What is the difference between victoria and vancouver island

Summers are pleasantly warm but not too hot and the winters are mild. Victoria and Vancouver Island are extremely accessible. More than 50 flights from Vancouver and Seattle land daily at Victoria International Airport, in addition to many direct flights from major Canadian and U. For more information, check out Getting Here. Greater Victoria covers an area of The City of Victoria's population is 85, The Capital Region population is , The population of Vancouver Island is , There are 48 regional, provincial and federal parks in Greater Victoria, totaling more the 7, hectares 22, acres.

Vancouver Island is the largest island off the west coast of North America. Tucked against the mainland coast of British Columbia and the north shore of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula, Vancouver Island occupies an area about the size of Holland. The island stretches kilometres miles southeast to northwest with an area of 3,, hectares and 2, miles of coastline. It is separated from Vancouver, B.

Sound familiar? Read on for a quick start guide to beautiful Vancouver Island, British Columbia. There are affiliate links in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. It will really help with your trip planning. Finally, there is a huge island nowhere near any of the others mentioned Victoria Island.

Vancouver Island, along with the Lower Mainland area Vancouver and around has the mildest climate in Canada. The western side of Vancouver Island is exposed to winds, rains and storms coming directly off the Pacific Ocean. Most communities and attractions are on the more protected eastern coast. Spring and autumn are usually wonderfully mild , with sunny days c mixed in with rainy ones.

Vancouver Island is a great place to hike at low elevations in spring, despite the mud. Vancouver Island summers can be hot, hot, hot. Some years, it is wall to wall sunshine in July and August, with temperatures rising to c. The overall average is a little lower, around c. Snow is still often still present in the mountains until July. Winters on Vancouver Island are incredibly mild.

Snow falls at sea level maybe once or twice a season. The tradeoff, however, is plenty of rain. Victoria escapes the worst of the weather. If you want snow, simply head up into the mountains. Aside from the Victoria Island confusion, there are a few other misconceptions about Vancouver Island.

One is the size. This island is big , as demonstrated by the six-hour drive needed to drive from bottom to top. Consider this a quick guide to the highlights of Vancouver Island, from south to north. Juan de Fuca coast — Easily accessible coastline to the west of Victoria, interesting rockpool beaches, rainforest. Cowichan Valley — Wine, fresh produce and a long, narrow lake for recreational activities.

Parksville and Qualicum Beach — Two beach communities in the central Island area. Tofino and Ucluelet — Small communities on the wild, west coast where the rainforest meets the ocean. Sandy beaches, storm watching, surfing and more. Alpine, lake and valley scenery with hiking, climbing, paddling, camping.

Lesser visited, unique communities, interesting natural features karst landscape , beyond the beaten path. I keep hearing about people mentioning Victoria and Vancouver Island.

Are they the same place? And it had this old amazing hotel on it. Called the Fairmont Empress. I think we went by ferry. I would like to take my husband and show him when we visit in January. As a kid I remember it been so beautiful. Can anyone tell me if its called Victoria Island or Vancouver Island? Victoria is a city that is located on Vancouver Island. Victoria also happens to be the capital city of the province of British Columbia.

There are a few options for taking a ferry to Vancouver Island from Vancouver. If you would like to take the ferry that goes near Victoria you need to go to the dock in Tsawwassen and it will take you to Swartz Bay.

From there it is approx half an hour drive to Victoria. Just saw your question at the end of your post, asking what you can do on the island for the day. You would only be able to see some sites around Victoria. It is a huge island that would take a day just to drive from end to end. What kind of things do you like to do. It is going to be cold in January, possibly raining and maybe even a bit of snow.

The ferry ride from Vancouver is 1. So that is going to take up more than 4 hours alone. It is best to stay overnight in Victoria if you can to make it more enjoyable. Above is the map for driving to the ferry at Tsawwassen, taking the ferry over to Swartz Bay and then driving to Victoria. On the map, you will locate Nanaimo. That is a 2 hour drive from Victoria.

You would be able to compare spending a day on VI with a day on half of Tasmania which would be about the same size, different shape. Vancouver Island is a large island off the coast of British Columbia. It takes approximately 8 hours to drive from Victoria , which is in the south, to Port Hardy, in the north. At mid-island, you can drive across VI to the west coast - about a 3 hour drive.

As stated, Victoria is the capital of British Columbia, and the largest city on the island. There are, however, other much smaller cities and large and small towns. Here is a website that may help you -. A return trip to Victoria from Vancouver can be done in a very long day.