Nanaimo BC Real Estate Homes For Sale

Visitor Information on Nanaimo

Nanaimo is a vibrant urban centre found on the east side of beautiful Vancouver Island where an abundance of recreation and cultural opportunities exist giving residents a lifestyle second to none for living, working and playing.

Nanaimo is the main city on the east coast of Central Vancouver Island where BC Ferries arrive and depart to the BC Mainland and to some of the Gulf Islands. The region has become a popular destination with its waterfront district a major attraction including its 5 km (3 mi) Harbourside Walkway providing stunning views across the water. Boutiques and cafes, a concert area, kid’s activity zone and heritage attractions are along the route.

Nanaimo is world-famous for its decadent Nanaimo Bar and this dessert now has a tour named after it enabling you to sample the many delicious and creative interpretations of the Bar at the local cafes. If you are looking for outdoor adventure, some of the best scuba diving in North America can be found along the Nanaimo coastline, plus there are many trails, golf courses, boating and sailing opportunities.

Famous for its varied landscapes and more than two dozen parks, the city of Nanaimo boasts one of the prettiest waterfronts in Canada, conveniently located to serve as a home base for exploring Vancouver Island. Nanaimo is the only all-purpose port city on Vancouver Island, with every facility required to serve both the commercial and recreational needs of business and tourism.

History

The uneven shoreline, sheltered islands and sandy beaches of the east coast of Vancouver Island have been, for centuries, a place of beauty and plenty. Aboriginal people were the first to make this sheltered stretch of coastline their home. Eventually settling in what are today, Departure Bay and Nanaimo, the Snuneymuxw, a Coast Salish people, found food, fresh water, and winter shelter among the islands and inlets.

It was this wealth of natural resources that encouraged the migration of Europeans to this coast many years later. Animals harvested for furs, forests for timber and fish for food were just some of the treasures found here, but it was coal, the black fuel of the 19th century, that would forever mark the heritage of Nanaimo.

Today, the houses, commercial buildings, the city plan and the very shape of the land records the progress of a community that grew from a company coal town to a thriving port city.