The Complete Cowichan Guide

I’ve lived in Vancouver my whole life and in December, I visited Cowichan for the first time. Yes I’ve visited the island many times, raced in Duncan (my life was spent at the track, no sightseeing lol) and have driven through this region but have yet to explore it.

After spending a few days there, I can now say that it should be in anyone’s radar. There’s still so much we didn’t see, and I really now want to do the trip to Port Renfrew. In Cowichan alone, there are 800+ farms, 14 wineries, 2 craft distilleries, 2 cideries and 3 craft breweries. So you could literally eat and drink your way around for a weekend!

Only a quick ferry ride or in our case, a 20 min Helijet to Nanaimo. From there it takes 20 minutes to drive to the quaint, historic town of Ladysmith. Where you HAVE to stop at Old Town Bakery and grab a cinnamon bun.

But to be honest, you can’t go wrong with any baked good choice you make here, but Curtis and I went for a classic Cinnamon bun and the Blackberry one. There were at least 10 flavour options, the cinnamon bun here is the new donut spot!

LadySmith is an old mining town, rich with history. Now it’s quirky, with a lively artist community. We were lucky to have been taken on a little tour of the artist gallery and meeting John Marston, a Coast Salish Carver. He showed us his studio down below. To see his space, his carvings in progress and to meet such a humble, talented artist was such a privilege.

The Island Raptors centre is a must. We were so excited to visit this non-profit centre where they rehabilitate and care for many birds of prey. From owls to bald eagles to giant storks named Gaston.

It was incredible to hold these birds in your arm, to take a walk with a hawk and have them grab food from your hand in a blink of an eye. We can only be so lucky to experience these things.

You are surrounded by beautiful landscapes from coast to coast in Cowichan. We managed to walk the Kinsol Trestle and visit a few beach communities, but I would love to do one of the hikes in the future.

Cowichan takes it’s name from Quw’utsun’, an Indigenous word that means The Warm Land. It’s also Canada’s only maritime Mediterranean climatic zone so that means the temperatures stay pretty mild all-year round. No polar vortexes here!

And let’s talk about the food! There’s no shortage of delicious, locally grown produce, meat, seafood and alcoholic beverages in Cowichan. We did not eat a bad meal the whole few days we visited. If you are a foodie and want to plan a trip centered around food to Vancouver Island, definitely put Cowichan on that list.

The people in Cowichan are the friendliest, accomodating and are aware they live in a beautiful spot in Canada. We had the best time, and look forward to visiting it again in the future!

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Find Out The Complete Cowichan Guide Below!

Where to stay

Cowichan River Lodge

We stayed at the Cowichan River Lodge located right on the river bed. It’s surrounded by beautiful landscapes, Mountain View’s, bald eagles, river otters and the friendly neighborhood bear. Deer were spotted each time we drove to and from the lodge, so neat!
It’s cozy, there’s a huge fireplace to drink a beverage in front of, delicious food is served up from their kitchen and the you can even book your wedding there. The couple who are the new owners are lovely and really make you feel at home. We left relaxed after our two nights there.

Another popular reason to stay here is you are close as you can be to the river to fish. Apparently there’s most salmon in the Cowichan river then the Fraser. They do offer a variety of fishing packages, weddings, and adventures such as drift boating, whale and nature watching, motorsport and performance driving packages and wilderness relaxation retreats.

Moon Water Lodge

Go to sleep with amazing views, wake up to an amazing view. Situated right on top of the Malahat Highway, Moon Water Lodge offers every guest a spectacular view from their room and even their bed.

Also each suite has a large jacuzzi tub to relax in! There’s also a tasty restaurant next door, also with the same stunning views.

Where to Eat

Jakes at the Lake

A casual eatery serving up delicious fare on Lake Cowichan. Curtis enjoyed their scrumptious chicken and waffle burger. Overall, solid pub food with a great beer selection.

Merridale Cidery & Distillery

Merridale, the oldest craft cidery in BC, is known for their artisanal, made-on-the-premises ciders (I’ve been buying theirs from my local beer store) and more recently, spirits. Fun fact, they were one of the first estate winery licenses obtained on Vancouver Island.
There’s something to do on the property always. They host movie nights, holiday parties, weddings, special dinners, and you can even stay on a yurt on the property. Janet, the owner along with her husband Rick, are very passionate about supporting local businesses, fellow cideries, providing as much farm-to-table as they can and sustainability is visibly clear when you visit the farm. I love that they are literally orchard-to-glass!

Their products are made from 100% Undiluted Apple Juice that is grown and produced at their lovely Cobble Hill farm. They are family ran business with a passionate team of employees who genuinely love being at work.

Old Town Bakery

We came to Old Town Bakery for the cinnamon buns, and came back for those cinnamon buns. But everything they offer up is baked fresh in house, gluten free options and they opened up a restaurant across the street that is a 100% gluten and peanut free menu.

The Old Fork Restaurant

A casual eatery in Duncan, we both enjoyed juicy burgers and sipping a local beer.

Rock Cod Cafe

Fresh seafood right from the boat? Yes, please! There’s nothing glamourous about this quiant spot, but you can see why locals love it. Serving up classics like fish and chips, and daily specials of the fresh catch of the day. It was also featured on Food Network’s “You Gotta Eat Here” and are passionately committed to sustainability through partnership with the Ocean Wise stewardship program.

What to Do

Walk the Famous Kinsol Trestle

The 144-foot high Kinsol Trestle that spans the Koksilah River just north of Shawnigan Lake. Completed in 1920 and named for the short-lived “King Solomon Mine,” it is an impressive engineering feat even by today’s standards and remains one of the loftiest wooden railway trestles in the world.
It’s a short walk from a parking lot and well worth it rain or shine! We went on a rainy day, slightly foggy and it was still a beautiful sight to see.

Do a Self-guided Winery Tour

With so many wineries, distilleries, breweries and cideries in this area, you must at least stop at a couple on your stay. We recommend Averill Creek Vineyard, Blue Grouse Vineyard, Merridale Cidery (of course!), Unsworth Vineyards and Emandare.

And do go home with the well-known Charme De L’lle, a Prosecco-style sparkling wine produced in the classic Charmat Method. It’s produced at most wineries in the area, being their regional sparkling wine.

Meet Local Artists

Visit Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery and discover local artists who create their art in-house and also sell it in the on-site gallery. It was built in 1943 as part of the mining industry and has since been converted into the gallery and artist studios.

Cowichan itself, has an abundance of artisans, you can find more listed here.

Go For a Hike

There are an abundance of trails around Cowichan. A few were suggested to us, and I took note for a return trip.

• Mt Tzouhalem Viewpoint Trail
• Maple Mountain Coastal Trail
• Stocking Creek Waterfall Trail
• Chemainus Lake Loop
• Stoney Hill Trail

Take a Hot Lap Around the Track

Stop in at Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit and take a hot lap around the track. You can even dine with views of the track. I enjoyed a delicious ahi tuna sandwich!

This was a another highlight for myself, having raced in my past, and love the thrill of speed! This is by the way, Canada’s only year-round motorsport facility.

Discover How Much You Love Birds of Prey!

The Raptors Centre is a must do when you visit Cowichan. You can learn all about the bird of prey located at this non-profit.

Meet the birds (Elton, the Spectacle Owl and I hit it off), take a walk with hawk and have them eat out of your hand (or really swoop down and grab it), watch a bird show and meet Gaston a large Marabou Stork and leave with a happy heart.

Go for a Dip in the River or Lakes

In the summer months, plunge into the many lakes in the area or Cowichan River. There’s also tons of shore along the area too, with public beaches to use.

Drive to Port Renfrew

This was suggested many a time when we were in Cowichan. Apparently it’s only an hour away from Lake Cowichan and a very, VERY scenic drive with a rewarding view at the end of the Pacific Ocean. This is on our must-do when we return!

Stroll Around Downtown Duncan

Visit the local boutiques, grab a coffee and brunch at Duncan Garage Cafe. Highly recommended by all the locals!

Visit Cowichan Bay

A quaint fishing village that is now acting on sustainable fishing. There’s small boutiques, seafood restaurants, a bakery and many other small places to stop in.

Discover Natural Perfumes at Wild Coast Perfumery

This all natural, artisan perfumery in Cowichan Bay. It’s a beautiful little space, adorned by her many fragrances all made in shop. Each of her fragrances incorporate a wild element harvested from Vancouver Island to create authentically local, gorgeous niche fragrances without the use of synthetics or chemicals!

I was kindly gifted a Salt Spring Island eau de parfum spray and love it!

Tube Down the Cowichan River

Only do this in the sunnier months! It’s supposed to be super fun, according to some locals, who were telling us to come back in the Summer season.

How to Get Here

BC Ferries

Take the ferry from either Tsawwassen or Horseshoe Bay, you can go to Victoria or Nanaimo and drive over. It’s a quick drive from either city, and both provide a scenic route. This is the longer route of course, I think the ferry ride is just over an hour both routes.

Helijet

This is an easy 20 minute flight into Nanaimo from downtown Vancouver, where you can rent a car and drive down. You can leave from either YVR or Downtown Vancouver. I love the perks of flying Helijet, with free food and drinks (including alcohol), and the friendliest service.

Taking Helijet or Harbour Air (mentioned below) provides you with great views of Vancouver to Vancouver Island.

Harbour Air

Quick flight into Nanaimo and again, you can rent a car to drive around. You can leave from either YVR or Downtown Vancouver.

Kenmore Air will also fly you from Seattle to Victoria where you can drive up. How easy is that for our neighbours in the south?!

When to Go

Luckily we live in a pretty mild climate, so you can visit Vancouver Island and the Cowichan area all-year round! It’s not just for the summer months, there’s so much to do in any season! Thankfully we live in the California of Canada, so our winters are generally mild and most outdoor activities can be done during the colder months too.

Thank you to Tourism Cowichan, Destination BC and Tourism Vancouver Island for hosting us! All adventures, memories and happy smiles at owls are of my own.