Premier Listings for Genoa Bay
Genoa Bay is a quiet and picturesque bay on the north side of Cowichan Bay, at the south end of Sansum Narrows on Southern Vancouver Island. Located in the North Cowichan Valley near Duncan and Maple Bay, Genoa Bay offers a quiet and relaxed way of life. The North Cowichan Valley offers great hiking, mountain biking, hang gliding, nature viewing, orienteering, and exception scenic views. Visitors can scuba dive, sail and fish in the crystal clear waters of Genoa Bay, Maple Bay, Sansum Narrows and Stuart Channel, which provides a haven for mariners.
Genoa Bay was named by the Italian Giovanni Baptiste Ordano after his birthplace of Genoa in Italy. Ordano arrived in the area in 1858 and opened the first store in the district at Tzuhalem.
Location: Genoa Bay is located in the Cowichan Valley on Southern Vancouver Island, north of Victoria and twenty minutes from the community of Duncan. Access to Genoa Bay is via scenic roads, and the landscape provides great sea views with forested mountain backdrops.
Genoa Bay Marina offers lush tree-lined shores, towering vistas, and sheltered moorage. Services include excellent transient and permanent mooring facilities, a General and Marine Store, and the Genoa Bay Café, which offers a fine selection of Pacific Rim cuisines. The Genoa Bay Marina is a rustic hideaway full of old wooden sailboats – an interesting place to visit and relax.
Sansum Narrows: Genoa Bay is a good place for mariners to wait for the strong current in Sansum Narrows to change before heading into the Stuart Channel and Dodd Narrows.
Golf: Golfers have a few golf courses in the area to choose from; Cowichan Golf and Country Club in Duncan (20 minutes from Crofton), Duncan Meadows Golf Course (15 minutes from Crofton), Mount Brenton Golf Course in Chemainus (10 minutes from Crofton), and Arbutus Ridge Golf Club in nearby Cobble Hill. Vancouver Island Golf Vacations.
Diving in the protected narrow inlets around Maple Bay is so good and so close to shore that the late Jacques Costeau considered it one of his favourite diving spots in the world!
Diving around Vancouver Island.
Fishing: Sansum Narrows and Maple Bay are excellent places to fish for salmon, sea bass, and cod. The better spots are Arbutus Point and Octupus Point, and Maxwell Point and Bold Bluff Point off Saltspring Island.
Quamichan Lake northwest of Genoa Bay offers year-round fishing. Access to this popular lake is off Maple Bay Road, via Trunk Road to Indian Road.
Mount Tzouhalem: The 536-metre Mount Tzouhalem north of Genoa Bay has hiking and biking trails for all ages and levels of ability, including wonderful wildflowers and spectacular views. The moderate hiking trail follows the ridge of Mt. Tzouhalem, providing 180 degree views of Cowichan Bay and Duncan. You’ll be able to see Mt. Whymper, Mt. Prevost and the Malahat. Access to the trail is from the end of Khenipsen Road. The trailhead is passed the gate with the chain strung across.
The Cowichan Valley offers a serene, easy-going lifestyle amidst magnificent forests, mountains, lakes, rivers, and ocean inlets. The Cowichan Valley region is renowned for its community tourism, agriculture and eco-tourism activities.
Sheltered Maple Bay separates Vancouver Island from Saltspring Island, harbouring a pretty seaside community that bustles with marine activity.
The Southern Gulf Islands are easily and conveniently accessed from Genoa Bay, with popular Saltspring Island, the largest and nearest of the Southern Gulf islands, lying directly across Sansum Narrows from Genoa Bay.
Premier Genoa Bay Business Directory – Local Businesses in South Vancouver Island
Biographical Info
The Genoa Bay Cafe offers a fine selection of Pacific Rim cuisines, featuring fresh seafood from local waters, meats, produce and poultry from the farms of the Cowichan Valley, and the relaxed ambience of a waterfront setting at the Genoa Bay Marina. The Genoa Bay Cafe guarantees a unique and memorable experience. Open 7 days a week.
Biographical Info
Genoa Bay Marina offers lush tree-lined shores, towering vistas, and sheltered moorage. Our prices are affordable, and our services include Transient and Permanent Moorage, a General and Marine Store, Car and Video/DVD rental, Laundry, Showers and Washrooms, Fax service, Postal services, Internet and email access, and the Genoa Bay Cafe. Shipwright and Mechanical services are also available.
