Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, my girlfriend and I had been obediently staying at home the majority of the time. We’d only go out for groceries or to pickup takeout.

So, once the health authorities in British Columbia deemed it safe to travel locally, we jumped at the opportunity to explore somewhere new. With flying not being a realistic option this summer, it’s the perfect opportunity to explore our backyard. BC has so much to offer and it’s easy to take it for granted.

We checked out a few different places and landed on going to Vancouver Island for a long weekend.

It’s not too far from Vancouver either. Here’s how to get there:

Drive to Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal (40 minutes from downtown Vancouver)
Take the ferry to Swartz Bay (1 hour and 35 minutes)
Drive to our hotel (40 minutes)

Combined, it’s around three and a half hours of travel time. The ferry costs around $100 per person if you’re traveling with a car.

Villa Eyrie

Funnily enough, we happened upon this boutique hotel while browsing through Tik Tok. We were lucky to snag a room a few days before our departure. We were surprised they still had vacant rooms because, well, just look at the views from the room!

We didn’t realize that the Cowichan Valley was home to a number of wineries (the area recently became recognized as a BC wine region). It’s also home to a cidery, which we got to visit as well!

Merridale Cidery

We came here for a tasty lunch and ordered their ‘New World Cider’ flight, which gives you a variety of different ciders to sample.

Unsworth Vineyards

Practically next door to Merridale (it’s a two-minute drive down the road), Unsworth Vineyards is a family-owned and operated winery. We got to try five different wines for $5 each. Admittedly, neither of us are real wine connoisseurs, but once you try the wines one after another, the differences between them are more discernible. We ended up buying two of the wines we tried: Symphony (red) and Charme de l’Ile (white).

They packed our bottles in paper bags, and on them, there was a printed map of the Cowichan Valley wine region. It was at that moment that we realized we had stumbled upon a subregion of BC wines.

Enrico Winery

Thanks to our paper bag map, we discovered Enrico Winery. With an intimate tasting room, you feel like you’re drinking wine in a friend’s living room. For $10 each, we got to sample seven different wines. The best part? You get to keep the Enrico-branded wine glass at the end!

Damali Lavender & Winery

The next day, we visited yet another winery from our paper bag map. However, this time around we skipped the winery portion. On the same property, Damali has an expansive, beautiful lavender field. To my girlfriend’s delight, she was able to pick and cut her own lavender bunch for only $8.

Kinsol Trestle

Lavender in hand, we headed off to Kinsol Trestle. One of the tallest free-standing timber rail structures in the world, the Kinsol stands 44 metres above the Koksilah River. It’s a quick walk across and definitely a good picnic spot if you have a couple hours to spare.

Goldstream Provincial Park

Our final outdoor exploration of the day brought us to Goldstream Provincial Park. For the falls and the trestle, make sure to park on the right side of the highway. I’ve included the parking lot coordinates below:

48.4828035, -123.5511481

Niagara Falls

Although it doesn’t quite compare to its world-famous counterpart in Ontario, these Niagara Falls are still a sight to behold — dropping 47.5 metres into a rock canyon. That day, the canyon was particularly dry so we were able to walk pretty close to the base. In terms of payoff to effort ratio, it’s high as the walk from the parking lot will easily take less than five minutes.

Goldstream Trestle

Trekking upwards from the falls, we made our way to the Goldstream Trestle. Seen in countless Instagram posts, it’s a real Pacific Northwest classic. Unlike Kinsol, there are no guard rails on either side. Because of this, it’s technically forbidden to walk on it. However, we witnessed a handful of thrill seekers walking across and hanging out. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it if you’re acrophobic!

Alpina Restaurant

After returning to the hotel to shower and freshen up, we visited Villa Eyrie’s restaurant — Alpina. Situated at the highest point of the resort, you get to dine with incredible sunset views of the Saanich Inlet. We both enjoyed our meals and, under normal circumstances, you’d likely be treated to live music as there was a piano beside our table. Overall still a great experience!

Cowichan Valley: The Ideal Island Getaway

We can’t recommend this underrated area enough. It was the perfect mix of equal parts relaxation and exploration. If you’re looking for a quick weekend getaway from Vancouver, look no further than this gem!

Weekend Getaway on Vancouver Island