Nanaimo: Waterfront Walkways, Parks and Culture

When planning a stay in Nanaimo, you can focus on specific interests: waterfront walkways and parks, walking routes of different lengths, or cultural venues. The places described here differ in which of these questions they answer. This makes it easy to first decide whether to focus on time by the water, a route of a suitable length, or exhibitions and performing arts.

Waterfront Walkways and Parks

The Harbourfront Walkway is a multi-use path along the Newcastle Channel and the downtown waterfront. Maffeo Sutton Park, Nanaimo’s prominent waterfront park, is also located along the Harbour Front Walkway. This makes a waterfront path and a park along that path two distinct points of reference for a stay downtown. If you’d like to combine a walk with a visit to a park, these two names provide a specific guide to the waterfront area.

Walking Routes by Length and Character

At Neck Point, you’ll find a waterfront park considered a destination for Nanaimo and the region, and recognized as an ecologically sensitive area. Its approximately three kilometres of scenic trails include both level paths and stairs. So, in addition to the route length, the trail conditions are another specific point of difference. Saxer Park has almost one kilometre of walking trails; as trail conditions can change, it’s a good idea to check briefly before your visit. Westwood Lake Park offers a 5.51-kilometre trail around the lake. The routes mentioned therefore range from almost one kilometre at Saxer Park, to about three kilometres at Neck Point, to the 5.51-kilometre loop at Westwood Lake. If route length is your main consideration, Westwood Lake is the longest of these three options; at Neck Point, the mix of level paths and stairs is another factor to consider alongside the distance.

In Bowen Park, nature trails run alongside the Millstone River. Buttertubs Marsh is a protected area for birds and wildlife. If nature matters more to you than a specific route length, these places offer different focuses: nature trails along the river at one, and the protection of birds and wildlife at the other.

Activities by the Water

Loudon Park and Walkway is a year-round destination for swimming, paddling, walking and fishing. Unlike options focused solely on trails, this place offers several activities on the water. If you’d like to include one of these activities in your Nanaimo plans, the park offers a distinct focus alongside the walking routes described above.

Cultural Venues and Local History

The Nanaimo Museum’s permanent exhibitions cover the industries that shaped the city, First Nations history, and stories from the community. The topics thus range from industrial history to community stories. The Bastion is a landmark in Nanaimo and adds a specific location to the selection alongside the exhibition topics.

The Old Victoria Arts Centre (OV Arts Centre) in Nanaimo, British Columbia, is a bookable municipal performing arts venue and cultural centre. It offers affordable spaces for creative activities, entertainment and events. This gives the centre a different focus from the museum’s permanent exhibitions: here, event spaces and performing arts take centre stage, while the museum features exhibitions about the city’s industries, First Nations history and community stories. This way, you can choose cultural venues based on the topics that interest you in Nanaimo.

Discover more destinations: Parksville, Cassidy, Bowser, Nanoose Bay, Gabriola, Qualicum Beach

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