Qualicum Beach is located in the mid-coast of eastern Vancouver Island. With a population of almost 9000, Qualicum is a mix of artists and their studios, gardeners and garden centers, quaint shops and golf courses along with the great weather makes it a perfect place to retire. It has it all, beautiful beaches, wild rivers, astounding hiking opportunities, great wildlife viewing, and a town so pretty that the vision will stay with you forever.
Since the early 1800s, It has been a favourite beachfront getaway for visitors from all over the island, it’s only 30 minutes from Nanaimo and has always been a favourite place for weekend trips from that city.
The Visitor’s Center is located on the beachfront walking path at the foot of Memorial Drive. Maps, brochures, an accommodation booking service, and a warm greeting are offered freely. Plus the views from here are breathtaking.
The Qualicum Beach Museum has an incredible fossil collection, including a 70,000-year-old walrus skeleton excavated from a nearby beach, they call her Rambling Rosie.
Qualicum Beach is known as the Garden Village. The town has been a repeat winner in the Communities in Bloom competition. You can see why as you stroll through town. There are flowers and hanging baskets everywhere, and it is always so clean. It’s a beautiful little community.
Walk anywhere in Qualicum Beach and you will see the pride the residents hold for their town, they spend long hours creating their home gardens and the results are just awesome. On the outskirts of town, 2 km up the West Island Hwy, you will find the former estate of the Milners. The gardens here are absolutely incredible, so grand are they that the Canadian Geographic Traveler Magazine named the gardens 1 of the 10 top Canadian public gardens in Canada, 2008.
In mid-April, Qualicum Beach celebrates the migration of up to 20,000 Black Brant geese from California and Mexico to their breeding grounds in Alaska. Thousands of the black, duck size geese touch down on the beaches and marshlands surrounding Parksville and Qualicum to rest and feed on the algae, eel grasses, seaweeds, and herring roe. The migration is just beautiful to observe.