off-leash areas at Chemainus Lake, Kin Beach and the Chemainus Ball Park.
Catch a ferry and circle past Thetis Island's galleries, B&Bs, and coffeeshops via car or bike. Cycling is also a mostly traffic-free pleasure on the rural backroads in the Crofton/Maple Bay/Herd Road area southeast of Chemainus. Best picnic spot in the region? Lots of choice, but locals often cite Crofton's Osborne Bay Park on the ocean facing Salt Spring Island.
Water Activities Sitting pretty on the edge of the Salish Sea, Chemainus is minutes from the Gulf Islands archipelago and its world-class sailing. The upgraded public marina at the foot of Oak Street has day-use moorage (two-hour maximum), showers and washrooms; check in with wharfinger Harmen Bootsma to reserve overnight stays. Restaurants and shops are within a block of the marina. The Chemainus Town Laundry (home to resident rabbit Pashmina Teapot) offers clean-and-fold services.
Scuba divers mingle with giant pacific octopus and wolf eels while exploring the cold waters off Kin Beach Park. A buoy marks the site of an artificial reef created by the 2006 sinking of a Canadian Airlines Boeing 737. Thetis Island divemaster Peter Luckham leads trips with 49th Parallel Dive Charters.
Swimmers head for Fuller Lake's lifeguard-patrolled public beach or dip in the Chemainus River's natural rock pools. Fish at Quamichan, Fuller, and Somenos lakes. Kayaks traverse Stuart Channel and Sansom Narrows while inflatables are used to explore the Cowichan River (an officially designated Canadian Heritage River) on eco-adventures run by Crofton-based Kindred Spirit Kayak Co.
Swans, Ducks & Birds of PreyBirdwatching is good at the Ducks Unlimited nesting grounds at the Chemainus River Estuary. Migratory swans can be spotted in the Richards Trail area south of town. Nearby is the remarkable Pacific Northwest Raptors (1877 Herd Road). The centre is home to dozens of injured and rehabilitated birds of prey (bald eagles, owls, hawks, falcons, turkey vultures), some of whom earn their keep during regularly scheduled flying demonstrations.
Where to BeginStop by the Visitor Centre (9796 Willow Street) across from Waterwheel Park for more information on things to do in Chemainus and regional maps.
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