The welcoming charm of rural Bowser is evident when you visit this small waterfront community on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Bowser is the main community centre of Lighthouse Country and has most of the commercial facilities such as convenience stores and restaurants.
Bowser is a popular pit stop for clam and shellfish diggers, and is one of many attractions and activities in the area. The Bowser Hotel made history in the 1930’s (and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not) by having a bartender dog that served beer to patrons, collected their money and returned with their change!
Deep Bay is known for its excellent fishing, and many of the salmon fishing boats are launched here. The prolific herring spawn and shrimp hatches in this area attract the larger Chinook salmon, some up to thirty pounds.
There are some excellent bird watching opportunities here, with the possibility to spot some of the exotic Western Grebes, Common Loons, Trumpeter Swans, Brant geese, and Mallards, and maybe even Bald Eagles that congregate during winter.
Other places of interest around Deep Bay are some beautiful provincial parks like Horne Lake Caves, Spider Lake and Rosewall Creek.
Rosewall Creek has a wheelchair-accessible trail through the rainforest to a waterfall and picnic area, surrounded by coniferous trees interspersed with striking broad leaf maple trees. Spider Lake also offers wonderfully idyllic picnic areas and the warm waters are perfect for swimming and canoeing.
Take the time to explore the protected caves at Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park where you can embark on a spelunking adventure (cave exploration). There are guides who can lead you through the caves to discover this magical world of crystal formations and ancient fossils firsthand.