Holiday Destination: Victoria

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. Sometimes Victoria is called a bit of Old England because of its winding, narrow streets and beautiful gardens. Named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and of the Dominion of Canada, Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest, with British settlement beginning in 1841. The city has retained a large number of its historic buildings, in particular its two most famous landmarks, the British Columbia Parliament Buildings "finished in 1897 and home of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia" and the Empress hotel "opened in 1908". The city's Chinatown is the second oldest in North America after San Francisco's. The region's Coast Salish First Nations peoples established communities in the area long before non native settlement, possibly several thousand years earlier, which had large populations at the time of European exploration. Victoria, like many Vancouver Island communities, continues to have a sizable First Nations presence, composed of peoples from all over Vancouver Island and beyond.

Climate

Summer 20 °C (68 °F), Winter (−15.7) °C (3.7 °F)

Tourist Season

Mid March until Mid October is the best for tourism.

Accommodation

Hotels and Apartments.

General Information Of Victoria

• Land Area: 62 sq mi (100 km2)
• Population: 3 Lakh.
• Capital City: British Columbia.
• Language: English.

Tourist Attraction in or Near by Victoria

British Columbia Parliament Buildings

The British Columbia Parliament Buildings are located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The Speaker and the Sergeant At Arms are amongst those responsible for the legislative precinct, which by statute include the Parliament Buildings and grounds. The Neo baroque buildings face north on Belleville street facing the Inner Harbour and diagonally across from The Empress Hotel. A statue of Queen Victoria stands on the front lawn as well a statue of a soldier to commemorate the province's World War I, World War II and Korean War dead. Atop the central dome is a gold covered statue of Captain George Vancouver. Free guided tours of the facility are offered year round.

Royal British Columbia Museum

The Royal British Columbia Museum Corporation consists of The Province of British Columbia's natural and human history museum as well as the Provincial Archives. It is located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The Royal title was approved by Queen Elizabeth II and bestowed by HRH Prince Philip in 1987, to coincide with a Royal tour of that year. The museum merged with the British Columbia Provincial Archives in 2003. The natural history collections have 750,000 records of specimens almost exclusively from BC and neighbouring states, provinces, or territories. The museum anchors the Royal BC Museum Cultural Precinct, a surrounding area with historical sites and monuments, including Thunderbird Park.

The Butchart Gardens

The Butchart Gardens is a group of floral display gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada, located near Victoria on Vancouver Island. The gardens receive more than a million visitors each year. The gardens have been designated a National Historic Site of Canada due to their international renown. The menagerie includes thirty animals ranging from bears, to horses, to ostriches, to zebras and mirrors the world from which The Gardens draws its visitors. The designs were hand picked by the owner, in consultation with an artist from North Carolina. The carvings were done by some of the few remaining carvers of carousel art. Each animal is carved from basswood and took many months to complete.

Pacific Undersea Gardens

The Pacific Undersea Gardens is located at the Inner Harbour in the heart of downtown Victoria. The Gardens is owned and operated by the Oak Bay Marine Group. The Gardens also have a tidal pond full of Sea stars and Sea Anemones, which is intended to be a fun and educational experience where visitors are allowed to gently touch the animals. In the actual show, a guide will welcome you and narrate the show to explain the different wildlife in the aquarium.

Beacon Hill Park

Beacon Hill Park is located along the shore of Juan de Fuca Strait in Victoria, British Columbia. The park is popular both with tourists and locals, and contains a number of amenities including woodland and shoreline trails, two playgrounds, a waterpark, playing fields, a petting zoo, tennis courts, many ponds, and landscaped gardens. The hill is culturally significant, having been a burial site for the First Nations Coast Salish people, who are the original inhabitants of the Greater Victoria region. It provides scenic vistas of the Strait and the Olympic Mountains of Washington. Although much of the park has been landscaped into gardens and playing fields, and populated with various structures, a great deal of the native flora has been preserved. Garry oak fawn lily still remain in the park. Raccoons, river otters, squirrels, and many types of birds are frequently to be seen.

Craigdarroch Castle

Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, is a historic, Victorian-era Scottish Baronial mansion. The mansion was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Victoria's legendary landmark, is only a 20-30 minute walk from Victoria's Inner Harbour with interesting antique shops and services along the way. Bus service to Joan Crescent, a two minute walk from the Castle is available from downtown.

Hatley Park National Historic Site

Hatley Park National Historic Site is located in Colwood, British Columbia in Greater Victoria. It is the site of Hatley Castle, a Classified Federal Heritage Building. Since 1995, the mansion and estate have been used for the public Royal Roads University. From the 1940s-1995, it was used for the Royal Roads Military College, a naval training facility. The extensive grounds of the historic site have formal gardens, former farmland, and trails through mature stands of first and second-growth forest, including large Douglas fir and western red cedar.

Swan Lake/Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary

Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary is a nature reserve located in Saanich, British Columbia. The sanctuary includes a lake, adjacent marshy lowlands, and a nature centre, as well as a good part of the summit regions of Christmas Hill. Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary has two distinct ecological areas, walking trails and a floating boardwalk allowing close-up looks at the lake's ecosystem. To enjoy excellent public recreation facilities.

Matheson Lake Regional Park

Matheson Lake Regional Park covers 162 hectares and features Matheson Lake, a recreational area providing swimming and fishing opportunities. The park is a paddling destination for those seeking a serene, cloistered environment. Matheson Trail, a well maintained 3 km hiking and walking trail loops around Matheson Park. The 46 kilometre multi use Galloping Goose Trail passes through Matheson Lake Park, connecting the park to the adjacent Roche Cove Regional Park. Hikers, cyclists, joggers and horse riders share the trail. Park facilities include parking, pit toilets and a roped off beach for swimming. Camping in Matheson Lake Regional Park and the adjacent Roche Cove Regional Park is not permitted. Matheson Lake Regional Park is located 16 miles southwest of Victoria on Southern Vancouver Island.

Accessibility

Bus Terminal in or Near by

southbound Douglas NS Centennial

Douglas Street
Victoria, BC, Canada

northbound Douglas NS Pandora

Douglas North Street
Victoria, BC, Canada

Eastbound Johnson FS Broad

Broad Street
Victoria, BC, Canada

Northbound Government NS Johnson

Government North Street
Victoria, BC, Canada

Airports in or Near by

Victoria International Airport: For international flights.

Railway Stations

E&N Langford Station Platform

Station Avenue
Victoria, BC, Canada