When to Go

July and August are, not surprisingly, peak season on Vancouver Island. That's when the weather is fine, and all that hiking, camping, boating, and outdoor fun is at its best. September, with its quieter pace, harvest festivals, and lingering sunshine, may be the perfect time to visit. Increasingly, storm-watchers are flocking to Tofino and Ucluelet in winter to watch dramatic tempests pound the coast. April is also a prime month for the west coast: that's when 20,000 gray whales swim by on their way to Alaska and when the Pacific Rim Whale Festival welcomes visitors.