The Pacific Marine Circle Route is a marked
scenic loop road through southern
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...
in
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. The route is composed of
Highway 14, Pacific Marine Road, Shore Road,
Highway 18, and a segment of the
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway (French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean on ...
.
[
The Pacific Marine Circle Route was established by the British Columbia Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture with the promise of an increase in tourist travel in southern ]Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...
. It is one of British Columbia's 12 Circle Routes scattered throughout the province.
Route
Clockwise, the route heads south from Malahat, passes through Goldstream Provincial Park
Goldstream Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is known for the annual fall salmon runs in the Goldstream River, and the large numbers of bald eagles that congregate to feed at that time. The total size of the pa ...
then briefly east to Langford, south and west to Sooke
Sooke is a district municipality on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Canada, by road from Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. Sooke, the westernmost of Greater Victoria's Western Communities, is to the north and west of the Sooke ...
, west to Port Renfrew
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...
, north and east to Lake Cowichan
Lake Cowichan ( Nitinaht: ʕaʔk̓ʷaq c̓uubaʕsaʔtx̣) (pop. 2,974) is a town located on the east end of Cowichan Lake and, by highway, is west of Duncan, British Columbia. The town of Lake Cowichan was incorporated in 1944. The Cowichan R ...
, east and south to Duncan, southeast to Mill Bay, then south back to Malahat. The route can also be travelled in the opposite direction and started or finished at any points.
Points of Interest
* Cowichan Lake
* French Beach Provincial Park
*Goldstream Provincial Park
Goldstream Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is known for the annual fall salmon runs in the Goldstream River, and the large numbers of bald eagles that congregate to feed at that time. The total size of the pa ...
* Jordan River
*Juan de Fuca Provincial Park
Juan de Fuca Provincial Park is a provincial park located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The park was established on April 4, 1996 by combining three former parks - China Beach, Loss Creek, and Botanical Beach ...
*Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is a national park located in British Columbia, Canada, which comprises three separate regions: Long Beach, the Broken Group Islands, and the West Coast Trail. Its the Pacific Coast Mountains, are characterized ...
*Sooke Basin
Sooke Basin is a small (10 km²) body of water on the southern end of Vancouver Island in southwestern British Columbia. It is connected to the Strait of Juan de Fuca by Sooke Harbour, a 4 km long narrow natural harbour.
Geography
Sooke ...
See also
*San Juan Valley
San Juan Valley, sometimes called San Benito Valley formerly Canada de San Benito or Llano De San Juan is a valley that has its head near the Gabilan Range. Bounded on the north by the Lomerias Muertas and the Flint Hills and south and east by th ...
* Seymour Range
References
External links
Official signage along the Pacific Marine Circle Route
Map of the Pacific Marine Circle Route, Times Colonist (newspaper)
Roads in British Columbia
Roads in Victoria, British Columbia
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