General Info

The Capital Region is made up of 13 municipalities, including the City of Victoria. Each community has its own unique charm and interesting aspects and offers an abundance of activities, shopping and historical character. Oak Bay Considered Victoria's most British-looking community, Oak Bay retains its British personality with Tudor-style homes, impeccable landscaping, parks, beaches and a shopping sector full of exquisite shops and tea rooms. People of all ages delight in seeing harbour seals in their natural habitat at the Oak Bay Marina. The whole family can enjoy sandy Willows Beach and its adjoining playground. From Cattle Point, view majestic Mount Baker or watch as sailboats race by. See the former home (now the Glenlyon Norfolk School) of architect Francis Mawson Rattenbury who designed Victoria's Legislative Buildings and The Fairmont Empress Hotel, or drive through the Uplands and marvel at the mansions lining the immaculately landscaped streets. Esquimalt Just a short drive or walk from downtown, over the Johnson Street Bridge, is the community of Esquimalt, the West Coast home of Canada's Navy. Esquimalt boasts a naval museum, several historic military sites, parks overlooking the water, a number of scenic walking paths and a replica of Anne Hathaway's Cottage at the Olde England Inn. First established as a British naval base in 1865, modern Esquimalt now has the second-largest Canadian Forces Base in the country, after Halifax, Nova Scotia. Whistles sound through the neighbourhood as trains still travel the Esquimalt and Nanaimo (E & N) Railway from Victoria to Courtenay. Saanich & Central Saanich North of downtown, the District of Saanich and the District of Central Saanich offer all the charms of country life in its rural expanses and all the conveniences of urban life in its residential neighbourhoods. Saanich means "place of fertile soil" in the language of the local aboriginal people and the area abounds with lush green parks including Swan Lake, Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary and Mount Douglas Park. Hike or drive to the top of Mount Douglas for a panoramic 360-degree view of Greater Victoria. Pathways await explorers in search of ocean beaches, waterfront strolls, neighbourhood walks, scenic vistas and country rambles on horseback. Many countryside farms and cottages offer vegetables, fruit and flowers for sale on the honour system from roadside stands. While in Saanich, visit local attractions including; the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific, the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory and the Centre of the Universe, Saanich Commonwealth Place and Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park (a local mecca for swimming, rowing, windsurfing, fishing, walking and horseback riding). Sidney and North Saanich Sidney and North Saanich are located at the tip of the Saanich Peninsula, five minutes from the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal and Victoria International Airport and 25 minutes north of downtown. Sidney is a pretty little town known for its museums, marinas, oceanside walkways and unique shops, including several bookstores. The outlying area contains country roads that crisscross rolling farmland, parks, forests and the tiny communities of the Saanich Peninsula. Roads in these communities lead to a number of delightful attractions such as; the world-famous Butchart Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, the BC Aviation Museum, Saanich Historical Artifacts Society, Island View Beach, Sidney Spit Marine Park and the village of Brentwood Bay. West Shore Communities View Royal, Colwood, Langford, the Highlands and Metchosin, collectively named the West Shore Communities, together with Sooke, offer many diverse outdoor adventure opportunities as well as charming bed and breakfasts and country inns. This semi-rural area is known for picturesque marinas, breathtaking coastal scenery, artisan studios and galleries. Favorite attractions include Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic sites and Hatley Castle and Park at Royal Roads University. Sooke West of Victoria, the Island Highway (Hwy #14), the West Coast Road and the Galloping Goose Trail wind through the West Shore Communities to Sooke. Tracing the coastline, the West Coast Road leads to lush rainforests, rocky cliffs, hiking trails and some of the most scenic beaches on Vancouver Island. En route, stop at East Sooke Regional Park, where trails range from casual strolls to full-day treks. Birdwatchers will enjoy Whiffin Spit, a natural breakwater between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Sooke Harbour. Visit the Sooke Region Museum and be sure to see the natural wonder of the Sooke Potholes. West of Sooke, the highway leads to some of the Island's most beautiful scenery at French Beach, China Beach, Botanical Beach (famous for its tide pools) and the southern terminal of the West Coast Trail.