BC Ferries — to get here from Vancouver by car, bicycle, or by foot, take a ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay or Tsawwassen to Duke Point. RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED for car travel (especially in the summer), but not always necessary. From Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) it’s about 1 hour 40 minutes.
Harbour Air — Flights from YVR, Downtown Vancouver, or other coastal locations to Nanaimo harbour. From Vancouver, it’s about 20 minutes.
BC Transit — Vancouver Island bus system (also rest of province outside of Metro Vancouver). Currently cash or pass only (credit card payments coming soon)
Parks! Check out Neck Point, Piper’s Lagoon, Saysutshun Island (requires taking a short walk-on ferry), Westwood Lake, Colliery Dam, Cable Bay Trail, Bowen Park, The Abyss Trail, Mt Benson (this is a good hike but be prepared!), and more. You can also use Nanaimo as your home-base as you travel up and down Vancouver Island (about 1.5 hrs north to Courtney or south to Victoria).