Departure Bay Ferry

Departure Bay ferry port in Vancouver Island connects you with Horseshoe Bay in Canada with a choice of up to 11 ferry crossings per day. The duration of the Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay crossing is from 1 hour 40 minutes and the crossing is operated by BC Ferries.

Departure Bay

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Departure Bay Ferry Services

  • BC Ferries
    • 11 Sailings Daily 1 hr 40 min
    • Get price

Departure Bay Ferry Port

Found on the coast of the Vancouver Island, a large, wedge-shaped landmass that marks the most south-eastern point of Canada, is the city of Nanaimo and the district of Departure Bay. Once an independent town until it was merged into Nanaimo in 1974, the evergreen tree-lined roads of the Departure Bay neighbourhood are built around an eponymous inlet of the Salish Sea.

The port is found on the southern coast of Departure Bay, just opposite the uninhabited Newcastle Island. The passenger terminal here is a large facility consisting of a wide pier separated into lanes and an indoor market area featuring shops, toilets, cafes and restaurants selling hot food and drink.

Getting to the harbour is easy due to the lengthy Trans-Canada Highway that leads from the British Columbia capital of Victoria 70-miles to the south, through the heart of Nanaimo, and directly to the entrance of the port. Buses stop a few steps from the ferry terminal too, offering regular services to the downtown areas of Nanaimo.

One passenger service currently sails from the port of Departure Bay. A BC Ferries line makes the short trip over the tip of Newcastle Island before heading north-east to Horseshoe Bay on the Canadian mainland, a small community that is just a short driving distance from the major city of Vancouver.