The Old Island Highway, also known as the Oceanside Route, runs parallel to the Island’s eastern shores and features fantastic views of the Salish Sea. This scenic route crosses Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Lighthouse Country, Royston, Courtenay, Comox, Black Creek, and Campbell River.
If you are trying to search for this highway on Google Maps, you will use Highway 19A. Although it's a much slower way to travel, it's a more scenic alternative to Highway 19 between Parksville and Campbell River.
This article highlights our top picks of what to see and do along the way. You should be able to find a little something that everyone in your vehicle, young and old, will enjoy.
Consider it a perfect family road trip along the Oceanside Route of Vancouver Island!
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Parksville – Where the Oceanside Route Begins
Parksville is where you'll want to head to the beach!
At low tide, Rathtrevor Beach stretches nearly a kilometre out into the Strait of Georgia. This makes it the best beach for young children still learning to swim and the perfect location to build sandcastles.
Whether you are there for the sand and sun or to wander along the beachside forested trail, a stop here is always worth it.
Speaking of sandcastles, if you visit Parksville during the summer (mid-July to mid-August), head to the Parksville Community Park. Each year, this is where the world-renowned Sand Sculpting Competition takes place. It is a fabulous event that attracts thousands of people from all over the world.
This beloved community park is also home to a huge playground, water park, picnic tables and shelter, skateboard park, tennis courts, outdoor exercise equipment, and more! It's a fantastic spot for the kids to let off some steam.
There's also a wonderful boardwalk that runs along the ocean, perfect for getting out and stretching your legs.
Mini-Golfing
Parksville has two great mini-golf courses for a bit of extra fun.
Riptide Lagoon, located just across the street from Rathtrevor Beach, offers two courses, laser tag, bumper cars, an arcade room, and an ice cream and snack shop. Paradise Fun Park, located near the Community Beach, offers two 18-hole courses, water bumper boats, a game pavilion, a sweet shack, an ice cream shop, a motel, and an RV park.
Both mini-golf locations are open from March until late October.
Farm Fresh
Head to Little Qualicum Cheeseworks (located in Parksville, not Qualicum) for a delightful farm experience. This family-operated artisan cheese producer is renowned for its high-quality products. Visitors can explore the farm, interact with the animals, witness the cheese-making process, and enjoy tastings.
Go-Karting
Fast Time Amusements is an outdoor go-karting and family activity park. Children as young as eight can ride as passengers, while kids nine and older can drive specially designed junior karts. Adults have access to full-size karts for a more thrilling ride.
There's also laser tag, a batting cage, archery tag, and axe-throwing. This activity park is designed to be safe and enjoyable for families, making it a great outing for all ages.
Stay
My top hotel choice in Parksville is the Beach Club Resort. It is a perfect landing pad to explore the area and the Oceanside Route, plus it's also situated right on the Community Beach! The suites are spacious and well-appointed, ranging from studios with kitchenettes to one and two-bedroom options that include full kitchens, in-suite laundry, fireplaces, and ample room for cribs or cots. It’s the kind of place that makes longer stays easy and enjoyable.
If ocean views are what you are after, this top-notch resort is for you. Plus, readers of Vancouver Island View also receive an exclusive discount using my special link!
Eat
Why not take in the expansive ocean views while dining at a top-notch restaurant? Fortunately, Parksville offers some excellent options. Here are a few of my favourites:
Qualicum Beach
Beautiful Natural Gardens
Milner Gardens is the perfect spot to stretch your legs along the Oceanside Route and an excellent place for the kids to run and explore.
This seaside garden in Qualicum Beach offers 70 acres of unspoiled natural beauty. Stroll through the winding pathways lined with old Douglas Firs, or meander through 10 acres of woodland gardens filled with rhododendrons and trilliums. End your exploration with Afternoon Tea at the Historic Milner House while enjoying the panoramic ocean views.
Food with a View
Qualicum Beach (the actual beach) is a great place to stop along the way. You can enjoy the magnificent ocean views while enjoying a delicious treat from the Shore Restaurant. This seaside restaurant has a great patio, is licensed, offers delicious food and beverages (cold and hot), and sells ice cream, too.
Insider tip: try their fish tacos and/or the Dole Whip cone!
Another great waterfront dining option is at the Shady Rest. Opened in 1924, this casual waterfront fixture offers a seafood-centric pub menu and a great patio with spectacular ocean views. Make sure to try the clam chowder and the deep-fried pickles! (My mouth is watering as I am typing this.)
Quaint Shops
At the Oceanside Route roundabout in Qualicum, head up the hill into the town of Qualicum Beach. The quaint shops along 2nd Avenue are among my favourites on the island. There are too many gems to list them all, but make sure not to miss Alcove Homegrown Living, SeaBreeze Gifts and the Qualicum Toy Shop.
There are also several excellent restaurants along this stretch, as well as Memorial Avenue. For a delicious bite and a great cup of coffee, try Courtyard Coffee. I highly recommend sitting in their beautiful outdoor area if you have the time.
Lighthouse Country
Great Trails
The villages of Qualicum Bay, Bowser, and Deep Bay are within the coastal community of Lighthouse Country. The area offers miles of shoreline on the Strait of Georgia, numerous beaches for swimming or sightseeing, and some great walking and hiking trails.
A few of my favourite trails in the area are Rosewall Creek Falls and the Lighthouse Trail.
Rosewall Creek Falls is a more strenuous hike that requires at least a few hours of your time, but it's a spectacular sight. For a shorter walk, choose the beautiful Lighthouse Trail, which, funny enough, has nothing to do with lighthouses.
A Market Experience
The Salish Sea Market is a beautiful shop in the heart of Bowser. It's a go-to destination for experiencing the art and culture of the Salish Sea. Inside the shop, you can find a diverse collection of crafts and wares from over 195 local artists. The displays are refreshed daily, and the shop is open year-round, Tuesday through Saturday.
Deep Bay Marine Field Centre
This unique green research facility has been designed to host various public education activities. You can take a guided or self-guided tour around the facility while viewing various local species in the aquariums and touch tanks. While you are there, research scientists are hard at work in their labs, which you can view from the mezzanine. You can also explore the wetland habitat adjacent to the station.
Important Information: If you expect an aquarium experience like those found in many larger cities worldwide, you will be disappointed. This is a research station, first and foremost. Tours are only available from May to the end of August.
Royston
Royston is a small, charming seaside community located just south of Courtenay in the Comox Valley.
Restaurant and Spa
If you follow all the recommended stops along the Oceanside Route, you probably feel a bit peckish by now. We suggest heading to the King Fisher Resort. The on-site restaurant offers delectable delights, and you can enjoy incredible views and beautiful surroundings. Make sure to wander around the beautiful garden.
And, of course, if you planned ahead, a spa treatment while there would be a fantastic bonus to your trek! (We recommend the Hydropath for a truly unique experience.)
Seaside Trail
Just down the way, at the end of Hilton Rd., there is a great trail. Royston Seaside Trail offers a picnic area and shelter, a viewing platform, and an accessible path for those with mobility issues.
Check out the shipwrecks (viewable from the beach at the end of Hilton Road). Starting in the late 1930s and over several decades, 14 ships that had been twice retired were drilled full of holes and strategically sunk to create a lovely rusting breakwater in Comox Harbour.
Tip: For best viewing, these are most visible at low tide.
Courtenay / Comox
Courtenay and Comox, nestled in the heart of the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, are two distinct communities offering abundant natural beauty, a rich history, and a thriving arts scene. Despite being close neighbours, they each have their own charm and appeal, making the region an excellent destination for both tourists and locals.
Courtenay, the larger of the two, serves as the commercial hub of the Comox Valley. It’s known for its lively downtown, which features an eclectic mix of boutiques, art galleries, cafes, and restaurants.
Dinosaur Fun!
The Courtenay and District Museum and Paleontology Centre is open year-round and provides fossil tours. Known for its late Cretaceous marine fossils, including the 13-metre-long elasmosaur and a new species of mosasaur, the museum welcomes visitors from around the world.
Fine Dining
Head to Locals at the Old House for a fine dining experience (no need for a suit and tie). Whether you are craving wild seafood, farmed meats and vegetables, or house-made pasta and sauces, Locals will surely please your palate with something for everyone. They even have gluten-free and vegan options.
The restaurant is in a beautiful shingled house with wood floors and exposed beams, and offers a patio overlooking the river.
Once you have finished your meal, walk down the Riverside Path for even more beautiful views.
40 Knots Winery
For samples of delicious wine and opportunities for a guided or self-guided vineyard tour, head to 40 Knots Winery. Grown with traditional farming methods and green tourism practices, 40 Knots produces fruit-forward, elegant, vegan and gluten-free wines. With no chemicals or unnatural preservatives used anywhere on the vineyard or during production, the wines are a full step above what is considered organic in the industry.
Enjoy a self-guided, interpretative 20-minute walk through the kid-friendly vineyard. Or, take a guided tour as you sip and savour wines produced from the same vines you are walking through.
Grand Nature Park
The spacious Seal Bay Nature Park features forested trails with wildlife and waterfront areas perfect for bird and sea life viewing. The park is one and a half times the size of Stanley Park in Vancouver, protecting 642 hectares (1,585.6 acres) of biodiversity and treasured wildlife habitat.
It is accessed off of Bates Road.
Black Creek
Black Creek is a small, rural community located between Courtenay and Campbell River on Vancouver Island, about a 20-minute drive north of Comox.
Coastal Black
Coastal Black is an award-winning estate fruit winery and cidery. They have a beautiful tasting room, plus many incredible events throughout the year. In October, you will find the much-loved Pumpkin Fest, during the spring, the Tulip Festival, and in late August, the Sunflower Festival.
Oceanside Camping
Few locations can beat Miracle Beach Provincial Park as a family holiday destination. The park offers a vast sandy beach, spacious private campsites, a playground for the kids, a large picnic area overlooking the water, and a series of beautiful trails winding through lush forest. At low tide, the beach features rich tide pools, perfect for observing various marine life.
Speedway Thrills
Saratoga Speedway is a family entertainment facility offering go-karts and monster truck rides for all ages. Take a ride around the 3/8-mile oval track, where the champions race.
Children 7 years and older ride on their own. Under seven, ride for FREE when accompanied by an adult. The Speedway is open daily from noon to 4:00 pm for go-kart and monster truck rides.
If you visit on the weekend, watch the professionals race around the track. You might see Monster Trucks, Crash to Pass, Mad Max Extreme Racing, Hornet B Cars, Figure 8 cars, and more, depending on the schedule. It happens rain or shine, so bring an umbrella and some earplugs and settle in for a fun evening.
Campbell River
You have arrived at your final destination! Surrounded by a spectacular seaside setting, Campbell River offers a variety of interesting places to visit and explore.
A few notable highlights are:
- Fishing Pier – Canada’s first saltwater fishing pier is next to the Government Wharf. It extends 150 feet from the shore and is 600 feet long. (655 Inland Hwy).
- Discovery Passage Aquarium – Located next to the Campbell River Fishing Pier, this small aquarium offers opportunities to see, touch and explore.
- Museum (470 Island Highway at 5th Avenue). This museum has several great features. There's a theatre room showing film footage of the legendary explosion of “Ripple Rock,” an interactive exhibit showcasing First Nation culture, a logging steam donkey, a logger’s cabin, and a replica of Willow’s Hotel.
Why you should go
Exploring this route immerses you in Vancouver Island's eastern coastline and the natural and cultural richness the towns provide. The Oceanside Route is a memorable journey for any traveller. It's one of my favourite scenic drives on Vancouver Island.
For those unfamiliar with the area, we've provided a handy map.
Book Your Stay at the Beach Club Resort and Save
The Beach Club is a beautiful resort in Parksville, offering guest rooms and suites with private balconies and indulgent soaking tubs. It offers top-tier amenities, including an indoor pool, hot tub, gym, and spa, ensuring a perfect balance of relaxation and luxury during your stay. Make sure to splurge and book an oceanfront room.
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Thank you for your wonderful articles Kim – always a delight. Although I live in Australia, I have been greatly blessed to experience many visits to Vancouver Island over the past 10 years, cat-sitting :-). One of my favourite areas is Comox – it’s Marina offers a great spot to walk to the end of the (partly covered) pier and, you may even see some marine life (sea otters and seals) in addition to the magnificent Bald Eagle. Overlooking the Marina is the Blackfin Pub which has a welcoming ambience and delicious food. Comox is also well situated for short drives to reach fabulous walks such as Paradise Meadows, Big Qualicum Fish Hatchery and Little Qualicum Falls amongst others. Keep up the good “work” 🙂 Blessings, Valerie
Thank you, Valerie, for your kind words! And thank you for the great tips about Comox.
Hi Kim thanks, like the new web page up dates. Just want to let you know about another fine dining in Nanaimo. It’s called “ the view “. I was surprised not to see that on your list. I have eaten there a few times and have enjoyed their food. Also, know any great fly fishing spots?
Regards, Angie
Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens–low key (except on art festivals) but beautiful just to wander about.
I’ve actually never heard of that one. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks!
Are there places to stay at the far end you’d recommend?
I’ve updated the article to include hotel recommendations (at the bottom of the post). However, my favourite in the Campbell River area is Painters Lodge. In the Courtenay area, it would have to be King Fisher Resort.