Ferries from Nanaimo (Nanaimo Harbour)

Nanaimo has three BC Ferries terminals and this is the one in the middle of town. Nanaimo Harbour serves Gabriola Island only — 47 active sailings, twenty-five minutes — and confusing it with the other two is the single most common mistake made on this coast.

The crossing

Nanaimo Harbour to Descanso Bay takes about 25 minutes, with 23 sailings and 47 across the terminal in both directions. Operated by BC Ferries.

⚠ Three Nanaimo terminals, three destinations

• Nanaimo Harbour — downtown, to Gabriola Island. This page.
• Departure Bay — north of the centre, to Horseshoe Bay on the mainland. 526 parking spaces.
• Duke Point — south of the centre, to Tsawwassen. 272 parking spaces.

They are up to twenty-five minutes apart by road and share no services. A ticket says which one; the city's name does not.

Parking

Limited paid parking nearby — this terminal has no lot of its own, which is what you would expect of a downtown waterfront berth. The other two Nanaimo terminals have hundreds of spaces between them.

Where you actually are

The harbour terminal sits on Nanaimo's waterfront walkway, minutes from the old city quarter, the seaplane dock and the Harbour Air terminal. For a foot passenger heading to Gabriola it is about as convenient as a ferry terminal gets.

Timing

Commuter-shaped in both directions, with the heaviest loads inbound in the morning. The service runs year round on a schedule built around Gabriola's working day.