Nanaimo

Halfway up Vancouver Island's east coast on the Strait of Georgia, Nanaimo pairs a working harbour and two BC Ferries terminals with a waterfront walkway, a university and some of the Island's most affordable city living.

The Old City Quarter and downtown core keep Nanaimo's harbour history alive around the Bastion and the Port Theatre, with the waterfront walkway running for miles along the water past marinas, parks and the Saturday market. From here, the Departure Bay ferry reaches Horseshoe Bay and the Duke Point terminal connects to Tsawwassen, making Nanaimo a genuine gateway to the mainland.

North of downtown, Departure Bay and Hammond Bay offer oceanfront and view homes along Island Highway 19A, with Pipers Lagoon Park a favourite for walking the point. Further north, North Nanaimo has grown into the city's busiest retail district around Woodgrove Centre, alongside newer family subdivisions in the surrounding area.

Vancouver Island University's main campus anchors the Harewood area, a more affordable, established part of the city popular with students and first time buyers, while Chase River to the south carries Nanaimo's coal mining history in its street names and older housing stock. With the Nanaimo Parkway bypassing the core, the city offers easy north-south Island access alongside some of the region's better value compared to Victoria.