British Columbia

The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains region, sitting in the southwest corner of mainland British Columbia, is home to the province’s biggest city of Vancouver, as well as perhaps its best-known resort of Whistler. This region is also rich in scenery, offering some of BC’s best road trips. The Sea-to-Sky Highway, for example, winds past waterfalls, historic sites, and the adventure-sports town of Squamish on its way to Whistler. Don’t miss taking a glimpse of The Fraser River, which surges through a dramatic canyon before flowing past the wineries and organic farms of the Fraser Valley. The Sunshine Coast is a quick ferry journey from Horseshoe Bay, which sits just north of Vancouver. Although part of the mainland, this stretch of mountain-backed coastline is only accessible by sea or air, giving it the quiet pace of an island.

British Columbia’s Thompson Okanagan region extends from the ranchlands of the west to the Monashee Mountains in the east, and from Mount Robson in the north to the US border in the south. At its heart is a long, fertile valley running north-south along Okanagan, Skaha, Vaseux, and Osoyoos lakes, where vineyards, orchards, and forests of ponderosa pine blanket the hills above a string of warm, beach-fringed lakes. This region is home to over 170 wineries and more than 50 golf courses, as well as four major ski resorts and some of Canada’s most dramatic wilderness parks.

This vast, sparsely populated region of central British Columbia encompasses three distinct landscapes: the forests and ranchlands of the Cariboo; the snowy peaks and high plateau of the Chilcotin, and the fjords and islands of the Coast. Together they form one of BC’s least travelled, but perhaps most striking, regions.

Highlights include Barkerville Historic Town, the biggest heritage attraction in western North America; Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, BC’s largest park; the challenging Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit; and, on the coast, the Great Bear Rainforest, the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest.

British Columbia reminds you that you belong in the wild. Here, on Canada’s west coast, nature and culture welcome you in to explore not just new sights but new sides of yourself.

Experience the raw power of British Columbia’s towering mountains, lush rainforests, and rugged coastlines, and tap into something bigger– awaken a deeper connection and regain perspective. Experience The British Columbia Effect and find yourself, in every sense of the word.

~ Science has proven that time in nature can make us happier, more creative, and less stressed.
~ A retreat to the mountains can teach and shape you by bringing clarity and a wider perspective.
~ Spending three consecutive days in the mountains will show a decrease in brain waves related to worry and rumination.
~ Let the elements of British Columbia coasts buff away at life's tensions and put your body, mind, and spirit at ease.
~ British Columbia forests are a break for your brain, a trigger for creativity, and a lasting source of inspiration.
~ The visual beauty found in forests offers gentle enough stimuli to awaken minds, leading to higher creative functioning.

Click here for more information on the healing effect of nature in British Columbia and suggested resorts and itineraries associated with Mountains, Oceans, Rainforests, Wildlife, Indigenous Experiences and Sustainability.