Courtenay is the largest community in the Comox Valley, on the east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Together with its sister town of Comox and the village of Cumberland, it forms the main population centre between Nanaimo and Campbell River.
The valley is squeezed between the mountains of Strathcona Provincial Park and the sheltered waters of the Strait of Georgia, giving it an unusual range of outdoor options. In winter, Mount Washington Alpine Resort draws skiers and snowboarders from across the island. In summer, the same mountains offer hiking, and the coastline has kayaking, fishing, and whale watching. The Puntledge River runs through town and is popular with fly fishers chasing trout and salmon, with autumn runs that fill the river with Chinook and Coho.
In town, the Courtenay and District Museum holds a Cretaceous Elasmosaur fossil found in the local river — a genuinely good small museum. The Royston Wrecks, a collection of deliberately sunk historic vessels rusting into the tidal flats south of town, are one of Vancouver Island's more unusual walks. Ferries from nearby Comox connect to Powell River on the mainland.