Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park

Nanaimo's rustic outdoor getaway (also known as Saysutshun in the indigenous language) offers 22km of hiking and biking trails, plus beaches and wildlife-spotting. Traditional Coast Salish land, it was the site of shipyards and coal mines before becoming a popular summer excursion for locals in the 1930s when a tea pavilion was added. Accessed by a 10-minute ferry hop from the harbor (adult/child return $8/5), the island has a seasonal eatery and regular First Nations dancing displays.