Southern British Columbia Travel Guide

The often pristine scenery of British Columbia more than lives up to most people's image of the wilds of Canada. What may come as a surprise, however, is the region's sheer natural diversity: between the expected extremes of the mountainous, forested interior and the fjord-cut mountains of the coast lies a jigsaw of landscapes, including genteel farmland, ranching country, immense lakes and even a patch of genuine desert. British Columbia contains both Canada's wettest and its driest climates, and more species of flora and fauna than the rest of the country put together. The range of recreational possibilities is equally impressive: the country's biggest ski area, its warmest lakes and some of its best beaches are all here, not to mention hot springs and hiking, sailing and canoeing galore, as well as some of the best salmon fishing in the world. Interior towns may not always be terribly interesting - Nelson is a notable exception - but from almost anywhere in the region you can be sure that secluded and peaceful countryside and myriad outdoor pursuits lie just a few kilometres away.

Culturally and logistically, southern British Columbia stands apart from the northern half of the province, containing most of the roads, towns and accessible sights. Ninety-five percent of the population lives in the south, mainly in Vancouver , Canada's third largest city. A cosmopolitan, sophisticated and famously hedonistic place, Vancouver gives the lie to the stereotype of the Canadian west as an introverted, cultural wasteland, its combination of glittering skyline and generous open spaces standing as a model of urban planning. The province's modest capital is Victoria , a considerably smaller city on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, which affects a somewhat English ambience to lure more tourists than it probably deserves.

If you're making a circuit of the interior, or even just cutting across it as part of a transcontinental route, you'll want to set aside time for the mountain-hemmed lakes and tidy mining towns of the Kootenays , or - if you're into wine tasting or rowdy lakeside resorts - the Okanagan . For big wilderness and waterfalls, Wells Gray Provincial Park stands out, though exhilarating hikes and camping are possible in dozens of other parks. And if you're looking to ski or snowboard, Whistler is one of the world's top resorts. Variety is also the byword for Vancouver Island , by far the largest of an archipelago of islets off BC's coast, where in a short time you can move from wild seascapes and rainforest to jagged, glaciated peaks. Vancouver Island can also be used as a springboard for the ferry up the famed Inside Passage to Prince Rupert and beyond, or the new Discovery Coast Passage to Bella Coola; inland, roads and rail lines converge to follow a single route north through the endless expanse of the Cariboo region of the interior plateau.