Vancouver Island What Is Known For

For more than a century the town of Campbell River has earned its reputation as the "Salmon Capital of the World." Fish for chinook (king) salmon year-round, and if you catch one weighing more than 30 pounds (using traditional gear and following some strict rules), you may gain membership in the famed Tyee Club, based here for 76 years.

The West Coast Trail is a majestic but grueling 45-mile hike for the very experienced only. For a dilly of a day hike, hit East Sooke's Coast Trail to Iron Mine Bay; it's rough (figure on about six hours for the six-mile trek), traversing windswept ocean bluffs and a rain forest wilderness.

A perfect day in Victoria starts by tracing the province's natural history at the Royal British Columbia Museum. A short walk will take you to Dalles Road, where a path along the seacliffs offers a view across the water to the snowy peaks of Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Head back to the harbor for a Victoria tradition – afternoon tea at The Empress. Explore the city's Chinatown (Canada's oldest), then dine harborside while gazing at the light-bedecked Parliament Buildings.