Last Wednesday it was a beautiful spring day so I decided to go on a day trip to Nanaimo. From the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal in West Vancouver to the Departure Bay Ferry Terminal in Nanaimo the sailing takes one hour and forty minutes and travels 30 nautical miles across the Strait of Georgia.

From the Departure Bay Terminal you can take a city bus or cab into town or walk, as I decided to do, along the scenic Harbourfront Walkway. I walked from the ferry terminal along Highway 1 (Stewart Avenue) as far as Cypress Street, where I connected with the Harbourfront Walkway in front of the Waterfront Suites and Marina. I then followed the walkway alongside Newcastle Channel to Nanaimo Harbour, a distance of just over three kilometres. Here are some sights I saw along the way. (I am not an expert in the geography of Nanaimo, so any corrections are welcome!)

Click on photos to see a larger version.

Boats in Newcastle Channel

Canadian Coast Guard vessel under maintenance

Nanaimo Yacht Club

Colourful beach chairs overlooking Newcastle Channel

Getting closer to downtown along the Harbourfront Walkway

View of Newcastle and Protection Islands from Harbourfront Walkway

Maffeo Sutton Park

See part 2 for more photos from my walk.