Experience Comox Valley and Vancouver Island Activities
Royston House B&B Holiday Vacation Suite
"Thank you for a lovely 2 days. Beautiful Home, scenery & hospitality. Lots of thoughtful touches. Great area to explore." S & P ~ Toronto, Canada
Comox Valley - Summer Events
About Comox Valley Summer Events
Majestic Strathcona Provincial Park
Explored in the 1860's and designated a park since 1911 Strathcona Provincial Park has been a main attraction to visitors on central Vancouver Island. Nearly 250,000 hectares of mountains, lakes, trails, snow, native plants, wild berries, flowers, birds and wildlife - enjoy this amazing wilderness. Here is a MAP(pdf) for Strathcona Provincial Park - Forbidden Plateau and Paradise Meadows Trail.
The Comox Valley is access to Strathcona Park and Premier Alpine Guiding in the Vancouver Island Alps. Certified mountain guides help you find hidden scenic photo gems nearby. There are a number of different one day or multi-day guided hikes available including Ski Touring. View Photos and for more details see Island Alpine Guides.
Visit Friends of Strathcona.
Mount Washington BC Alpine Resort
Summertime trails and biking. Winter cross-country , downhill skiing and snowboarding (snow season starts end of November) Snow at Mt. Washington is comparable to Whistler - Olympic quality cross-country trails and only 30 minutes from Royston House to Mount Washington Alpine Resort for web cam view of alpine lodge, whisky jack and nordic cams Click Here, for alpine snow report Click Here.
Raven lodge at Mount Washington is the starting point for over 50 km of groomed trails appealing to all level of skiers. To make a connection with the Vancouver Island Cross Country Ski Club Click Here.
Snow phone 1-888-833-1515.
The Parks and Trails of the Comox Valley
The Comox Valley is known for its outdoor adventure opportunities, including incredible hiking and mountain biking and more than 30 parks and trails to experience.
- 12 Places to Get Active in the Comox Valley (pdf)
- Another 12 Places to Get Active in the Comox Valley (pdf)
- 12 MORE Places to Get Active in the Comox Valley (pdf)
Comox Valley Heritage Tours
For more information about the history of the area you can embark on the Comox Valley Heritage Experience - a series of self-guided driving and walking tours that offer a glimpse into the rich social, cultural, natural and industrial history of the Comox Valley.
Museums
Make a day of touring the Museums in the Comox Valley.
- Courtenay Museum - with it's Palaeontology Centre, Native, Cultural and Natural Heritage. (downtown at 4th and cliffe (19A)
- Historic Cumberland Museum - Japanese photography, Chinatown 1935 model and Historic coal mine artifacts.
- Comox Archives & Museum - Historic photos of the Comox waterfront and notable ships
- Comox Air Force Museum - memorabilia, artifacts and military heritage. Some of the best in Canada.
Golf
Six Comox Valley Golf courses, some playing year round are within a 15 minute drive from Royston House. Visit Comox Valley Golf.
Comox Valley Summer Music and Festivals
Known as the Valley of Festivals, the Comox Valley is a vibrant cultural community. During the summer special events take place almost every weekend, and local art and culture is a big part of Valley living. These include: Summer weekend Music in Filberg and Simms parks, The Bigtime Out in Cumberland, Filberg Festival and Nautical Days in Comox, Vancouver Island Music Fest in Courtenay bc, Originals only Art in Comox and the Woodland Gardens Art Festivals
Ecotourism on Vancouver Island
Royston House is a Naturescape participant and is habitat certified by the Canadian Wildlife Federation.Eco-friendly accommodation and habitat in the Comox Valley and Vancouver Island.
To read a feature article about Royston House by Kristin Mulholland:
Click Here (pdf)
See our Links page for EcoTourism resources.
BC's spectacular wilderness awaits you in search of orca whales and bears.
Tour around the immediate Royston area
From your carriage suite you can stroll the woodland trails and enjoy the natural habitat, featuring more than 200 rhododendrons. Trails lead to the oceanfront, where you can view and learn about the historic graveyard of ships, remnants of several old ships that were once used as a breakwater to protect the log booming grounds of Comox Harbour. For an up close view of the ships, launch a kayak and paddle around the bay. Around the Comox Bay and the Courtenay Estuary you might see black tail deer and occasional bear, hummingbirds, seasonally over 25 species of small birds, ducks, herons, wintering trumpeter swans, endangered purple martins and bald eagles. Two eagle nests are located nearby.
Royston by the sea on Comox Bay
Royston House is located in the seaside town of Royston 5 minutes south of Courtenay, BC, named after William Roy, an English miner who bought property along the waterfront. Royston became the summer residence for many of the workers and professional families from historic Cumberland. In the early 1900s, Royston was the main location for log-booming operations for the logging industry in the Comox Valley. Logs were shipped to Royston by rail, boomed in the harbour, then towed across Georgia Strait to the lumber mills on the British Columbia Mainland.