Parksville is a definitive British Columbia summer town with lots of villas just a half-hour drive north of Nanaimo's ferry terminals. The beaches here on the south-central coast of eastern Vancouver Island are the stuff of a California dream vacation. However, there is a difference: Parksville's postcard crescents of golden, hard-packed sand beaches are smoother, broader and caressed by gentle Pacific rollers, not pounding surf.
While summer by the sea is a major lure here, Parksville is a four-season outdoor destination. Golf, hiking, and mountain biking enthusiasts are well served here. This area is notable for its pristine watersheds, deep lakes, extensive parkland, forested tracks.