Courtenay's great advantage is the range of outdoor activity within easy reach. Mount Washington Alpine Resort sits thirty kilometres away in the mountains of Strathcona Provincial Park — Vancouver Island's best skiing in winter, and good hiking terrain in summer. The Puntledge River runs through town and draws fly fishers for trout and salmon in season.
In town, the Courtenay and District Museum is worth stopping in for its fossil collection — including an Elasmosaur, an 80-million-year-old marine reptile discovered in the local river. The Royston Wrecks, a collection of deliberately sunk historic vessels visible at low tide south of town, are one of the more unusual attractions on Vancouver Island.
The surrounding Comox Valley is one of the most liveable parts of British Columbia, with a farmers market, good local restaurants, and the kind of relaxed outdoor culture that characterises smaller Vancouver Island communities.