Vancouver Island is one of the few places on earth where you can get the best of everything! Most people dream of living in or retiring to an island paradise with warm weather and beautiful beaches but they don’t take into account the oppressive summer heat and the insects in such places. Vancouver Island gives its residents the mild weather and lovely beaches plus so much more; it is truly an affordable island paradise for people of all ages!
Vancouver Island is an impressive 300 miles long and 60 miles wide. You’ll find a diverse culture consisting of First Nations people, organic farmers, loggers, fishers, artists, business and professional people. The fresh ocean air and relaxed pace of everyday life doesn’t mean there aren’t modern amenities, far from it! You’ll find colleges and universities scattered across the island, symphonies that have hosted talent like Luciano Pavarotti, theatres that rival New York’s Broadway as well as museums, galleries and hundreds of parks and recreation areas.
You’ll find that the climate is very nearly ideal and just different enough to avoid boredom. The winters are mild and damp while summers are mild and dry, much like a Mediterranean climate but a bit cooler.
There is variety here, too. The west coast has high mountains cut by fjords and communities along the shores and in protected bays. The eastern plain has timber, farmlands, lakes, modern cities and villages. There are Douglas fir forests along the coast and rocky high ground with Garry oak forests. Residents enjoy gardening; there are flowers all year in the capitol, Victoria, and the island is also a year-round stop for ducks, geese, swans and other birds. You’ll find golf courses, world class fishing, hiking, biking, kayaking, water sports, tennis and any other activity you can think of. Because of the beauty of the island and all it has to offer, property prices in the large cities have appreciated rapidly. However, the outlying communities and villages are quite affordable for retirees and young couple just starting out or for someone who prefers to live frugally but well. You can live near the city with all its advantages while enjoying a quieter, more serene beauty closer to nature.
Victoria, the capitol, is home to about 750,000 people and has every amenity and opportunity a big city can offer along with dozens of parks and recreation areas. The South Island with its rugged and unforgiving coast has been called the Davy Jones Locker of the Pacific. Central Island is calm and beautiful with flowers everywhere. There are serene waterways like the Little Qualicum roaring whitewater rivers such as the Puntledge that empties into the strait; in late summer they teem with salmon. Qualicum Bay is rich with seafood and has some lovely beaches.
The Pacific Rim section has a million visitors a year to the Pacific Rim National Park, established in 1970. North Island is much as it was hundreds of years ago; it is home to Cape Scott Provincial Park, a wild and windy place with underground caverns and a great place to sea kayak.
In short, Vancouver Island is an affordable place to live with limitless business and employment opportunities and no lack of exciting activities.
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