On a warm summer night there is nothing like boarding the Protection Island ferry to venture over to the Dinghy Dock Pub. North America’s only floating pub is situated on Protection Island in Nanaimo’s harbour. The Dinghy Dock is a favourite among locals and tourists, not only is their new menu full of delicious fresh [...]

Sunday, June 13th, 2010

The 11th Annual Edge to Edge Marathon, Half Marathon, and Relay offers a unique opportunity to accomplish your running goals in a world renowned location, well-known for the natural beauty it possesses. You will enjoy a “perfectly” natural route as it follows an undulating course through the [...]

First Time Visit to Tofino Lives Up to Hype -Postcard Perfect Long Beach Breathtaking
During our drive from Nanaimo to Tofino along the Pacific Rim Highway near the end of March, it could not have rained harder.
I hoped the torrential downpour wasn’t a sign of the weekend to come, but magically as we pulled into Tofino, [...]

Canwest News Service - February 24, 2010

Do we appreciate what we have in our own backyard?
I pose this question because just the other day I was sitting at Departure Bay Beach, just hanging out with a couple friends, when one of them said, “just look at how amazing it is here”. It made me wonder if everyone appreciates the magnificent natural [...]

The winter of 2010 has shaped up nicely. Only one real day of snow so far (although it was a doozy and then melted the next day) and not an overly annoying amount of rain… Temperatures have been really nice and all in all - shaping up for a great winter destination for tourists and [...]

Although winter in Nanaimo has been cold and wet this year, we at the Painted Turtle haven’t let the weather dampen our spirit!  Recently, we enjoyed a get-together at a local ice rink in Nanaimo, to try our hand at curling!

Here, Verena gets ready with a special pair of curling shoes.

A truly magical trip through an enchanting forest of old growth trees is what you will find when entering the trails at Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park. Just a 45-minute drive from Nanaimo, Cathedral Grove is situated 16km East of Port Alberni. This forest provides visitors with amazing sights of ancient Douglas-Fir trees- some [...]

For visitors to Vancouver Island coming across on the Horseshoe Bay ferry to Nanaimo, consider spending a great night in downtown Nanaimo. The Painted Turtle Guesthouse welcomes competitors and spectactors to spend a night before heading to Tofino. Clean, friendly and affordable accommodation for singles, groups and families.

Sunday, October 25th, 2009 - Saturday, October 31st, [...]

Super Natural Vancouver Island

There are many sites to see while hiking in Nanaimo, the hills are full of rolling evergreens and the views are stunningly amazing! Nanaimo has been named for one of the best spots for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. Come and see what all Nanaimo, British Columbia has to offer.

A few [...]