Comox Things To Do
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 Drawing on an astounding mosaic of ocean, forests, farmlands and mountains, the town of Comox staggers with things to do. Topping the list are beaches & swimming, fishing, ocean kayaking, hiking, biking, diving, golf, a walking tour, a driving tour and the Comox Air Force Museum.
Water Activities
Beaches and SwimmingThe blissful beaches of the Comox Valley are possibly the best on Vancouver Island. Safe and clean, they invite a catalogue of water sports including swimming, wakeboarding, kite-surfing, waterskiing, windsurfing, snorkelling and even beach fishing for wild salmon. The golden beach at Goose Spit Regional Park, sweeping like a sword into Comox Harbour, is the place to catch a panoramic sunset and take a midnight walk under a full moon.
FishingVisitors can buy salmon and halibut straight off the boat at Fisherman's Wharf. But it's an essential BC experience to land a whopper in the richest fishing grounds on Canada's west coast. The coast, happily, is sheltered. Hullo, unruffled fishing. Bye, bye, swell and bounce. Trophy-size Spring or Chinook salmon and fighting Coho salmon await. Fishing is a year-round prospect. Visitors can hire a fishing charter or toss a line from shore. Black bears, bald eagles and sea otters look on.
Ocean Kayaking The placid waters of Baynes Sound are music to the ears of newbie kayakers The bays around Denman and Hornby Islands prove excellent for viewing sea lions and birds. The rush of local rivers pumps adrenalin. Comox promises the paddling of a lifetime.
DivingThe great Jacques Cousteau named the ocean near Comox "the second best cold water diving destination in the world." This high praise is borne out by constant seasonal water temperatures, steamship wrecks, and a richness of marine life including Stellar and California sea lions, giant Pacific octopi, cloud sponges, wolf eels and the famously elusive six-gill sharks.
Land Activities
Hiking The ultimate Comox hike - for seasoned hikers only - is the Comox Glacier Trail in Strathcona Provincial Park. The glacier looms flat-topped over the Comox Valley like a headless giant. Hikers and mountaineers have been meeting its challenge since 1913. Those who prefer gentler, easier hikes have a hundred choices, all with scenic views.
BikingThe Comox Valley offers five distinct areas of mountain biking trails for all levels of riders, including year-round trails near Comox Lake and along the Puntledge River. Stunning scenery, wildlife and unpredictability combine to enthral peddlers.
GolfThe varied landscape provides picture-postcard backdrops for nine courses in and around the Comox Valley. Six are year-round. All boast gorgeous mountain views. The town of Comox is a golf hub with four courses nearby, from the nine-hole Comox Golf Club to the opulent Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community. Crown Isle boasts a championship 18-hole, Par 72 course, views of the Beaufort mountains, 11 lakes and a clubhouse with a Classic Car Museum, two restaurants and an indoor waterfall. Whew.
Skiing and SnowboardingVancouver 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/24.85mi of scenic trails await.
Walking and Driving ToursThe Comox Valley Visitor Centre offers free brochures for the self-guided Town of Comox Heritage Walk and Comox Valley Heritage Experience Driving Tour. The walk spans history, culture and downtown charm. The drive transports travellers from the Comox Marina to the marshes of Seal Bay Regional Nature Park.
Farms & OrchardsRoasted in sunshine, the Comox Valley embraces orchards, nurseries, dairy farms, berry farms and fare from garlic and hazelnuts to bison steaks. Take a farm tour, pick your own fruit and chat up the growers.
MuseumsThe Comox Air Force Museum salutes the history of the Canadian Forces Air Command and aviation on Canada's west coast. The Heritage Air Park showcases 19 historic war planes including the de Havilland Vampire and McDonnell Voodoo. And in the Heritage Hanger, the Museum is restoring a Y2K Spitfire, the fighter plane that defeated Hitler's Luftwaffe in WWII.
For more information on things to do in and around Comox, contact the Visitor Centre.
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