Going to Thetis Island by Car

Thetis Island lies west of Chemainus, a little town north of Victoria, south of Nanaimo. (Chemainus, by the way, has a remarkable story to tell. Look it up at this site).

From Chemainus to Thetis Island

There is a good ferry service linking Chemainus and Thetis Island. Consult the timetable carefully because the ferry operates on an unusual pattern, serving Kuper and Thetis Island on a triangular route. Crossing time is 35 minutes for a direct connection, 45 minutes otherwise.

But first, you need to get to Vancouver Island. Here are your best bets:

From Vancouver

You have three options. If you come from anywhere south of Vancouver, Tsawassen is likely your best port of departure. From Vancouver, Horseshoe Bay is usually faster. See the map on the BC Ferries site for an overview.
  1. The newest route is from Tsawassen south of Vancouver to Duke Point south of Nanaimo with a crossing time of 2 hours. The trip to Chemainus will only take about 35 minutes.

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  2. Another route goes from Tsawassen to Swartz Bay north of Victoria.(1 hour and 35 minutes crossing time). From there, it will take you about 1 hour and 20 minutes to get to Chemainus (bypassing Victoria).

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  3. For Vancouverites, the usual route is from Horseshoe Bay north of Vancouver to Departure Bay in Nanaimo. Crossing time is 1 hour and 35 minutes. Nanaimo to Chemainus is a 45 minute ride.

From Washington to Vancouver Island

You have a number of ways to go.
  1. The most scenic route is provided by the Washington State Ferries. It connects Anacortes with Sidney, 25 minutes north of Victoria.

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  2. The Coho take you from Port Angeles to Victoria. There is a very scenic 1 hour ride to Chemainus. If you have time, stop at Millstream Park to enjoy the old growth forest. Take 10 minutes at the first and third lookouts on the Malahat for an incredible panorama.

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  3. Victora-line links Seattle directly with Victoria.

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  4. The Victoria Clipper, on the other hand, is a walk-on high speed ferry.

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