Standing on Canada’s oldest saltwater fishing pier in June while half a dozen anglers look for some off season bites and the sun sets behind the mountains of inland Vancouver Island, it is hard to believe that there is enough room to think, never mind stretch out and take it all in. The summertime crowds, it appears, have not yet made it to Campbell River. When you ask around about a trip to Vancouver Island, you could be forgiven for thinking that Victoria and Tofino are the only possible destinations for travellers to choose from. While these places have their specific draws, Naturally Pacific Resort, a new hotel in Campbell River on the island’s east coast, is looking to tempt some of the region’s , is looking to tempt some of the region’s hundreds of thousands of yearly visitors their way. From the mainland, the town sits in the goldilocks zone a little farther afield than Victoria but a little closer than Tofino, and getting to the resort is a treat in itself. From Vancouver, either fly into Comox or Campbell River itself—both routes provide sweeping aerial views of the North Shore Mountains, Gulf Islands, and Sunshine Coast—or ferry into Nanaimo and cruise up the scenic Island Highway.

Photograph from Naturally Pacific Resort

Campbell River is a town of around 38,000 people. Like many coastal settlements in the Pacific Northwest, the area was defined by logging and salmon fishing for much of its existence (the town is known to anglers as the Salmon Capital of the World and is home to the 100-year-old Tyee Club of British Columbia). Consequently, central to the town has been the relationship between land and water, for fishing and for floating massive log booms as well as receiving supplies before the development of reliable roads. The town also straddles a somewhat invisible north/south divide on the island. Head south to Victoria, and things start to get more urban. Turn north and settlements become more sparse, the scenery becomes more wild, and the road becomes more open.

Naturally Pacific Resort is an attempt to merge these two halves of the island, combining the comfort of a modern resort hotel with the access to the wilderness that so many visitors seek. The 100 rooms in the hotel, facing either the mountains or the sea, are decked out with more than you might expect, including small seating areas, work stations for the ever-growing contingent of digital nomads, and simple but striking art adorning the walls. Venture out of your room, and you will find a large spa on the ground floor. On the back side to the hotel, away from the road that carries guests to the property, is a huge outdoor terrace, as well as a smaller building housing the hotel’s pool. The walls of the hotels communal areas are lined with photographs of local landscapes, encouraging visitors to get out and see what the area has to offer.

While the hotel itself was built from the ground up by the local Mailman family, the site was already home to an existing golf course, Sequoia Springs. The layout was extensively redesigned by Graham Cooke in 2017 and has been given the name Campbell River Golf and Country Club. A par 70 with five sets of tees, it is an accessible 18 for most skill levels, and for my money is conditioned to a much higher standard than its profile, which, after playing it, I would expect to keep rising. From the back tees, the course measures in at 6,141 yards, not long by modern standards, but on an early morning round in June the greens were already fast enough to cause even low handicappers some problems. Coupled with green complexes that offer various challenging pin placements, the course is set up well to defend itself. Campbell River Golf and Country Club is open to guests as well as locals, and all are welcome to use the adjoining Velocity, a top-tracer-equipped interactive driving range steps from the hotel’s back door. The first of its kind in western Canada, its covered booths can be used all through the winter months when three hours out on the course is much less attractive.

Photography courtesy of Naturally Pacific Resort

Photography courtesy of Naturally Pacific Resort

For nongolfers, the main draw alongside the resort will be Campbell River’s close and easy access to some of Vancouver Island’s finest outdoors. Strathcona Provincial Park, British Columbia’s oldest and Vancouver Island’s largest, is 45 minutes away by road and contains everything from glaciers and high mountain peaks to rugged forests and deep ravines in its 250,000 hectares. If self-guided is not your thing, hitch your wagon to one of Campbell River’s tour operators. Of particular note is Homalco Wildlife & Cultural tours, a First Nations-owned and -operated boat tour company. The tours are a cut above a standard whale watching tour, as the guides are not only incredibly knowledgeable, they are stewards of the land. The popular grizzly bear tour takes visitors to the ancestral Homalco lands at the mouth of Bute Inlet on British Columbia’s mainland. During spring the grizzlies come down to feed on salmon in the Orford River and other spots on the edge of the Great Bear Rainforest.

Photography courtesy of @HomalcoTours

If you prefer to stay in town, Island Joy Rides offers bike tours in town and on nearby Quadra Island or local guided kayaking tours on Campbell River itself, . Given its location, many of Campbell River’s attractions involve getting out on the water. The town sits on the edge of the Inside Passage and was visited by George Vancouver’s British expedition in 1792. Of the stretch of water just north of the town that ran over the infamous Ripple Rock, he said that it was “one of the vilest stretches of water in the world.” (The underwater rock in question was blasted sky (or sea) high in 1958 when a team of engineers and miners tunnelled under the narrows and packed it with 1,400 tonnes of explosives, resulting in one of the largest nonatomic explosions ever.) There is history on and under the water all around the town, and these aquatic landmarks play a big role even back on dry land.

Ripple Rock is the namesake for an award-winning whisky from the nearby Shelter Point Distillery, built in 2011. Shelter Point makes a range of unique single malt whiskies in a building that would not look out of place in the Western Isles of Scotland. The barn-like structure containing giant Scottish-made copper stills sits in the midst of 380 acres of agricultural land and adjoins the fields of barley that the distillery grows and harvests itself to create its mash blend.

After winding your way back to Naturally Pacific, the main dining option on the property is Carve Kitchen + Meatery. A modern take on a steakhouse, the produce skews local, with a healthy dose of flora from the on-site garden. While the focus is on the steaks, other highlights include onion rings packed with duck confit, and for the nonmeat eaters, a grain mustard and porter braised cabbage dish that’s as filling as any slab of beef. If you fancy an off-site option in town, head to Beach Fire Brewing for a different take on pub food. By the town’s harbour, locally owned and recently opened Meraki is a plant-based restaurant that also houses a shop and a florist. A collaborative effort by local business owners Lesley Assu, Karen Bezaire, and Emese Toth-Harasztos, Meraki is the second venture in Campbell River for  Toth-Harasztos, who also operates Freyja – The Croissant Story. The Scandinavian-inspired spot serving sourdough croissants that stack up against any in Canada was opened a few years ago by Emese and her husband, Geza, transplants from Budapest. The café is reliably busy every day, so head in early to get your fix. The bakery also provides the bread for Carve, one example of the resort’s engagement with the community that they have opened in.

Photography by Leila Kwok

Campbell River presents itself like a Russian doll. What may seem like one thing from the outside contains multitudes when you start to dig in and spend some time there. Naturally Pacific Resort is a welcome addition to an area that has plenty to offer.

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