The largest island on the West Coast, Vancouver Island stretches from the urbanity of Victoria at its southern tip to Cape Scott at the northeast extreme. Most of the west coast is lightly populated, with good highway connections only available to Ucluelet and Tofino. The Island Highway follows the eastern shoreline of the island from Victoria through Nanaimo and Courtenay to Campbell River, where it heads inland through rugged mountains.
BC Ferries runs a several ferry connections to the mainland, leaving from Victoria to Tsawassen, Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay, and Comox (near Courtney) to Powell River and the Sunshine Coast.