this is one of the best marinas I've stayed at, such a good environment, staff are great, facility…read moreis outstanding, such a great experience all around. The docks are so new.

Best marina I've ever been to. The staff is incredible - Carter is the hardest worker out there!…read moreFish tables - SO clean. Docks are super new and also SO clean! The amenities are great, they have showers, laundry, gas, and even ice cream in the summer! Definitely add Fairwinds Marina to your next trip!

We loved our time with Coastal Expression! We rented 2 single kayaks for 3 hours each. The shop…read moreis run by the friendliest husband and wife team and a kind, helpful, small staff. They gave us great recommendations to help us make the most of our rental time, and as a result we saw the rare white raccoon, lounging seals, and stunning coastline, all via cold, clean waters around charming Nanaimo. After returning, Richard (with the kindest blue eyes and friendly smile) shared a little history of the coastline and wildlife and helpfully gave us a few post-kayak lunch recommendations. I would return again and again if I could.

Stuck with a parking ticket outside their facility. We had a…read morefantastic kayaking experience and the staff were very friendly. My only fault is that we had to pay a parking fine at the end. We were told that parking tickets would be handled by coastal expressions but they failed to tell us that this only covered certain areas of the car park and they would not pay the fine. This dampened the experience for me. If you drive there, make sure you clarify where you can park!

A beautiful park with great views and the dirtiest washrooms--floors have tons of dirt around the…read moreedges (and everywhere else). Showers grubby.

Such a beautiful place...magical really. That's why it's so heartbreaking to see it so poorly…read moremaintained and run. No toilet paper, no hand soap, only cold showers, garbage all over the grounds, people camping off site under trees, no accountability for partiers, dirtiest bathroom imaginable (including garbage everywhere and raccoon poop), dirty underwear at our campsite and on the beach. Just so sad! I picture it how it COULD be and sadly, it is being trashed.

Xcellent customer service!!!! They brought the paddle board to our Vrbo rental AND picked them up…read morewhen we were done. VERY fair prices as well. Will definitely use them again.

Great place to rent SUP and kayaks for a little tour around Nanoose Bay! Owners (super nice couple)…read morewere very accommodating of our group and were very flexible in the face of some not ideal weather conditions (water was a little rough). Took care of all our needs to ensure we had a good time. Would definitely rent from them again if we're back in the area!

This park is fairly close to downtown Nanaimo with its charming restaurants and bookstores and home…read moreto a beautiful waterfall. They gave a map of the area in the visitor center as the other reviewer kindly noted it had a duck pond, fountains, and a waterfall. On the snowy day that we were there we also noticed many sledding and a few intrepid photographers hoping to capture the perfect shot. The waterfall isn't tall but perfect in its nature setting and made our youngest quite happy to see its beauty.

Bowen park is a long park with the entrances mainly on Bowen. The park has a creek running through…read moreit as well as several ponds. The park is great for trail running or just walking around or taking photos. Through out the park has many informational landmarks about nanaimo.

Cute little park. My friend wanted to visit here while we were staying in Victoria, so we made the…read moretrek and discovered it's much smaller than they thought, but we still enjoyed it. There are different trails, and the water's calm.

Cool place to visit! Lots of walking trails, rock formations, low tide allows walking to the…read morefurthest rock formation. Decent amount of parking available. Logs wash up onto the shore and provide habitation for insects and small animals.

This is a beach full of rocks, driftwood and a path that goes way out to B. Monahan Point…read more Small parking lot that holds about 20 vehicles. Dogs allowed while on leash. No services.

Locals will know about this place …read more I'm not a local but I know of it from my past youthful days of surf sailing here. It hasn't changed much since then. Rocky beach with a sharp drop off, so be careful. The lagoon will drain at low tide but will fill in again when the tide changes. If you're lucky, you may be able to catch a wave when the ferries come and go from Departure Bay. Idyllic spot for relaxing and a bit of climbing if you wish. I need to visit again.

This is a water access only marine park, over looking Georgia Strait towards Vancouver located on…read morethe edge of Porlier Pass.. A few camp sites for the boaters and a nice sandy beach if you can get to it..