The Cowichan Bay waterfront is what you come here for: a crooked line of wooden buildings on pilings above the tidal mud, fishing boats at the docks, and the smell of salt and seaweed. The Maritime Centre and Museum occupies one of the heritage buildings and is worth a brief visit for its exhibits on the Cowichan peoples' fishing traditions and the history of wooden boat building on the coast.
The main street has craft shops, a bakery, a cheese shop, and a few cafés — enough to fill a pleasant morning. At low tide, the mudflats in the bay are feeding grounds for great blue herons, bald eagles, and migrating shorebirds. The walk from the village north along the waterfront towards the Koksilah River mouth takes about 30 minutes and is good birding.
story: "Cowichan Bay became the first Cittaslow (slow city) in North America in 2009 — a designation awarded to communities committed to local food, artisan production, and a deliberate pace of life. The international Cittaslow movement started in Italy, and Cowichan Bay's farm-to-table food culture fits the philosophy naturally."