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here for Victoria Area Accommodations
South
Vancouver Island - Victoria to Sooke to Port Renfrew - has some
of the best sight seeing and recreation choices on the west coast
of British Columbia! Come see why.
Just 17 kilometers from downtown Victoria, Goldstream
Provincial Park lies amid the splendour of an old-growth
temperate rain forest. West Coast wilderness awaits you at
East
Sooke Regional Park. Experience it as you trek on the
windswept rocky coast, over dry hilltops, through dark rain
forest to sheltered coves. French
Beach is a 59 hectare park along the spectacular Strait
of Juan de Fuca which offers beautiful trails, whale watching,
secluded campsites and waterfront picnic areas.
If
swimming is your thing, then be sure to visit Sooke
Potholes, a swimmers paradise. Just a 30 minute car ride
beyond the urban core, the Sooke potholes are one of the more
popular swimming spots in the capital region.
Avid bird lovers will discover a feast for the eyes at Esquimalt
Lagoon, a saltwater lagoon and migratory bird sanctuary
located at the base of the Royal Roads property, next to the
Fort Rodd Hill / Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites
and offering an excellent view across Esquimalt Harbour. At
Fort
Rodd Hill, visitors can explore gun batteries and underground
magazines built a century ago, as well as searchlight emplacements,
command posts...and much more. 
Families
often bring a picnic lunch and stay for a half a day. While
the kids investigate our tide pools, parents can enjoy the
spectacular sea and mountain views. The first lighthouse on
Canada's west coast, Fisgard
Lighthouse is still in operation, and is a National Historic
Site.
If you're into
hiking, you'll love the Juan
De Fuca Marine Trail, a 47 kilometer hiking trail stretching along the western
shoreline of southern Vancouver Island, Canada, from China Beach, just west
of the community of Jordan River and extending to Botanical Beach near Port
Renfrew. Another good hiking trail is The
West Coast Trail, the third unit of the Pacific Rim National Park, which
includes the section of coast southeast of Barkley Sound between the villages
of Bamfield and Port Renfrew.
Another great trail
for nature lovers is The Galloping
Goose Trail, where you can travel for nearly 60 kilometers. You can cycle,
walk, or ride a horse along this former rail line past some of B.C.’s finest
scenery.
Adjacent to the
Strait of Juan de Fuca, in the Bilston Creek Watershed, lies Witty's
Lagoon Regional Park, a harmonious blend of protected natural environments.
On the grounds
of Hatley Park and Royal Roads University in Victoria, you'll
find Hatley
Castle and Hatley
Gardens, and both are worth a visit! The Castle was completed
in 1908. From 1941 until 1943 when Grant Block was completed,
the Castle served as dormitory and mess hall for cadets and
staff officers at Royal Roads Military College.
Here in the western communities of Victoria you can enjoy
the natural beauty and natural history that Victoria and southern
Vancouver Island are renowned for. We hope you will discover
the diversity and beauty that is Vancouver Island. For more
to see and do in this beautiful area, please visit Recreation Victoria.
Birds of a Feather Oceanfront Bed and Breakfast is a wonderful place to stay while visiting the Victoria area.
