Victoria Travel Guide–The West Coast Experience (2014 Edition)

Victoria Travel Guide

The West Coast Experience

2014 Edition

By Shepherd Stewart

Copyright © 2014 Shepherd Stewart

All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN: 978-0-9917404-2-0

Smashwords Edition

Contact: vancouverislandtravelguide.com/contact/

Cover Photo: Brandon Godfrey

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Thank you for buying this eBook.

Once a physical book reaches your hands, it is probably out of date. Telephone numbers, addresses, schedules and other essential information you need to plan your trip may already be outdated. However, with this guide, you now have the latest available information plus instant link access to supporting online information. Free updates of this eBook are available throughout the year as new versions become available to reflect current information. Your book vendor will alert you to new versions.

Not only is the content revised and updated each year, but this guide contains the perspectives of someone who grew up in Victoria and has first-hand experience of city attractions. Keep this guide on your smart phone, tablet or laptop and take advantage of the many free WiFi spots throughout the city. Use it to plan and enjoy the activities Victoria has to offer. At journey’s end, you can be confident you have sampled the sights and sounds that make Victoria such a loved city worldwide.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Vital Statistics

Getting to Victoria

Getting Around Victoria

Outdoor Adventures

On the Water

In the Sky

On Land

Where to Drive, Cycle & Walk

Driving & Cycling Routes

Multiuse Trails

Casual Walking and Hiking

Beaches

Birding

Parks & Gardens

Popular Attractions

Popular with Children

Theatre and the Arts

Theatres

Art Galleries

Music & Arts Festivals

Culinary Festivals

Parades & Family Events

Where to Eat

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Pubs & Breweries

Coffee, Tea, Goodies & Snacks

Grocery Stores Close to Downtown

Where to Sleep

Where to Shop

Human History of Vancouver Island

A Brief Geological History of Vancouver Island

Bonus Information

References

Introduction

Welcome to Victoria on beautiful Vancouver Island. The combination of temperate climate, great food, activities and people leaves a lasting impression. In 2013, Victoria was rated number seventeen in the top twenty-five cities of the world by respected Condé Nast Traveler magazine readers’ choice awards. Readers of Travel + Leisure magazine ranked Vancouver Island number one for 2012 in the World’s Best Awards category for Islands in Continental US and Canada and tenth overall in the world. Our scenery, food, activities and accommodations routinely earn top honours among travelers worldwide.

This guide provides a taste of the main attractions throughout the Victoria region on and off the beaten path, plus a pinch of historical background to spice things up. Take a tour of the places that make Victoria so special, plus those unique spots that residents frequent but visitors may overlook.

Why is it called Fort Street, and what was Bastion Square? What was the purpose of the beacons for which Beacon Hill Park was named, and is that actually how many blocks are in the breakwater? Where can I go for the best soft-serve ice cream or fish and chips? Where is the best sandy beach or the best place to spend a rainy day? These and many more helpful tips are woven throughout this guide.

Vital Statistics

Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia, is at 48 degrees latitude on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. On the west coast, year-round temperatures are relatively mild with Victoria taking top honours in Canada for mildest winter and fewest snow days, and third place for most clear skies in summer.

Islanders call this region the Wet Coast because Victoria gets its fair share of rain. However, Victoria is the driest region of Vancouver Island with June and July historically having the least rainfall.¹

Greater Victoria is a federation of thirteen self-governing municipalities and three electoral areas. The region has specific aspects of governance such as the provision of services by the Capital Regional District. Compared with the overall region, the City of Victoria is small in area and is bounded by the core municipalities of Saanich, Esquimalt and Oak Bay. This guide covers Greater Victoria, known as the Capital Regional District or CRD, with emphasis on the City of Victoria and the core municipalities.

Greater Victoria (CRD)

The municipalities within the CRD include Central Saanich, Colwood, Esquimalt, Highlands, Langford, Metchosin, North Saanich, Oak Bay, Saanich, Sidney, Sooke, Victoria, and View Royal.

Greater Victoria covers about 7% of the landmass of Vancouver Island but has about 50% of the population with 345,000 in 2006.² The City of Victoria has a population of about 80,000.

Do I Need a Passport to Visit Canada? Most likely. Visitors from the USA require either a passport (air, land and sea) or a passport card (only land and sea) to get back to the USA. Check the Canadian Border Services Agency or US State Department for requirements.

Currency: The currency of Canada is the Canadian Dollar, nicknamed the Loonie. A number of banks and currency exchanges are in the downtown core. Most businesses also accept US dollars at competitive rates. It pays–no pun intended–to shop around for the best rates as they can vary widely. I suggest first trying a currency exchange such as FX Connectors or Calforex Currency Exchange for better than bank rates on foreign conversion transaction fees. Then try exchanging funds at one of the leading five banks such as Royal Bank (RBC), Bank of Montreal, Toronto Dominion Bank (TD), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), or Scotia Bank for the next best rates. The big banks have ATM fees that are preferable to the hefty transaction fees charged by private ATM’s found in hotels, restaurants and bars.

Cash, Credit and ATM Cards: Major credit cards accepted most everywhere include Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Avoid relying on cards with limited acceptance such as Discover. Make sure to have some cash on hand when entering Canada for incidentals such as taxi, bus and food. Usually, credit cards or ATM cards will give you the best interbank exchange rates. However, many credit cards charge a commission plus a foreign transaction fee that can be as high as three percent. A nifty trick involves loading a positive cash balance on your credit card before leaving home, then taking cash advances–against your credit card–from ATM’s as you need them. Take as much out at a time as you are comfortable carrying. You will pay a transaction fee and be buying with cash, but you avoid the foreign transaction surcharges that can add up. The bonus is avoiding the high interest rates charged to your account by cash advances on credit. Check with your credit card issuer and bank about foreign withdrawal fees before you leave. Remember, you may want to make some payments with your credit card such as car rentals to take advantage of included insurance coverage provided you have it with your card policy.

Telephone: Local calling requires area code 250 or 778 + the seven digit number. Long distance calling requires a 1 before the area code. Smartphone users without an adequate long distance or out of country plan can consider using an app such as Skype to make calls using a WiFi (WLAN) connection. Long distance and local Skype calls cost only a few cents per minute.

Power: 110-120V (same as USA and Mexico) with three prong grounded plug.

Free WiFi: Foreign data roaming charges add up quickly, so use the extensive network of free WiFi hotspots in Victoria wherever possible. Follow the links in this guide to check menus, prices, directions, or admission information while you are on the go. Some hotels now provide free WiFi, and many coffee shops, restaurants, pubs and clubs offer free internet access as well. Several coffee shops and food chains supplying free WiFi include Starbucks, Serious Coffee and McDonald’s. Check this site for a map of free WiFi cafe locations, although it is not comprehensive. Some hotspots do not require a passcode, but others will. For example, all the public library branches have free WiFi with no passcode required, but cafes such as Murchie’s Tea and Coffee require a free passcode. It may cost a cup of coffee to get the passcode, but the coffee is good! Also on the way–a free wireless mesh, soon to cover the entire downtown will provide a seamless browsing experience.

Getting to Victoria

Make your way to the Island by air or by ship–sorry no bridges. If time is short, fly in by floatplane to downtown Victoria or to Victoria International Airport (YYJ). If you fly into Vancouver International Airport (YVR), and will be visiting Victoria and elsewhere on the Island, I would highly recommend renting a car at YVR and travelling to the Island by ship with BC Ferries.

BC Ferries (Car, Foot or Bus)

Without a rental car, taking public transit from the airport to the ferries at Tsawassen is easy by Skytrain (Canada Line Station at YVR) and bus. It involves only one transfer from Skytrain to the #620 bus at Bridgeport Station. Depending on when you travel, this trip is a bargain for $9 or less. From Swartz Bay, take the BC Transit #70X–Swartz Bay/Downtown Express bus to the end of the line at the hotel district in downtown Victoria (Government and Superior Streets). A bargain, the fare for this trip is just $2.50 for adults.

Alternatively, you can travel year-round on the Pacific Coach Lines (PCL) express bus from YVR (or the cruise ship terminal at Canada Place Pier and Ballantyne Pier) to Victoria. PCL also allows you to buy a ticket once you are on the ferry if you require travel just from the ferry to downtown Victoria.

A summer voyage aboard BC Ferries is a spectacular–albeit increasingly expensive–mini cruise. Experience the distinct smells of the ocean, seabirds, seals, eagles, and on occasion pods of orcas (killer whales) during the 1.5-hour Tsawassen to Swartz Bay trip. Ferry prices are rising fast enough that depending on party configuration, it may be cheaper to fly directly to the Island or take the Washington State Ferry between Anacortes and Sidney or the Black Ball Ferry between Port Angeles and Victoria.

The direct