Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of the waterfront precinct. Although it's on a back street, the building itself, a converted
residence, is hard to miss—the exterior is painted shades of purple and decorated with a
fusion of Mexican and maritime memorabilia.
Pirate Chips (1 Commercial St., 250/753-2447, 11:30am-9pm Mon.-Sat., noon-9pm
Sun., $6-9) is a funky little takeout place where you can load up hearty servings of fries
with various toppings, and even try a deep-fried chocolate bar.
In the heart of downtown, tiny Tina's Diner (187 Commercial St., 250/753-5333,
8:30am-3pm Wed.-Mon., lunches under $10) offers a cooked breakfast for under $5
before 10am. Also downtown is the Modern Café (221 Commercial St., 250/754-5022,
11am-11pm daily, $12-23), which has had a number of serious revamps since opening in
1946thathaveseenchangestoboththemenuanddécorwhileleavingthedistinctiveneon
sign out front in place.
INFORMATION AND SERVICES
Nanaimoispromotedtotheworldby Tourism Nanaimo (250/756-0106or800/663-7337,
www.tourismnanaimo.com ) . The main Nanaimo Visitor Centre (Hwy. 19 at Northfield
Rd., 9am-6 daily) is in a small but architecturally eye-catching structure at the north en-
trance to town (if you're traveling up-island from Victoria, stay on the main highway
north; the center is well signposted. Another useful resource is the website
www.gonanaimo.com .
Formaps,nauticalcharts,andbooksaboutVancouverIsland,visit Nanaimo Maps and
Charts (8 Church St., 250/754-2513, 9:30am-5pm daily in summer, closed Wed. and Sun.
the rest of the year). A few used bookstores can be found along Commercial Street.
The main post office is on Front Street in the Harbour Park Mall. For emergencies,
head to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (1200 Dufferin Cres., 250/754-2141). If
youneedapharmacy,gotothe Pharmasave (2000N.IslandHwy.,BrooksLandingMall,
250/760-0771).
GETTING THERE AND AROUND
Getting There
It's possible to get to Nanaimo by airplane, train, or bus, but most people arrive by vehicle
up Highway 1 from Victoria (allow 90 minutes for the 110-kilometer/68-mile trip) or by
ferry from Vancouver. BC Ferries (250/386-3431 or 888/223-3779, www.bcferries.com )
operatesregularservicesbetweenVancouverandNanaimoalongtwodifferentroutes.Fer-
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