Moon Vancouver

British Columbia’s capital city mixes historic and hip, while the island’s Pacific coast lures ocean lovers with surf, sand, and rainforest trails.

Vancouver Island offers lots of ways to relax, from enjoying a cup of tea or a glass of wine to snorkeling with seals, watching whales, and catching waves.

British Columbia’s capital city, Victoria, is located at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, across the Strait of Georgia from the city of Vancouver. You can easily spend a day or more taking in the sights along the Inner Harbour, venturing offshore for whale-watching, or enjoying traditional afternoon tea. A boom in contemporary restaurants, craft breweries, and cool cocktail bars means that you’ll eat and drink well, too. Just outside of Victoria, the Cowichan Valley is a growing wine region, where you can sip and sample what’s new at the winery tasting rooms.

North of Victoria, Nanaimo is an alternate ferry port between Vancouver and the island; it’s the most convenient route between Vancouver and Tofino on the island’s west coast. Besides an attractive waterfront and historic sites, Nanaimo is worth a stop for a unique adventure: snorkeling with a colony of seals who live near the city’s harbor. Be sure to sample a sweet Nanaimo bar, too.

Vancouver Island’s striking west coast is the region’s ocean playground. You can explore the beaches and rainforest trails in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and unwind in the sand-and-surf communities of Tofino and Ucluelet. Day-trip to remote hot springs, kayak to a First Nations island, or go on a whale- or bear-watching excursion. Oceanfront resorts and fine casual restaurants (seafood is a specialty) keep you comfortable when you come in from the sea.

Victoria

The British Empire lived long and prospered in British Columbia’s capital city, Victoria. British explorer James Cook became the first non-aboriginal person to set foot in what is now British Columbia, when he landed on Vancouver Island’s west coast in 1778. Sixty-five years later, the Hudson’s Bay Company established a trading post on the island’s southeastern corner, naming it Fort Victoria, after the British queen.

Victoria is still known for its British traditions, particularly elegant afternoon tea, and as Canada’s warmest region, Victoria has been a popular destination for retirees. These days, though, Victoria has shed its reputation as a destination for “the newly wed and the nearly dead.” It’s an increasingly modern, multicultural community that’s drawing entrepreneurs, passionate foodies, and other independent types, with cultural attractions, vibrant restaurants, and plenty to do in the mild outdoors.

SIGHTS

DOWNTOWN

S Victoria’s Inner Harbour

Victoria’s harbor is the center of activity downtown, with ferries and floatplanes coming and going, buskers busking, and plenty of tourists soaking up the scene and the sun. Many companies offering whale-watching tours and other water-based excursions have their offices along the waterside promenade, and Tourism Victoria (812 Wharf St., 250/953-2033, www.tourismvictoria.com; 9am-5pm daily) runs a visitor information center here, with public restrooms.

Victoria Harbour Ferry (250/708-0201, www.victoriaharbourferry.com) operates a water taxi (11am-5pm daily Mar. and Oct., 11am-7pm daily Apr.-mid-May, 10am-9pm daily mid-May-mid-Sept.) around the Inner Harbour in cute colorful boats, with stops at Fisherman’s Wharf, the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort, and many other waterside points. Fares vary by distance; a basic one-zone trip, which includes many Inner Harbour points, is $6 per person. They also offer 45-minute harbor tours (10am-5pm daily Mar.-Oct.; adults $26, seniors and students $24, under age 13 $14), departing every 30 minutes from the Causeway Marina in front of the Fairmont Empress.

Fairmont Empress

A landmark on the Inner Harbour, the Fairmont Empress (721 Government St., 250/384-8111, www.fairmont.com) has cast its grand ivy-covered visage across Victoria’s waterfront since 1908. Architect Francis M. Rattenbury designed and built the hotel as one of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s majestic château-style lodgings. British royals have slept here, including Prince Charles and Camilla in 2009, as have U.S. presidents and numerous celebrities, including Katharine Hepburn, Bob Hope, John Travolta, Harrison Ford, and Barbra Streisand.

You can take a one-hour guided tour (included with museum admission); check the calendar on the museum’s website or in the lobby for tour times and topics. To spread out your museum meanderings over two consecutive days, buy a discounted two-day ticket (adults $36, seniors, students, and ages 6-18 $25.50).

The museum has an IMAX Theatre (IMAX only adults $11.95, seniors and ages 6-18 $9.75, students $10.75, with museum admission adults $34, seniors and ages 6-18 $27, students $28), showing a changing selection of movies on the big screen.

Adjacent to the museum, several totem poles stand in Thunderbird Park. Also outside is the 1852 Helmcken House, the oldest public building in B.C. still on its original site; the Hudson’s Bay Company built the cabin for Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken and his wife, Cecilia Douglas. A physician and politician, Helmcken helped bring B.C. into the Canadian Confederation, though he allegedly once said that Canada would eventually be absorbed into the United States.

B.C. Parliament Building

Although Vancouver, on the mainland, is a much larger city, Victoria has been the provincial capital since British Columbia joined the Canadian Confederation in 1871. The seat of the provincial government is the B.C. Legislative Assembly, which convenes in the stately 1897 Parliament Building (501 Belleville St., 250/387-8669, tour information 250/387-3046, www.leg.bc.ca; tours 9am-5pm daily mid-May-early Sept., 9am-5pm Mon.-Fri. early-Sept.-mid-May; free), overlooking the Inner Harbour.

Thousands of twinkling white lights illuminate the Parliament Building, making the copper-roofed stone structure even more photogenic at night than it is during the day. British-born architect Francis M. Rattenbury (1867-1935) designed the building, winning a design competition and his first major commission less than a year after he arrived in B.C. from England at age 25.

On 30- to 45-minute tours of the grand building, you’ll learn more about the province’s history and governmental operations. In the legislative chambers, for example, desks are set two sword-lengths apart so that no one would get injured during the years when members of parliament carried swords.

ONE DAY IN VICTORIA

Catch an early-morning ferry from Vancouver to Swartz Bay and head straight for Butchart Gardens to wander the blossom-lined paths. When you’ve had your fill of flowers, drive to downtown Victoria and get oriented with a quick stroll around the Inner Harbour. Continue up Government Street to the narrow lanes of Chinatown, then browse the boutiques along Lower Johnson Street.

Wander into the grand Fairmont Empress for a glimpse of the city’s Victorian past; for the full Empress experience, book afternoon tea in the hotel’s elegant tearoom. Or if you’d rather a more contemporary lunch, Zambri’s serves fine Italian fare.

After lunch, visit the Royal British Columbia Museum to learn more about the region’s cultural and natural history, take a short tour of the Parliament Building, or stop into the Robert Bateman Centre to explore the work of this noted B.C. artist. If you’d prefer an outdoor adventure, go whale-watching; plenty of tour boats depart from the Inner Harbour.

Unwind over drinks in one of Victoria’s lounges, or do a beer crawl to sample the city’s craft breweries. Then enjoy dinner at Brasserie L’Ecole if you’re in the mood for a French bistro experience or OLO if you prefer more adventurous cuisine paired with creative cocktails.

After dinner, settle into your hotel or take the late ferry back to Vancouver, after your very full Victoria day.

Victoria Bug Zoo

If you’re not afraid of ants, tarantulas, and other crawling, flying, or wriggling insects, visit this fascinating little museum devoted to the world of bugs. The Victoria Bug Zoo (631 Courtney St., 250/384-2847, www.victoriabugzoo.ca; 10am-5pm Mon.-Thurs., 10am-6pm Fri.-Sun.; adults $12, seniors, students, and ages 5-17 $8) houses more than 40 insect species, as well as Canada’s largest ant colony, which you can view through a clear wall. Guides are on hand to share fun bug facts.

Fisherman’s Wharf

Can you imagine yourself living on the water? With your house in the water? The residents of the 30 compact floating houses in the Float Home Village at Fisherman’s Wharf (1 Dallas Rd., www.fishermanswharfvictoria.com) do just that. Wander the docks and envision life in this colorful waterfront community; these are private homes, though, so do respect residents’ privacy.

Emily Carr House

Known for her paintings of British Columbia’s landscape and its native people, artist Emily Carr (1871-1945) is considered one of Canada’s most important early-20th-century painters. Unusually for a woman of her era, she made several solo trips to remote First Nations communities, where she wanted to document what she believed was the disappearing indigenous culture. She didn’t begin seeing commercial success until late in her life, after a 1927 National Gallery of Canada exhibit featured some of her work; the now-famous artist managed a Victoria apartment building for 15 years to support herself.

Set in a Victorian home in Victoria’s James Bay neighborhood where she was born and spent her childhood, Emily Carr House (207 Government St., 250/383-5843, www.emilycarr.com; 11am-4pm Tues.-Sat. May-Sept.; adults $6.75, seniors and students $5.75, ages 6-18 $4.50) is a museum about her life and work and about B.C. society during her era.

Beacon Hill Park

Established in 1882, the 200-acre (81-hectare) Beacon Hill Park (bounded by Douglas, Southgate, and Cook Streets and the Dallas Road waterfront, www.beaconhillpark.ca; free) is Victoria’s urban green space, with flower gardens, walking paths, and several attractions, including one of the world’s tallest totem poles, measuring nearly 128 feet (39 meters) tall, and the Mile 0 marker, in the park’s southwest corner, which denotes the start of the 5,000-mile (8,000-kilometer) Trans-Canada Highway.

Near the center of the park, Beacon Hill Children’s Farm (Circle Dr., 250/381-2532, www.beaconhillchildrensfarm.ca; 10am-4pm daily Mar.-Apr. and early Sept.-mid-Oct., 10am-5pm daily May-early Sept.; free) has wandering peacocks, furry alpacas, and a petting zoo. A highlight is the daily goat stampede (10:10am and 5:10pm daily summer, 10:10am and 4:10pm daily spring and fall), when the farm’s goats race between their sleeping barn and the petting area. It’s one of those things you just have to see!

TWO SCANDALS AND A MURDER

Architect Francis Mawson Rattenbury became one of British Columbia’s most notable architects at the turn of the 20th century, designing Victoria’s Parliament Building, the Empress Hotel, and the Vancouver Court House, which now houses the Vancouver Art Gallery. Yet Rattenbury became enmeshed in two marital scandals that tarnished his reputation and eventually led to his grisly murder.

In 1898, not long after he completed work on the Parliament Building, Rattenbury married Florence Nunn, and they had two children. However, as his professional stature grew, his personal life deteriorated, and by the early 1920s, he and Florence were living in different sections of their Oak Bay home, communicating only through their daughter.

At a reception at the Empress Hotel in 1923, Rattenbury met a young musician, Alma Pakenham, nearly 30 years his junior, and they began a very public affair. Florence initially refused Rattenbury’s request for a divorce, agreeing only after he moved Alma into their home, where Florence still lived.

Rattenbury’s indiscreet behavior scandalized Victoria society. Even after he and Alma married in 1925, they were never accepted in the community.

In 1929, they moved to England to start fresh. Instead, they became embroiled in another scandal. Rattenbury had begun drinking, and when they settled in England, his alcoholism worsened, triggering depression and, reportedly, impotence. After they hired 18-year-old George Stoner as a chauffeur, Alma began an affair with the teenager.

Apparently jealous that Alma had any relationship at all with her husband, Stoner attacked Rattenbury in their home, hitting him repeatedly on the head with a mallet. When Rattenbury died not long after the attack, both Alma and Stoner were charged with murder.

After a public trial at London’s Old Bailey that mesmerized the city, Alma was found innocent and Stoner guilty, sentenced to die by hanging. Four days later, apparently distraught by the scandal and by her lover’s sentence, Alma committed suicide by stabbing herself to death.

Despite the trial’s verdict, Alma became the villain in the court of public opinion, accused of corrupting an innocent boy. Stoner’s death sentence was commuted to life in prison.

For the murder of the eminent B.C. architect whose life deteriorated into scandal, George Stoner served only seven years in jail.

Legacy Art Gallery

The Legacy Art Gallery Downtown (630 Yates St., 250/721-6562, http://uvac.uvic.ca; 10am-4pm Wed.-Sat.; free), a small satellite of the University of Victoria’s art collections, has changing shows that typically feature contemporary artists with British Columbia connections.

Chinatown

Settled in the 1850s, Victoria’s Chinatown (Fisgard St. at Government St.) is the oldest in Canada. Although it has now shrunk to a couple of blocks around Fisgard Street, where the neighborhood’s gateway, the Gate of Harmonious Interest, stands, the district was once Canada’s largest Chinese settlement.

▪ Phillips Beer (2010 Government St., 250/380-1912, www.phillipsbeer.com; store 10am-5pm Mon., 10am-6pm Tues.-Thurs. and Sat., 10am-7pm Fri.; tours 4pm Tues.-Thurs., 2pm Fri.-Sat.; $6, reservations recommended)

▪ Vancouver Island Brewing Co. (2330 Government St., 250/361-0005, http://vanislandbrewery.com; store 11am-6pm Tues.-Sat., tours 4pm Fri.-Sat.; $7)

▪ Moon Under Water Brewery and Pub (350 Bay St., 250/380-0706, www.moonunderwater.ca; 11:30am-11pm Mon.-Thurs. and Sat., 11:30am-midnight Fri., 11:30am-8pm Sun.)

▪ Hoyne Brewing Co. (2740 Bridge St., 250/590-5758, http://hoynebrewing.ca; noon-6pm Mon.-Fri., 11am-6pm Sat.)

▪ Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub (308 Catherine St., 250/386-2739, www.spinnakers.com; 11:30am-11pm daily)

EAST OF DOWNTOWN

Abkhazi Garden

The story of this manicured garden is a love story between a British woman born in Shanghai and an erstwhile prince from the Republic of Georgia. Marjorie Pemberton-Carter, known as Peggy, first met Prince Nicholas Abkhazi in Paris in the 1920s. Although they wrote to each other over the years, circumstances kept them apart; during World War II, each spent time in prisoner of war camps—Nicholas in Germany and Peggy in Shanghai.

En route from China to Britain in 1945, Peggy stopped to see friends in Victoria. Her visit turned more permanent when she purchased an overgrown lot and decided to build a summer home. Peggy had lost contact with Nicholas, but he wrote to her in early 1946; they met later that year in New York, and by November, they had returned to Victoria and married.

The home and garden that the newlyweds built on Peggy’s property, and where they lived for more than 40 years, became the Abkhazi Garden (1964 Fairfield Rd., 778/265-6466, http://conservancy.bc.ca; 11am-5pm daily Apr.-Sept., 11am-5pm Wed.-Sun. Oct.-Mar., last admission 1 hour before closing; $10 donation). The compact garden, just over one acre (0.4 hectares), features a rhododendron woodland with large Garry oak trees, a winding path known as the Yangtze River, and a variety of other plantings around the site’s natural rock formations.

Peggy’s 1947 summer home is now The Teahouse at Abkhazi Garden (778/265-6466, www.abkhaziteahouse.com; 11am-5pm daily May-Sept., 11am-5pm Wed.-Sun. Oct.-Apr.; $11-18), which serves soups, salads, and light meals as well as traditional afternoon tea ($30).

From downtown Victoria, take B.C. Transit bus 7 for UVIC (one-way $2.50) from Douglas and View Streets and get off on Fairfield Road at Foul Bay Road, opposite the garden.

Craigdarroch Castle

Like any good British-inspired city, Victoria has a castle, a grand stone Romanesque revival structure, complete with turrets, stained glass, and Victorian-era artifacts.

Robert Dunsmuir, a Scottish immigrant who made his fortune mining coal on Vancouver Island, built the 39-room mansion, known as Craigdarroch Castle (1050 Joan Crescent, 250/592-5323, www.thecastle.ca; 9am-7pm daily mid-June-early Sept., 10am-4:30pm daily early Sept.-mid-June; adults $13.95, seniors $12.95, students $8.95, ages 6-12 $5), in the late 1880s. Sadly, Dunsmuir died before the castle was finished. His wife Joan lived here with three of her unmarried daughters (the Dunsmuirs had 10 children) from the castle’s completion in 1890 until she died in 1908.

With more than 20,000 square feet (1,880 square meters) of floor space, the castle, now a national historic site, is decorated as it would have been in the Dunsmuirs’ time, with lavish Victorian appointments, including sculptures, paintings, books, and period furnishings.

From downtown Victoria, any of the Fort Street buses (one-way $2.50), including B.C. Transit bus 14 for UVIC, bus 15 for UVIC, or bus 22 for Hillside Mall, will drop you near the castle. On foot, allow 30 to 35 minutes from the Inner Harbour.

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

Built around an 1899 Victorian mansion that now houses the museum shop, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (1040 Moss St., 250/384-4171, www.aggv.ca; 10am-5pm Mon.-Sat., noon-5pm Sun. mid-May-mid-Sept., 10am-5pm Tues.-Sun. mid-Sept.-mid-May; adults $13, seniors and students $11, ages 6-17 $2.50) has a significant collection of work by Victoria-born painter Emily Carr and one of Canada’s most extensive Asian art holdings. The gallery’s changing exhibitions typically showcase Canadian or Asian works.

The Art Gallery is 1.5 miles (2.3 kilometers) east of the Inner Harbour. B.C. Transit bus 15 for UVIC (one-way $2.50), which runs along Fort Street, will drop you at the corner of Fort Street and Fernwood Road, around the corner from the gallery. You can easily combine visits to the Art Gallery and nearby Craigdarroch Castle.

Ross Bay Cemetery

From Douglas Street in downtown Victoria, B.C. Transit bus 3 or 7 (one-way $2.50) will take you along Fairfield Road to the cemetery. It’s a 35- to 40-minute walk from the Inner Harbour.

THE SAANICH PENINSULA

The Saanich Peninsula extends north of downtown Victoria to the communities of Saanich, North Saanich, Sidney, and Brentwood Bay. Partly suburban and partly a rural landscape of farms, forests, and fields, the peninsula is worth exploring for one major attraction—the popular Butchart Gardens—and for several smaller sights; it’s also home to several wineries and distilleries. The Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal, with boats to Vancouver and several of the Gulf Islands, is at the northern tip of the Saanich Peninsula.

S Butchart Gardens

How did a cement factory and limestone quarry become one of Vancouver Island’s most popular garden attractions? Jennie Butchart and her husband, Robert, moved to the island from Ontario in the early 1900s, where Robert established a quarry and cement business, and Jennie became the company’s chemist. The Butcharts built a large manor nearby and began planting flowers around it.

The Butterfly Gardens are 12 miles (20 kilometers) north of Victoria and 11 miles (18 kilometers) south of the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal, near the Butchart Gardens. B.C. Transit bus 75 (one-way $2.50) can take you from downtown Victoria in about 40 minutes.

Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre

A small modern aquarium on the waterfront in the town of Sidney, the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre (9811 Seaport Pl., Sidney, 250/665-7511, www.oceandiscovery.ca; 10am-5pm daily July-early Sept., 10am-4:30pm daily early Sept.-June, last admission 30 minutes before closing; adults $15, seniors $12, ages 13-18 $8, ages 4-12 $7.50) focuses on the marinelife of the Salish Sea, the waters surrounding southern Vancouver Island. More than 3,500 creatures, representing 150 different species, are typically on view. On Saturday and Sunday, marine-themed games, crafts, and other special activities add to the fun for kids.

Along Highway 17, the aquarium is 17 miles (28 kilometers) north of downtown Victoria and four miles (6.5 kilometers) south of the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. B.C. Transit buses 70 and 72 (one-way $2.50) stop in Sidney en route between Victoria and the ferry terminal. Get off at 5th Street and Beacon Avenue, and walk down Beacon to the aquarium.

Wineries and Distilleries

You don’t have to go far from Victoria to go wine-tasting, with several wineries and distilleries across the Saanich Peninsula.

The master distillers at the craft distillery Victoria Distillers (9891 Seaport Pl., Sidney, distillery 250/544-8218, lounge and tour bookings 250/544-8217, http://victoriadistillers.com; lounge 2pm-7pm Sun.-Wed., 2pm-9pm Thurs.-Sun., reduced hours in winter; tastings and tours 2pm-5pm Thurs.-Sat.; tours $7) infuse their signature Victoria Gin with a custom blend of botanicals. They make an aged Oaken Gin and an unusual hemp vodka, too. The 45-minute tours of the facility include tastings; you can reserve tour spots in advance, although reservations are not required.

WEST OF DOWNTOWN

Wend your way through the suburbs west of the city center to reach another of Victoria’s famous castles.

Hatley Park National Historic Site

Given that his father, Robert, built Craigdarroch Castle, perhaps it’s no surprise that James Dunsmuir (1851-1920) and his wife, Laura, wanted a castle of their own, particularly as the parents of 12 children. The 1908 Edwardian stone manor that they constructed, now known as Hatley Castle at the Hatley Park National Historic Site (2005 Sooke Rd., 250/391-2511, www.royalroads.ca; 10:15am-3pm daily; adults $18.50, seniors $16, ages 6-17 $11), has 40 rooms, including 22 bedrooms and eight baths.

You can visit the castle, on the campus of Royal Roads University, on a one-hour guided castle tour (11:45am and 2:45pm Sat.-Sun. May-early Sept.) that takes you through the main-floor rooms and offers up details about the Dunsmuir family’s history. The castle’s upper floors, used as university offices, aren’t part of the tour. Another option is the one-hour guided estate tour (10:30am, 11:45am, 1:30pm, and 2:45pm Mon.-Fri., 10:30am and 1:30pm Sat.-Sun. May-early Sept.), which focuses on the castle’s exterior and gardens, along with the family’s story.

If you don’t have time for a tour, or if you’re in town outside the summer season, visit just the manicured gardens (adults $5, seniors $4, ages 6-17 $3.50) or the small museum (free) about the Dunsmuir family.

Hatley Park is 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) west of the Inner Harbour. While it’s possible to get here by public transit, it’s much faster to come by car.

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

Honoring Victoria’s namesake queen, the city’s Victoria Day festivities (www.tourismvictoria.com, May) include a parade downtown.

Aboriginal dancers, singers, and musicians perform at Victoria’s three-day Aboriginal Cultural Festival (www.aboriginalbc.com, June), which also showcases works by First Nations artists.

Food and wine lovers celebrate Vancouver Island’s bounty at Taste: Victoria’s Festival of Food and Wine (www.victoriataste.com, July), a weekend of wine-tastings, seminars, and dinners.

The annual Victoria Symphony Splash (www.victoriasymphony.ca, Aug.) includes a live performance by the Victoria Symphony from a floating stage moored in the Inner Harbour.

The Victoria Fringe Fest (http://victoriafringe.com, Aug.) is an 11-day festival of weird and often wonderful theater, comedy, and storytelling performances.

The Victoria Classic Boat Festival (www.classicboatfestival.ca, Sept.) celebrates the island’s maritime heritage with boat parades, races, and other events.

SHOPPING

Shops line Government Street, stretching north from the Inner Harbour, many selling T-shirts, Canadian flag patches, and other souvenirs. Lower Johnson Street in Chinatown has more distinctive local clothing, jewelry, and shoes.

CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES

In Chinatown, Lower Johnson Street between Government and Wharf is a mix of trend-conscious chains like yoga-wear maker Lululemon (584 Johnson St., 250/383-1313, www.lululemon.com; 10am-7pm Sun.-Wed. and Sat., 10am-8pm Thurs.-Fri.) and locally run boutiques, including Still Life for Her (550 Johnson St., 250/386-5658, http://stilllifeboutique.com; 10:30am-6pm Mon.-Sat., 11am-5pm Sun.) and its companion store Still Life for Him (560 Johnson St., 250/386-5655, http://stilllifeboutique.com; 10:30am-6pm Mon.-Sat., 11am-5pm Sun.), and Suasion (552 Johnson St., 250/995-0133, http://shopsuasion.com; 10:30am-6pm Mon.-Sat., 11am-5pm Sun.).

Sneaker fans run into Baggins Shoes (580 Johnson St., 250/388-7022, http://bagginsshoes.com; 10am-6pm Mon.-Fri., 11am-5pm Sun.), which has one of the world’s largest selections of Converse styles. In the Atrium Building, Head Over Heels (1323 Blanshard St., 250/590-5154, www.headoverheelsvictoria.ca; 10:30am-5:30pm Mon.-Sat., noon-4pm Sun.) sells fashion-forward shoes.

BOOKS

Nobel prize-winning author Alice Munro and her former husband Jim opened Munro’s Books (1108 Government St., 250/382-2464, www.munrobooks.com; 9am-6pm Mon.-Wed. and Sat., 9am-9pm Thurs.-Fri., 9:30am-6pm Sun.) in 1963. Although the writer is no longer involved in its management, this well-stocked old-school bookstore in a grand 1909 former bank carries titles by Canadian authors and other books of local interest.

GOURMET FOOD AND DRINK

SPORTS AND RECREATION

S WHALE-WATCHING

The waters off Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and Washington’s San Juan Islands are home to several pods of resident orcas (also known as killer whales), particularly during the summer. Pods of transient orcas, as well as Pacific gray whales, humpback whales, and minke whales, migrate through the region.

Numerous Victoria-based companies offer three- to five-hour whale-watching tours from April through October, though summer (July and August) is peak season for both whales and travelers. Some operators use inflatable Zodiacs, which give you a rougher but more exhilarating ride. Others use larger boats for a calmer trip and more shelter from the weather, a better choice on rainy days or choppy seas. Victoria’s whale-watching tour companies include:

▪ Orca Spirit Adventures (250/383-8411 or 888/672-6722, www.orcaspirit.com; adults $115, ages 13-17 $85, ages 3-12 $75), with departures from two Inner Harbour locations: 950 Wharf Street, at the Harbour Air Terminal, or 146 Kingston Street, at the Coast Harbourside Hotel

▪ Prince of Whales (812 Wharf St., 250/383-4884 or 888/383-4884, www.princeofwhales.com; adults $105-120, ages 13-17 $95, ages 5-12 $85)

▪ Eagle Wing Tours (Fisherman’s Wharf, 12 Erie St., 250/384-8008 or 800/708-9488, www.eaglewingtours.com; adults $135, ages 13-17 $105, ages 3-12 $85)

▪ SpringTide Whale Watching (1119 Wharf St., 250/384-4444 or 800/470-3474, www.victoriawhalewatching.com; adults $115, seniors $105, ages 13-18 $95, ages 2-12 $85)

FOOD

AFTERNOON TEA

The Dining Room at Butchart Gardens (800 Benvenuto Ave., Brentwood Bay, 250/652-8222, www.butchartgardens.com; noon-3pm daily Apr.-Sept.; adults $35, ages 11 and under $20) serves traditional afternoon tea in spring and summer, with a mix of sweet and savory items. From October through March, the Gardens offer high tea (adults $36, ages 11 and under $120), adding warm dishes like quiche and Cornish pasty to the menu of sandwiches and desserts. Vegetarian versions of both afternoon tea and high tea are available.

In the traditionally British neighborhood of Oak Bay, the White Heather Tea Room (1885 Oak Bay Ave., 250/595-8020, www.whiteheather-tearoom.com; 11:15am-5pm Tues.-Sat., last seating 3:45pm) offers a traditionally British afternoon tea in several sizes, from the Wee Tea ($20.50 pp) to the Not-So-Wee Tea ($26.50) to the Big Muckle Giant Tea For Two ($60 for 2, each additional person $30).

For a less formal (and meat-free) tea, visit Venus Sophia Tea Room & Vegetarian Eatery (540 Fisgard St., 250/590-3953, www.venussophia.com; afternoon tea 11am-4:30pm daily; adults $34, ages 12 and under $24), a pretty-in-pink Chinatown storefront. Choose among their signature teas to pair with a seasonally changing assortment of sandwiches, baked goods, and sweets.

GROCERIES AND MARKETS

In a historic building that once housed the Hudson’s Bay department store, the Victoria Public Market (1701 Douglas St., 778/433-2787, http://victoriapublicmarket.com; 10am-6pm Mon.-Sat., 11am-5pm Sun.) draws foodies with stalls selling cheeses, chocolate, tea, olive oil, pie, and other goodies, plus a seasonal farmers market (11am-3pm Wed. and Sat. Mar.-Nov.).

Another snacking destination is Fort Street, where upscale food shops include Chorizo & Co (807 Fort St., 250/590-6393; 8:30am-5pm Mon.-Tues., 8:30am-10pm Wed.-Fri., 11am-10pm Sat.), a Spanish deli and tapas bar; Choux Choux Charcuterie (830 Fort St., 205/382-7572, www.chouxchouxcharc.com; 10am-5:30pm Mon.-Fri., 10am-5pm Sat.) for cured meats and artisanal cheese; and Chocolat, Chocolatiere de Victoria (703 Fort St., 250/381-0131, www.chocolatvictoria.ca; 9:30am-6pm Mon.-Sat.) for handmade chocolates.

To buy groceries close to downtown, head for The Market on Yates (903 Yates St., 250/381-6000, www.themarketstores.com; 7am-11pm daily), a well-stocked local food store.

VICTORIA’S CHOCOLATE PROJECT

David Mincey is passionate about chocolate. The owner and resident chocolate obsessive at the Chocolate Project (Victoria Public Market, 1701 Douglas St., www.chocolateproject.ca) is on a mission to improve the chocolate that is produced around the world and that we eat closer to home.

chocolate from the Chocolate Project

In his stall in Victoria’s Public Market, Mincey carries single origin, sustainably produced chocolate from many different countries. If you stop to chat, he’ll tell you about the horrors of conventional chocolate production; he says that most commercial chocolate comes from West African plantations where enslaved people provide the labor, which is how companies can produce chocolate bars selling for $3 or less. He can tell you about the small businesses and individual growers across the globe who produce the chocolate he sells, many of whom he has visited personally.

You can find Mincey at his stand most Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during Public Market hours (10am-6pm Mon.-Sat., 11am-5pm Sun.), offering tastings, running impromptu workshops, and generally preaching the chocolate gospel. His chocolate bars start around $10 each, and he’ll convince you that they’re worth it.

MODERN CANADIAN

Taking its name from a Chinook word meaning “hungry,” S OLO (509 Fisgard St., 250/590-8795, www.olorestaurant.com; 5pm-10pm Mon.-Thurs., 5pm-11pm Fri., 10am-2pm and 5pm-11pm Sat., 10am-2pm and 5pm-10pm Sun.; $18-46) doesn’t just satisfy your hunger. This fashionably relaxed Chinatown restaurant, decorated with woven wooden light fixtures that dangle from the ceiling like outsized birds’ nests, delights guests with its innovative seasonal fare, from alder smoked salmon with beets and rye crackers to lamb with potato gnocchi and squash to the popular burger garnished with greens and garlic mayo. If you’re feeling adventurous, order the “family meal” for your table and let the kitchen prepare a multicourse feast.

S Little Jumbo (506 Fort St., 778/433-5535, www.littlejumbo.ca; 5pm-11pm Mon., 5pm-midnight Tues.-Thurs. and Sun., 5pm-1am Fri.-Sat.; $21-32) feels like a secret speakeasy, set at the end of a narrow hallway. In the cozy narrow room with exposed brick walls and green lights illuminating the banquettes, the well-stocked bar and hardworking bartenders draw cocktail connoisseurs (they’ll make you delicious “mocktails,” too, if you’re keeping with the Prohibition theme), but the kitchen is serious as well. Even simple dishes, like fresh green salads or an antipasto platter, are thoughtfully prepared, and you might find innovations like hoisin-glazed duck with Sichuan-braised mushrooms.

Café Brio (944 Fort St., 250/383-0009 or 866/270-5461, www.cafe-brio.com; 5:30pm-late Tues.-Sat.; $15-33) is an old favorite with a modern Mediterranean menu. Look for dishes like grilled albacore with spinach in a red wine broth, braised beef short ribs with roasted root vegetables, or spaghetti with fresh tomatoes. Note to grazers, or those with small appetites: You can order most dishes in full or half portions. The wine list is strong on B.C. labels.

An unassuming order-at-the-counter eatery, Part and Parcel (2656 Quadra St., 778/406-0888, www.partandparcel.ca; 11:30am-9pm Tues.-Sat.; $7-13) surprises with the first-rate quality of its straightforward but innovative dishes. On the changing menu that leans heavily on salads and sandwiches, super-fresh greens might be topped with spring rhubarb, fresh tuna might come sandwiched with pickled green beans, and pillowy gnocchi might sport a creamy sesame sauce. In the Quadra Village neighborhood, not quite two miles (3 kilometers) north of the Inner Harbour, this local joint is an easy pit stop on the way to or from the Swartz Bay ferry.

SEAFOOD

It’s a little hard to find, but that hasn’t stopped the hordes from lining up at the wharf-side shipping container housing Red Fish Blue Fish (1006 Wharf St., 250/298-6877, www.redfish-bluefish.com; 11am-9pm daily mid-Feb.-Oct.; $10-23), a busy seafood takeaway at the foot of Broughton Street. Choose tempura-battered Pacific cod, wild salmon, B.C. halibut, or oysters for your fish-and-chips. The hand-rolled fish tacos and salmon sandwich with pickled cucumbers are other popular picks.

Reel in a quick bite at Fishhook (805 Fort St., 250/477-0470, www.fishhookvic.com; 11am-9pm daily; $6-13), which specializes in seafood tartines, open-faced sandwiches topped with cured, broiled, or smoked fish. Try the sablefish with kale and house-made pickles or the tuna melt with cheddar and caramelized broccoli. This casual café also makes an array of fish curries.

A Victoria institution on Fisherman’s Wharf, Barb’s Fish ’n’ Chips (1 Dallas Rd., 250/384-6515, http://barbsfishandchips.com; 11am-dark daily mid-Mar.-Oct.; $6-19) has been serving up seafood since 1984. It’s one mile (1.6 kilometers) west of downtown; you can also get here on the Victoria Harbour Ferry (250/708-0201, www.victoriaharbourferry.com).

ASIAN

For a quick bite with flavors from across Asia, pop into Foo Asian Street Food (769 Yates St., 250/383-3111, www.foofood.ca; 11:30am-10pm Mon.-Sat., 11:30am-9pm Sun.; $9-15) for a short rib bánh mì, pork fried rice, butter chicken, and other crowd-pleasing dishes that take cues from Vietnam, China, India, Japan, and Thailand. They don’t have many seats, but they do have local beer on tap.

FRENCH

The modern Italian fare at S Zambri’s (820 Yates St., 250/360-1171, www.zambris.ca; 11:30am-3pm and 5pm-9pm Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am-3pm and 5pm-10pm Fri.-Sat, 10:30am-2pm and 5pm-9pm Sun.; $17-32), in the equally modern Atrium Building, makes one of Victoria’s best meals, Italian or otherwise. The pastas, like penne with gorgonzola and peas or orecchiette with house-made sausages and rapini, are always good choices, as are the pizzas, or you can try more elaborate mains like tuna alla livornese (sauced with onions, tomatoes, olives, and wine) or beef tenderloin paired with polenta. Save room for desserts like panna cotta or chocolate pot de crème.

VEGETARIAN

You can order a local craft beer or a “superfood” cocktail (perhaps the Coastal Gin & Tonic made with spirulina and bull kelp) at cool, laid-back Be Love (1019 Blanshard St., 778/433-7181, http://beloverestaurant.ca; 11am-9:30pm Sun.-Thurs., 11am-10pm Fri.-Sat.; $14-21), a bright vegetarian café where veggie-friendly doesn’t mean ascetic. Try a salad like arugula and melon with shaved fennel and pumpkin seeds or the Bibimbap Bowl, a mix of house-made kimchi, seaweed, sautéed veggies, pickled shiitakes, and grilled tempeh on brown rice. Want a booze-free beverage? Note the big vats of kombucha above the bar.

An old favorite among plant-eaters and their omnivorous dining companions, Rebar (50 Bastion Square, 250/361-9223, www.rebarmodernfood.com; 11:30am-9pm Mon.-Fri., 8:30am-9pm Sat., 8:30am-8pm Sun.; $11-22) serves vegetarian comfort food like curries, enchiladas, and stir-fries, along with a few seafood dishes. Their almond burger is a classic. Save room for a sweet, like a homey ginger molasses cookie or gooey carrot cake.

DINERS

A favorite joint for breakfast or brunch is funky Jam Café (542 Herald St., 778/440-4489, www.jamcafevictoria.com; 8am-3pm daily; $8-16), where the hip takes on diner classics include fried oatmeal, red velvet pancakes, and chicken and waffles. Come hungry, and be prepared to line up; they don’t take reservations.

BAKERIES AND CAFÉS

Well-prepared coffee, baked goods, and light meals such as salads, charcuterie, and pastas draw locals and visitors to the sunny patio or cozy interior at Tre Fantastico (810 Humboldt St., 250/590-8014, www.caffefantastico.com; 7am-10pm daily), a café set a short stroll from the Inner Harbour.

For a quick exotic meal, stop into Le Petit Dakar (711 Douglas St., 250/380-3705, www.lepetitdakarbc.ca; 11am-5pm Mon.-Fri.; $7-11), a tiny Senegalese takeaway. The personable chef-owner will guide you through the small menu where you might dig into mafe (a meat stew enriched with peanut butter), black-eyed bean ragout, or chicken curry.

Canada isn’t known as a barbecue nation, but Pig BBQ Joint (1325 Blanshard St., 250/590-5193, www.pigbbqjoint.com; 11am-10pm daily; $8-18) does a fine job with its pulled pork, smoked chicken, and beef brisket. In this casual downtown joint, expect big flavors, but don’t expect niceties like utensils or plates.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Victoria’s hotels are clustered around the Inner Harbour. In some surrounding neighborhoods, you’ll find B&Bs and other good-value lodgings.

UNDER $150

An old motel given new life as a funky retro lodging, Hotel Zed (3110 Douglas St., 250/388-4345 or 800/997-6797, www.hotelzed.com; $99-209 d), decorated in vibrant oranges, turquoises, fuchsias, and purples, is Victoria’s most fun place to stay. The 63 rooms have rotary phones (with free local calls), comic books in the baths, and complimentary Wi-Fi. The indoor-outdoor pool has a bubblegum-pink waterslide. A hip diner-style restaurant, The Ruby (250/507-1325, http://therubyvictoria.com; 8am-8pm Sun.-Thurs., 8am-9pm Fri.-Sat.; $13-18), cooks big breakfasts and roasts free-range chicken; downstairs, there’s a Ping-Pong lounge. It’s two miles (3 kilometers) north of the Inner Harbour, but the hotel runs a free shuttle downtown in their vintage VW bus.

$150-250

In a 1912 Victorian home in the residential Rockland neighborhood, S Abbeymoore Manor B&B (1470 Rockland Ave., 250/370-1470 or 888/801-1811, www.abbeymoore.com; $159-299 d) looks formal, with polished woodwork, oriental rugs, and period furnishings, but the longtime owners keep things comfortable with help-yourself coffee, tea, soft drinks, and snacks, a book- and game-filled guest library, and hearty morning meals. The five guest rooms are all traditionally appointed, while the three suites (two on the garden level and one on the top floor) are more modern. Wi-Fi and local calls are included; no kids under 14.

To capture Victoria’s traditional ambience, stay at the Beaconsfield Inn (998 Humboldt St., 250/384-4044 or 888/884-4044, www.beaconsfieldinn.com; $169-279 d), a nine-room B&B in a 1905 Edwardian manor furnished with antiques, stained-glass windows, and chandeliers. Most guest rooms have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs; all have down comforters and Wi-Fi. Rates include full breakfast, afternoon tea and cookies, and evening sherry. No kids under 12.

Noted Canadian architect Arthur Erickson designed one wing of the Inn at Laurel Point (680 Montreal St., 250/386-8721 or 800/663-7667, www.laurelpoint.com; $149-323 d, parking $17), where most of the contemporary suites are angled to take advantage of the property’s waterfront views. The Laurel Wing units are more conventional, but the harbor vistas from these rooms aren’t bad either. With a quiet setting a short walk from the busy Inner Harbour, the Pacific Rim-style lodging has an indoor pool and a sundeck facing a Japanese garden. The well-regarded Aura Restaurant (250/414-6739, www.aurarestaurant.ca) is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Wi-Fi is included.

OVER $250

A bit removed from the Inner Harbour’s fray, but still an easy stroll from the sights, the condo-style Oswego Hotel (500 Oswego St., 250/294-7500 or 877/767-9346, www.oswegohotelvictoria.com; $190-310 d, 2-bedroom unit $350-595, parking $15-20) has 80 stylish, urban studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. All have kitchen facilities with granite counters, stainless-steel appliances, and French-press coffeemakers, as well as large baths with soaker tubs. The upper-floor suites have expansive city views. Wi-Fi is included.

A landmark on the Inner Harbour, the S Fairmont Empress (721 Government St., 250/384-8111 or 800/441-1414, www.fairmont.com; $449-749, parking $30) charms with its polished staff and stately public spaces. The guest rooms, updated in 2017 with a blend of classic and contemporary furnishings, vary from petite to grand, but you’re here for the heritage and gracious service as much as the physical space. An indoor pool and well-equipped health club keep you busy, while the Willow Stream Spa keeps you pampered. Q at the Empress serves contemporary fare with produce from the rooftop garden and around the island, paired with B.C. wines and local craft beers; the Empress is famous for its traditional afternoon tea. Join Fairmont’s complimentary President’s Club to get Wi-Fi access; otherwise, it’s $15 per day.

S Magnolia Hotel & Spa (623 Courtney St., 250/381-0999 or 877/624-6654, www.magnoliahotel.com; $239-419 d, parking $24), a well-managed boutique lodging two blocks from the Inner Harbour, caters to both business and leisure travelers. The 64 rooms are decorated in soothing grays and creams, with minifridges, single-cup coffeemakers, complimentary Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs. The best rooms are on the sixth and seventh floors above the surrounding buildings; from the corner units, you can see the Parliament Building, illuminated at night. Work out in the compact gym or borrow a complimentary bike to go touring. The staff are quick with a greeting or to offer assistance, from directions to restaurant recommendations.

A stay at the S Oak Bay Beach Hotel (1175 Beach Dr., 250/598-4556 or 800/668-7758, www.oakbaybeachhotel.com; $188-568 d) feels like an escape to a seaside resort, particularly when you swim or soak in the heated mineral pools that front the ocean. The 100 generously sized suites have electric fireplaces, flat-screen TVs, kitchen facilities, and deluxe baths. The panoramic vistas from the water-facing rooms are spectacular. Rates include Wi-Fi, local calls, and parking. The Snug, a British-style pub, serves classics like fish-and-chips and bangers and mash with a cold pint; Kate’s Café keeps guests and locals supplied with coffee and pastries. The hotel is in the residential Oak Bay district, east of downtown.

To stay in an upscale Italian Renaissance manor, book a room at the deluxe Villa Marco Polo Inn (1524 Shasta Pl., 250/370-1524, www.villamarcopolo.com; $239-339 d), built in 1923 in the Rockland district. The four romantic guest suites entice with European linens, Persian carpets, fireplaces, and a plush Silk Road style. Breakfasts feature homemade muffins, organic produce, and locally made charcuterie, with a sweet or savory entrée. Lounge in the garden or the wood-paneled library, checking your email if you must (Wi-Fi and local calls are included), but if you laze with your beloved in your double soaker tub instead, your messages can surely wait.

INFORMATION AND SERVICES

VISITOR INFORMATION

Tourism Victoria (812 Wharf St., 250/953-2033, www.tourismvictoria.com; 9am-5pm daily) runs a year-round information center on the Inner Harbour, with helpful staff who can assist you in booking tours and accommodations. The building has public restrooms, too.

Tourism Vancouver Island (www.vancouverisland.travel) publishes a guide to things to do across the island, available online and in print from area visitors centers.

MEDICAL SERVICES

Victoria General Hospital (1 Hospital Way, 250/727-4212 or 877/370-8699, www.viha.ca) and Royal Jubilee Hospital (1952 Bay St., 250/370-8000 or 877/370-8699, www.viha.ca) provide emergency medical services. The pharmacy at Shoppers Drug Mart (3511 Blanshard St., 250/475-7572, www.shoppersdrugmart.ca) is open 24 hours daily.

GETTING THERE

AIR

The fastest way to travel between Vancouver and Victoria is by floatplane or helicopter. Both take off and land from the city centers, making this option convenient for a car-free day trip. It’s more expensive than taking the ferry, but the scenery over the Gulf Islands and Strait of Georgia is impressive.

Harbour Air (604/274-1277 or 800/665-0212, www.harbourair.com; 35 minutes; one-way adults $139-242) flies frequently throughout the day between the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre (1055 Canada Pl., behind the Vancouver Convention Centre, 604/274-1277) and the Victoria Inner Harbour Centre (1000 Wharf St., 250/384-2215).

Helijet (800/665-4354, www.helijet.com; 35 minutes; one-way adults $179-285, seniors $215) departs frequently throughout the day between Vancouver Harbour Heliport (455 Waterfront Rd., near Waterfront Station, 604/688-4646) and Victoria Harbour Heliport (79 Dallas Rd., 250/386-7676), between the Ogden Point Cruise Ship Terminal and Fisherman’s Wharf. One child (ages 2-12) flies free with each adult; additional one-way children’s fares are $79.

If you’re coming from farther away, you can fly to Victoria International Airport (YYJ, 1640 Electra Blvd., Sidney, 250/953-7533, www.victoriaairport.com), which is north of downtown, from a number of U.S. and Canadian cities. Air Canada (www.aircanada.com) flies between Victoria and Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, or San Francisco. WestJet (www.westjet.com) has flights between Victoria and Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna (B.C.), Las Vegas, and Phoenix. Alaska Air (www.alaskaair.com) makes the quick hop between Victoria and Seattle.

CAR AND FERRY

BC Ferries (888/223-3779, www.bcferries.com) provides frequent service between the Vancouver metropolitan area on the mainland and Vancouver Island. Ferries transport foot passengers, bicycles, cars, trucks, and recreational vehicles. Reservations ($15 at least 7 days in advance, $18.50 1-6 days in advance, $22 same-day travel) are recommended for vehicles, particularly if you’re traveling on summer weekends or during holiday periods. Reservations are not available for walk-on passengers or bicycles.

Metropolitan Vancouver has two ferry docks, which are both outside the city center. The Tsawwassen Terminal (1 Ferry Causeway, Delta), 24 miles (38 kilometers) south of Vancouver, is the departure point for ferries to Victoria. The Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay Ferry (one-way adults $17.20, ages 5-11 $8.60, cars $56.45, bikes $2) takes you between the mainland and Victoria in one hour and 35 minutes.

To drive from Vancouver to Tsawwassen, head south on Oak Street, following the signs for Highway 99 south, and cross the Oak Street Bridge into Richmond. Stay on Highway 99 through the George Massey Tunnel. Exit onto Highway 17 south toward the Tsawwassen ferry terminal. Allow about 45 minutes to drive from downtown Vancouver to Tsawwassen, with extra time during the morning and evening rush hours.

From late June through early September, ferries between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay generally run every hour between 7am and 9pm daily, and every two hours the rest of the year; however, there are frequent variations, so check the B.C. Ferries website (www.bcferries.com) for the schedule before you travel.

The Swartz Bay Terminal (Highway 17) is 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Victoria at the end of Highway 17, about a 30-minute drive. After you exit the ferry at Swartz Bay, follow Highway 17 south, which goes directly into downtown Victoria, where it becomes Blanshard Street.

DIRECT BUS AND FERRY

To travel between Vancouver to Victoria without your own car (and without splurging on a flight), the easiest option is to take a direct bus service that picks up passengers at several points downtown, takes you onto the ferry, and continues into downtown Victoria.

BC Ferries Connector (604/428-9474 or 888/788-8840, www.bcfconnector.com; one-way bus adults $47.50, seniors or B.C. resident adults $35.60, students $28.50, ages 5-11 $23.75), operated by Wilson’s Transportation, transports passengers between downtown Vancouver and downtown Victoria. The bus takes you to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and drives onto the ferry. At Swartz Bay, you reboard the bus and travel to downtown Victoria. Trips depart several times daily in each direction, and reservations are required; the entire trip takes about four hours.

In Vancouver, the BC Ferries Connector bus originates at Pacific Central Station (1150 Station St.). For a slightly higher fare (one-way bus adults $52.50, seniors or B.C. resident adults $39.40, students $31.50, ages 5-11 $26.25), you can schedule a pickup from many downtown Vancouver hotels. In Victoria, the coach takes you to the Capital City Station (721 Douglas St.), behind the Fairmont Empress Hotel, one block from the Inner Harbour.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

If you don’t have a lot of luggage, it’s possible to take public transit between downtown Vancouver and the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and from the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal to downtown Victoria. It’s much cheaper than the BC Ferries Connector option, but it takes a little longer.

In Vancouver, take the Canada Line to Bridgeport Station, where you change to bus 620 for Tsawwassen Ferry (www.translink.ca; one-way adults $5.60, seniors, students, and ages 5-13 $3.80). The total trip takes about an hour.

After taking the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay Ferry (www.bcferries.com; 1 hour and 35 minutes; one-way adults $17.20, ages 5-11 $8.60), catch B.C. Transit bus 70 for Swartz Bay/Downtown Express (www.bctransit.com/victoria; 50 minutes; one-way $2.50 pp) to downtown Victoria.

GETTING AROUND

Victoria’s Inner Harbour is compact and walkable, easy to navigate without a car. It’s possible to reach sights outside the city center on the region’s public buses, although to explore farther afield on Vancouver Island, having your own vehicle is more convenient.

BUS

B.C. Transit (250/382-6161, http://bctransit.com/victoria; one-way $2.50) runs buses around Victoria, to Butchart Gardens, and to the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. Hours vary by bus route, but major routes typically begin service between 6am and 7am and stop service between 11pm and midnight. Service to the Swartz Bay ferry begins at 5:30am Monday through Saturday and 6:30am on Sunday.

FERRY

Victoria Harbour Ferry (250/708-0201, www.victoriaharbourferry.com; 11am-5pm daily Mar. and Oct., 11am-7pm daily Apr.-mid-May, 10am-9pm daily mid-May-mid-Sept.) can take you around the Inner Harbour in their cute colorful boats, stopping at Fisherman’s Wharf, the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort, and many other waterside points. Fares vary by distance; a basic one-zone trip is $6 per person.

TAXI

You can usually find taxis near the Inner Harbour and the Fairmont Empress Hotel. Victoria taxi rates start at $3.30, plus $1.93 per kilometer. Local cab companies include Bluebird Cabs (250/382-2222, www.taxicab.com) and Yellow Cab of Victoria (250/381-2222, www.yellowcabvictoria.com).

CAR

Victoria’s downtown sights are all clustered around the Inner Harbour, so if you’ve driven downtown, park your car and do your exploring on foot. Having a car is handy to visit attractions outside downtown or on the Saanich Peninsula.

Parking

Pay for downtown on-street parking (Mon.-Sat. 9am-6pm $1.50-3 per hour) at the nearby pay stations with coins or credit cards. Parking is free in the evenings and on Sunday.

The city has five centrally located public parking garages (first hour free, subsequent hours $2 per hour, $12 per day, $14 per day at Bastion Square) open 24 hours daily: Bastion Square Parkade (575 Yates St.), Broughton Street Parkade (745 Broughton St., below the Central Library), Centennial Square Parkade (645 Fisgard St.), Johnson Street Parkade (750 Johnson St.), and View Street Parkade (743 View St.). Rates are in effect 8am-6pm Monday-Saturday; parking is free in the evenings and on Sunday.

You can also park in these city-run surface lots ($2.25 per hour, $13.50 per day): 900 Wharf Street (near the Harbour Air terminal) and 820 Courtney Street. There’s no free parking in these lots; pay rates are in effect 24 hours daily.

Car Rentals

Avis (800/879-2847, www.avis.ca), Budget (250/953-5300 or 800/668-9833, www.budget.ca), Hertz (800/263-0600, www.hertz.ca), and National (250/656-2541 or 800/227-7368, www.nationalcar.ca) have rental desks at Victoria International Airport. Enterprise (250/655-7368, www.enterprise.com) has a nearby off-airport location. Both Budget and National also have rental offices downtown, near the Inner Harbour.

BICYCLE

Victoria is a bike-friendly city. Among the scenic routes for visitors on bikes are Dallas Road, which skirts the seashore on the city’s southern edge, and Fairfield Road, which passes Ross Bay Cemetery.

Running along a former rail line, the 35-mile (55-kilometer) Galloping Goose Trail takes you from Victoria west to the town of Sooke. You can follow the 18-mile (29-kilometer) Lochside Regional Trail, another rail trail, between Swartz Bay and Victoria.

Nanaimo

This city of 85,000 on Vancouver Island’s east coast, 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Victoria, is an alternate ferry port between the city of Vancouver and the island, convenient if you’re traveling to Tofino on the island’s west coast. British Columbia’s third oldest city, Nanaimo is worth a stop for its pretty waterfront, historic sites, and a unique adventure: snorkeling with a colony of seals who live near the harbor. Be sure to sample a Nanaimo bar, the local signature sweet.

SIGHTS AND RECREATION

NANAIMO MUSEUM

The modern Nanaimo Museum (100 Museum Way, 250/753-1821, www.nanaimomuseum.ca; 10am-5pm daily mid-May-early Sept., 10am-5pm Mon.-Sat. early Sept.-mid-May; adults $2, seniors and students $1.75, ages 5-12 $0.75) tells the stories of the city’s development, from its First Nations communities to its days as a mining hub, when the Hudson’s Bay Company established a coal mine nearby. Other exhibits focus on the city’s quirkier traditions, like its annual summer bathtub race.

THE BASTION

Built in 1853 by the Hudson’s Bay Company, The Bastion (95 Front St.), on the Nanaimo waterfront, is the city’s oldest structure and North America’s only original wooden bastion (fortified tower). The first-floor exhibit area talks about the Hudson’s Bay Company and its trading activities; the upper floors illustrate the building’s military uses.

Outside the Bastion, stop to watch the midday cannon firing ceremony (noon daily mid-May-early Sept.), with a local bagpiper and a really big bang.

S SNORKELING WITH SEALS

Looking for a unique adventure? A colony of harbor seals lives around Snake Island, a rock outcropping located 15 minutes by boat from Nanaimo harbor. Sundown Diving (22 Esplanade Rd., 250/753-1880, www.sundowndiving.com) runs half-day tours ($100 pp) to the island, where you can snorkel with the seals.

The tour starts at the company’s downtown shop, where you’re outfitted with a wetsuit, hood, booties, gloves, and snorkeling gear. Your guide will take you to the harbor, where you board the motorboat to Snake Island. Scoot into the water to swim alongside these marine creatures, which are surprisingly graceful as they glide through the sea.

ON THE NANAIMO BAR TRAIL

The city of Nanaimo has its own namesake dessert: the Nanaimo bar. This sweet treat, which became popular in the 1950s, has three layers: a nutty base of coconut, cocoa, and graham cracker crumbs, with a custard filling and a thick dark chocolate coating on top. You can find Nanaimo bars at bakeries all around town.

You can get more adventurous with your Nanaimo bars, too, if you follow the city’s Nanaimo bar trail. At more than 30 stops, you can sample numerous variations on the Nanaimo bar theme. There’s a rich, creamy vegan version at Powerhouse Living Foods (200 Commercial St., 250/571-7873, www.powerhouseliving.ca) and a whipped cream-slathered deep-fried wonder at Pirate Chips (1-75 Front St., 250/753-2447). Several watering holes, including the Modern Café (221 Commercial St., 250/754-5022, www.themoderncafe.ca), even serve a Nanaimo bar martini.

deep-fried Nanaimo bars at Pirate Chips

Get a guide to the Nanaimo bar trail on the website of Tourism Nanaimo (www.tourismnanaimo.com) or pick up a copy at the Nanaimo Visitor Centre.

FOOD

Start your day with pastries and coffee from Mon Petit Choux (120 Commercial St., 250/753-6002, www.monpetitchoux.ca; 8am-5pm Mon.-Sat., 9am-5pm Sun.; $6-11), a sunny French-style café downtown. Beyond the sweets, they serve breakfasts (including scrambled eggs with smoked salmon or a croque-madame on house-made brioche) and light lunches, from quiche to sandwiches on their own baguettes.

Despite its name, the Modern Café (221 Commercial St., 250/754-5022, www.themoderncafe.ca; 11am-11pm Mon.-Wed., 11am-midnight Thurs.-Sat., 10am-11pm Sun.; $14-28) is one of Nanaimo’s oldest restaurants, serving food and drinks in its pub-style space downtown since 1946. Burgers, sandwiches, salads, and several types of macaroni and cheese are the lunchtime draws, while the dinner menu adds heartier plates like maple-glazed ribs or grilled steak. To drink? A Nanaimo bar martini!

The wood-burning oven takes center stage at La Stella Trattoria (321 Wesley St., 778/441-4668, www.lastellatrattoria.com; 5pm-9:30pm Wed.-Sun.; $14-18) in Nanaimo’s Old City Quarter, 0.5 mile (800 meters) up the hill from the harbor, turning out crisp-crust pizzas topped with fresh ingredients like arugula, prosciutto, and locally produced bocconcini. Handmade pastas and Italian salads give you options beyond the pies.

The modern 15-story Coast Bastion Hotel (11 Bastion St., 250/753-6601 or 800/716-6199, www.coasthotels.com; $145-290 d) overlooks the harbor downtown, with water vistas from its upper floors; request a corner unit for prime views. The 179 rooms have all the expected amenities, including white linens with colorful accents, air-conditioning, coffeemakers, flat-screen TVs, safes, and included Wi-Fi and local calls. The hotel has a fitness room and spa. Park in the nearby city parkade ($8.50 for 24 hours) or let the hotel valet deal with your car for an additional $8.

Oh, the views! At MGM Seashore B&B (4950 Fillinger Crescent, 250/729-7249, www.mgmbandb.com; $199-299 d), with three guest rooms in a residential neighborhood north of town, the panoramas stretch across the water, particularly out on the mammoth deck, where you can soak in the hot tub. Owners Marilyn and Glenn McKnight start guests’ stays with a welcome Nanaimo bar, serve a full breakfast, and stock a guest lounge with espresso, tea, books, and movies. The Honeymoon Suite has a whirlpool tub positioned toward the ocean vistas, while the Sunset Room, with a round king bed, opens to the deck. The more basic King Room could accommodate a family, with a king bed and two singles.

INFORMATION AND SERVICES

Tourism Nanaimo (www.tourismnanaimo.com) runs the year-round Nanaimo Visitor Centre (2450 Northfield Rd., 250/751-1556 or 800/663-7337; 9am-6pm daily May-mid.-Sept., 9am-5pm Mon.-Sat. mid-Sept.-Apr.), off Highway 19 northwest of the city center, and provides lots of information about the area.

GETTING THERE

AIR

Harbour Air (604/274-1277 or 800/665-0212, www.harbourair.com; 20 minutes; one-way adults $76-129) flies regularly between the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre (1055 Canada Pl., 604/274-1277) and Nanaimo’s Pioneer Waterfront Plaza (90 Front St., 250/714-0900).

Helijet (800/665-4354, www.helijet.com; 20 minutes; one-way adults $109-139, seniors $97) buzzes across the water Monday through Friday between Vancouver Harbour Heliport (455 Waterfront Rd., near Waterfront Station, 604/688-4646) and Nanaimo Harbour Heliport (Port of Nanaimo Welcome Centre, 100 Port Dr.). One child (ages 2-12) flies free with each adult; additional one-way children’s fares are $79.

THE ISLAND’S BIGGEST TREES

Heading west from Nanaimo toward Vancouver Island’s west coast, you’ll pass through a section of old-growth rainforest, with massive trees that began their lives more than 800 years ago.

In Cathedral Grove, which is part of MacMillan Provincial Park (Hwy. 4, 250/474-1336, www.env.gov.bc.ca; dawn-dusk daily; free), you can follow two short trails through these forests of giants.

Cathedral Grove

The biggest trees—colossal Douglas firs—are on the south side of the highway. The largest measures more than 30 feet (9 meters) around. On the north side of the road, the trail passes through groves of ancient western red cedars and along the shore of Cameron Lake.

Cathedral Grove is 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Nanaimo and 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of Port Alberni. Highway 4 runs directly through the park; there’s a parking lot near the big trees.

CAR

Via Horseshoe Bay

BC Ferries’ Horseshoe Bay Terminal (6750 Keith Rd., West Vancouver), where the most direct ferries leave for Nanaimo, is on the North Shore, 12 miles (20 kilometers) northwest of downtown Vancouver. The Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay Ferry (one-way adults $17.20, ages 5-11 $8.60, cars $56.45, bikes $2) takes one hour and 40 minutes.

From downtown Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay, take West Georgia Street to the Lions Gate Bridge. Watch the signs carefully as you approach Stanley Park en route to the bridge to stay in the proper lane. The center lane on the three-lane bridge reverses its travel direction at different times of the day, typically creating two travel lanes into the city in the morning and two travel lanes toward the North Shore during the afternoon rush hour.

After you cross the Lions Gate Bridge, bear left toward Marine Drive west/Highway 1/Highway 99. Enter Marine Drive and stay in the far right lane to take the first right onto Taylor Way (the sign says “Whistler”). Follow Taylor Way up the hill, and exit left onto Highway 1 west. Continue on Highway 1 to the ferry terminal. The drive from downtown to Horseshoe Bay generally takes about 30 minutes, but allow extra time during the morning and afternoon commute times.

From late June through early September, ferries between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay generally make eight or nine trips daily, with six or seven daily runs the rest of the year; check the BC Ferries website (www.bcferries.com) for the seasonal schedule.

The Departure Bay Terminal (680 Trans-Canada Hwy., Nanaimo) is two miles (3 kilometers) north of downtown Nanaimo.

Via Tsawwassen

From downtown Vancouver, bus 257 for Horseshoe Bay Express (www.translink.ca; 45 minutes; one-way adults $4.10, seniors, students, and ages 5-13 $2.80) runs to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal from several stops along West Georgia Street. The slightly slower bus 250 for Horseshoe Bay (www.translink.ca; 55 minutes; one-way adults $4.10, seniors, students, and ages 5-13 $2.80) follows a similar route. Alternatively, Greyhound (800/661-8747, www.greyhound.ca) operates several buses daily to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal from Pacific Central Station (1150 Station St.; 45 minutes; adults $5.05-15.20).

After taking the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay Ferry (www.bcferries.com; 1 hour and 40 minutes; one-way adults $17.20, ages 5-11 $8.60), catch B.C. Transit bus 2 (www.bctransit.com/nanaimo; 20 minutes; one-way adults $2.50, seniors, students, and ages 5-11 $2.25) from the Departure Bay Ferry Terminal to downtown Nanaimo.

The West Coast

Vancouver Island’s west coast can feel like the edge of the world. After you climb the winding road up and over the spines of mountains in the center of the island, you finally reach the west shore, where the Pacific waves crash along the beach. Here are the ocean sands and peaceful coastal rainforests of the island’s first national park, along with two easygoing west coast towns, larger Tofino to the north and Ucluelet to the south. These peninsula communities have whale-watching tours, First Nations canoe trips, and plenty of other outdoor adventures, as well as good restaurants and beachfront lodges.

The weather on the west coast can be cooler, damper, and more changeable than elsewhere on the island. Bring layers, rain gear, and shoes or boots that can get wet.

Whatever the weather, the west coast is a laid-back region where local surfers carry their boards on their bikes, and cocktail hour can seem like a sacred ritual. And it’s hugely popular with travelers: Tofino’s population of 2,000 can swell to more than 20,000 on weekends in July and August.

Don’t worry, though. Even in midsummer, there’s plenty of room here at the edge of the world.

S PACIFIC RIM NATIONAL PARK RESERVE

With 14 miles (22 kilometers) of sandy beaches and dunes backed by coastal rainforest, the reserve protects a wide swath of Vancouver Island’s west coast. Established in 1970, it was the island’s first national park.

VISITING THE PARK

The Pacific Rim National Park Reserve has three geographically separate components. Most visitors head directly to the park’s Long Beach Unit (Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/726-3500, www.pc.gc.ca), north of the Tofino-Ucluelet junction. The park visitors center is here, as is the longest beach on the island’s west coast. You can camp, too, although you can easily day-trip to the park from Tofino or Ucluelet.

You can reach the park’s Broken Islands Group, offshore in Barkley Sound, only by boat. Check the park website for recommended tour operators who organize guided kayaking or sailing tours to the islands.

Also part of the park is the 47-mile (75-kilometer) West Coast Trail (May-Sept.), a rugged backpacking route.

Park Passes and Fees

Purchase a day pass (adults $7.80, seniors $6.80, ages 6-16 $3.90) for the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve at the Pacific Rim Visitor Centre (2791 Pacific Rim Hwy., Ucluelet), at the park’s Kwisitis Visitor Centre (Wick Beach, off Pacific Rim Hwy.), or from vending machines at parking lots within the park.

Buying a Parks Canada annual discovery pass (adults $67.70, seniors $57.90, ages 6-16 $33.30, families $136.40), valid for a year, is a good deal if you’re spending at least a week in one or more parks. It’s good at more than 100 national parks and national historic sites across Canada. Buy annual passes online from Parks Canada or at any park visitors center.

For both day and annual passes, family passes cover up to seven people in a single vehicle.

Visitors Center

SPORTS AND RECREATION

Beaches

Confusingly, Wickaninnish Beach is not the beach where the deluxe Wickaninnish Inn is located; that hotel is on Chesterman Beach. Rather, the wide dune-backed Wick Beach is adjacent to the park visitors center.

North of Wick Beach and adjacent to old-growth forest, Long Beach creates the longest sand dune on Vancouver Island; it’s more than nine miles (16 kilometers) long.

Hiking

Several gentle hiking trails start from the park’s Kwisitis Visitor Centre. The Nuu-chah-nulth Trail, 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) each way, has interpretive panels about First Nations culture. You can branch from this trail onto the 0.5-mile (800-meter) South Beach Trail, which leads to a pebble beach with often spectacular waves; don’t swim here, though, due to the strong currents. The gentle Shorepine Bog Trail, a 0.5-mile (800-meter) loop, takes you through an old-growth temperate rainforest.

CAMPING

Above the beach, 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) north of the Tofino-Ucluelet junction, Green Point Campground (www.pc.gc.ca; May-early Oct.; $23.50-32.30) has 94 drive-in sites and 20 forested walk-in sites with flush toilets and running water but no showers.

The walk-in sites include five equipped camping sites ($70), which are handy if you’re not traveling with your own camping gear. The equipped sites come with a tent that sleeps 4 to 6 people, sleeping pads, a tarp shelter, stove, and lantern. You need to bring sleeping bags or bedding, cooking supplies, food, and other personal items. Remember your flashlights.

Make campsite reservations (877/737-3783, www.reservation.parkscanada.gc.ca) online or by phone, beginning in January for the upcoming season. Reservations are especially recommended for stays between mid-June and August.

GETTING THERE

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve’s Long Beach Unit is located off Highway 4, 19 miles (30 kilometers) south of Tofino and 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Ucluelet.

By car and ferry from Vancouver, the 165-mile (260-kilometer) trip across the Strait of Georgia and then across Vancouver Island takes about six hours. Drive northwest from Vancouver to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal and take the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay Ferry (www.bcferries.com; 1 hour and 40 minutes; one-way adults $17.20, ages 5-11 $8.60) to Nanaimo. When you leave the Departure Bay ferry terminal, follow the signs to Highway 19/Parksville. Just past Parksville, exit onto Highway 4 westbound toward Port Alberni. Check your gas gauge; there are no gas stations between Port Alberni and the Pacific coast.

Highway 4 comes to a T at the Tofino-Ucluelet junction. Turn right (north) onto the Pacific Rim Highway toward Tofino. The park’s Kwisitis Visitor Centre is five miles (eight kilometers) north of the junction.

REST STOP: SPROAT LAKE

When you’re driving to or from Vancouver Island’s west coast, there are few places to stop as you cross the mountains between Port Alberni and Tofino. For a break or some good food, stop at Sproat Lake Landing (10695 Lakeshore Rd., Port Alberni, 250/723-2722, www.sproatlakelanding.com), where Drinkwaters Social House (11am-11pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-11pm Sat.-Sun.) serves farm-to-table meals overlooking the 15-mile (25-kilometer) lake. If you have time, take a 90-minute cruise on the Drinkwater IV tugboat (10am and 2pm daily spring-fall, $45). Book one of the seven modern guest rooms ($140-250) if you want a longer rest; the best have lake views.

Sproat Lake

S TOFINO

Like all of the west coast, the Tofino area was First Nations territory where generations of fishers and hunters lived and foraged, both on the mainland and on the islands offshore. Spanish explorers first ventured to the region in the late 1700s, followed quickly by British expeditions, but it wasn’t until 1909 that the town of Tofino was officially established, when fishing, logging, and mining were the main occupations along the coast. Tofino’s nickname comes from these hardscrabble jobs and the region’s stormy winters: Tough City.

While surfers and other nature-seekers began arriving in the 1960s, the creation of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve in 1970 and the paving of Highway 4 to the coast in 1972 launched the modern tourist era.

Today, laid-back, surfer-friendly Tofino has a small village around its scenic harbor, where fishing vessels set off to sea, whale-watching and other tour boats dock, and floatplanes come and go. The beaches and oceanfront lodges are on the peninsula, south of town.

SIGHTS

TOURS AND EXCURSIONS

To really experience the west coast, get offshore to explore the coastline and nearby islands, and look for the wildlife that populates the region. Most tours operate from March or April through October or November, although trips can be postponed or canceled if the seas get too rough.

▪ Remote Passages Marine Excursions (51 Wharf St., 250/725-3330 or 800/666-9833, www.remotepassages.com)

▪ T’ashii Paddle School (250/266-3787 or 855/883-3787, www.tofinopaddle.com)

Hot Springs Cove/Maquinna Marine Provincial Park

A full-day trip to these remote hot springs is a highlight for many Tofino visitors. Located 27 nautical miles (50 kilometers) northwest of Tofino, Hot Springs Cove, in Maquinna Marine Provincial Park at the north end of Clayoquot Sound, is accessible only by boat (adults $125-130, under age 13 $89-105) or floatplane (adults $199, under age 13 $179-185).

Traveling by boat (1.5 to 2 hours each way), you may spot whales, sea lions, and even bears or other wildlife, so you might consider this trip an alternative to a separate whale-watching tour. With the floatplane option, you save a little time, traveling one-way by boat, the other on a scenic 20-minute flight.

Once you arrive at the dock, it’s a one-mile (1.6-kilometer) walk on a boardwalk through the rainforest to the natural hot springs. Climb down the rocks and take a natural hot shower in the gushing sulfur springs, then soak in the rock pools. The water temperature averages a soothing 110°F (43°C).

TWO DAYS ON VANCOUVER ISLAND’S WEST COAST

Start your day with a morning stroll along the beach; Chesterman Beach is one of the area’s most beautiful. Then wander through the Tofino Botanical Gardens to explore the old-growth rainforest, stopping at the garden’s Darwin’s Café when it’s time for a coffee break.

Have lunch at the orange food truck, Tacofino. Then head for Pacific Rim National Park Reserve to check out the displays in the Kwisitis Visitor Centre and hike near the shore. Later, take a surfing lesson, go swimming, or book a First Nations Dugout Canoe Tour with the excellent guides at T’ashii Paddle School. Have dinner at The Wolf in the Fog, where the don’t-miss appetizer is the potato-crusted oyster, and any local seafood is bound to be stellar.

The next morning, pick up coffee and a ginger scone at Common Loaf Bake Shop, before heading for the waterfront for an offshore excursion. Take a full-day trip to Hot Springs Cove, a kayak excursion to Meares Island, or a shorter whale-watching or bear-watching tour.

After your tour, clean up and drive to the Wickaninnish Inn for a cocktail in their window-lined lounge facing the sea. If your budget allows, stay for a special dinner at The Pointe, or if you’d rather have a more casual meal, head into town for a restorative bowl of ramen at Kuma Tofino or the wild salmon chowder at SoBo. Either way, stop to take a few sunset photos over the harbor to remember your west coast adventures.

Bear-Watching

Departing from Jamie’s Whaling Station (606 Campbell St.), excursions include a two-hour Harbour Canoe Tour (late May-mid-Oct.; $65 pp), which is especially lovely at sunset; a Meares Island Canoe Tour (Mar.-Oct.; $89 pp), a four-hour paddling and hiking excursion; and a full-day Lemmens Inlet Canoe Tour (Mar.-Oct., by request only; $130 pp). Check the website for specific departure times.

SPORTS AND RECREATION

Beaches

Sandy beaches line the peninsula that stretches south from Tofino to Ucluelet. All are along the Pacific Rim Highway, listed here from north to south.

Sheltered MacKenzie Beach is closest to Tofino, with several resorts and campgrounds.

Beginning surfers hone their skills on the south end of 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) Chesterman Beach, one of Tofino’s most scenic and popular stretches of sand. Toward the beach’s north side, you can explore the tidepools at low tide.

Home to several resorts, including Pacific Sands and Long Beach Lodge, Cox Bay Beach has a popular surf break. At the bay’s northern tip, you can explore several tidal caves, accessible only at low tide. The Wickaninnish Inn is on North Chesterman Beach.

Continuing south, you’ll reach the beaches in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, including Long Beach and Wickaninnish Beach.

Surfing

Tofino is western Canada’s surfing capital (yes, Canada really has a surfing capital), with plenty of places to take lessons or catch the waves. While you can surf year-round, hard-core surfers come in winter when the waves are biggest; if you’re just getting started, summertime is warmest, with the gentlest surf.

With a crew of women as instructors, Surf Sister Surf School (250/725-4456, www.surfsister.com) specializes in teaching women to surf, although they offer lessons for both men and women.

The Surf Club Adventure Centre (250/725-2442, www.longbeachlodgeresort.com) at the Long Beach Lodge Resort is another highly regarded surf school, teaching group and private lessons.

Hiking

Guides from the First Nations-owned T’ashii Paddle School (250/266-3787 or 855/883-3787, www.tofinopaddle.com) lead winter Cultural Walks on the Schooner Cove Trail (11am daily mid-Dec.-Mar.; $80 pp) in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve that combine a gentle hike through the old-growth rainforest with information about local First Nations culture. Book in advance on their website.

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

In early spring, gray whales begin returning to the waters off Vancouver Island’s west coast. During the weeklong Pacific Rim Whale Festival (www.pacificrimwhalefestival.com, Mar.), you can learn more about these creatures with presentations, documentary films, guided walks, whale-watching tours, and other events.

The Tofino Food and Wine Festival (www.tofinofoodandwinefestival.com, June) is a weekend of dining, sipping, and toe-tapping to live music, on the grounds of the Tofino Botanical Gardens.

Celebrating local bivalves, the Clayoquot Oyster Festival (www.oystergala.com, Nov.) brings seafood lovers to town for oyster farm tours, restaurant events, a gala party, and plenty of oyster eating.

FOOD

For a small community, Tofino has a significant food culture, emphasizing innovative uses of local seafood and produce. Outside the summer months, many restaurants have reduced hours, so call to confirm before you set out. Except for The Pointe at the Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino’s eating places are casual; patrons often look like they’ve wandered directly off a boat because, most likely, they have.

Find local produce, prepared foods, and crafts at the Tofino Public Market (Tofino Village Green, 3rd St. and Campbell St., www.tofinomarket.com; 10am-2pm Sat. late May-mid-Oct.).

Modern Canadian

Oysters in a potato web? Corn-fried cod cheeks with pickled peppers? Some of the west coast’s most imaginative dishes come out of the open kitchen at S The Wolf in the Fog (150 4th St., 250/725-9653, www.wolfinthefog.com; 5pm-midnight daily; $16-32), where the second-floor dining room sparkles with polished wood and the big windows look out toward the harbor. While there’s some serious technique and respect for local ingredients here, the chefs don’t take themselves too seriously; the menu includes an option to “add foie gras to anything.” To drink, try a cocktail like The Angler, with smoked salmon-infused vodka, maple, ginger, and fresh orange, or a Cedar Sour, with cedar-infused rye. The bottom line? Good food, good drinks, good fun.

Though the name is short for “sophisticated bohemian,” airy SoBo (311 Neil St., 250/725-2341, www.sobo.ca; 11:30am-9pm daily; $16-35), with sunny yellow walls and floor-to-ceiling windows, is more refined than hippie, serving modern world-beat fare at lunch and dinner. Noon-hour dishes roam from Asian salad to huevos rancheros to pizza, while in the evening, you might try cedar-planked salmon, whiskey-braised beef brisket, or seafood stew. SoBo is justifiably famous for its smoked wild fish chowder.

Tofino’s special-occasion restaurant, S The Pointe at the Wickaninnish Inn (500 Osprey Ln., 250/725-3106, www.wickinn.com; 8am-2pm and 5pm-9pm daily; $28-48) emphasizes local seafood, foraged ingredients, and regional products. The polished staff and walls of curved windows wrapping the ocean panoramas around you don’t hurt either. You might start with ginger-cured foie gras or with a Pacific Harvest of mussel custard, kelp, clams, and pickled sea asparagus, as a prelude to snapper and shrimp paired with prawn dumplings and grilled cucumber or roast duck in a hemlock jus. There are sweets, of course, from a platter of petit fours to fancy s’mores. Can’t decide (or ready to splurge)? Choose a four- to six-course tasting menu ($85-100 pp) with optional wine pairings.

Asian

When you crave a restorative bowl of ramen, head for Kuma Tofino (101-120 4th St., 250/725-2215, www.kumatofino.com; 4pm-11pm daily; $10-14), a modern Japanese eatery. Sake and local craft beer stand up to sharing plates like crispy chicken karaage, fresh tuna tataki, and bright house-made pickles.

Mexican

Before it became a Mexican minichain with branches in Vancouver and Victoria, Tacofino (1184 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/726-8288, www.tacofino.com; 11am-8pm daily spring-fall, 11am-5pm daily winter; $4-14) was a taco truck in Tofino (“Taco-fino,” get it?). This orange truck parked behind a surf shop south of town channels a surfer vibe with tacos (try the tuna with seaweed and ginger), burritos, and slushie drinks like tangy lime-mint “freshies.” Park at one of the long outdoor tables, or take yours to the beach.

Bakeries and Cafés

From local hippies to texting teens to travelers, everyone stops into the red house that’s home to long-standing Common Loaf Bake Shop (180 1st St., 250/725-3915; 8am-6pm daily) for delectable cinnamon buns, ginger scones, breads, and muffins. They make soup, sandwiches, and pizza, too.

In an industrial building on the town’s south side, Red Can Gourmet (700 Industrial Way, 250/725-2525, www.redcangourmet.com; 7:30am-7pm Wed.-Thurs. and Sun., 7:30am-8pm Fri.-Sat.; $17-25) cooks gourmet takeout fare, from sandwiches and salads midday to more substantial dinner plates, such as seafood curry with smoked tofu or beef tenderloin, as well as pizza.

Tiny Picnic Charcuterie (Industrial Way, behind Red Can Gourmet, 250/889-5738, www.picniccharcuterie.com; 10am-5pm Mon.-Sat., 11am-5pm Sun. Apr.-Sept., 10am-5pm Wed.-Sat., 11am-5pm Sun. Oct.-Mar.) sells their own cured and smoked meats, with a selection of local and imported cheeses.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Tofino’s nicest accommodations are south of town, along the peninsula beaches. Book in advance for summer high season (mid-June-mid-Sept.). In winter, many lodgings offer storm-watching packages, when the big winter surf and rain rolls in.

$150-250

Once a field station for research groups, The Ecolodge at Tofino Botanical Gardens (1084 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/725-1220, www.tbgf.org; $159-239 d) is a simple comfortable lodge in the midst of the gardens. Guests gather in the great room for a continental breakfast or just to relax; you can use the kitchen to prep meals or browse the lodge’s nature library. Eight basic, colorfully decorated rooms share two large baths. Two additional suites, with private baths, have family-friendly nooks with bunk beds. There are no TVs, but Wi-Fi is included, as is garden admission.

At Jamie’s Rainforest Inn (1258 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/725-2323 or 855/433-2323, www.tofinorainforestinn.com; $229-269 d), a well-kept motel facing the woods on the inlet side of the highway, the 38 rooms have microwaves, minifridges, coffeemakers, and included Wi-Fi. The king-bed rooms have gas fireplaces, and the larger units include kitchenettes with cooktops. Ask about discounts on whale-watching and other tours from their affiliated adventure company, Jamie’s Whaling Station (www.jamies.com).

The three gold-and-burgundy guest rooms at the cedar-shingled S BriMar Bed & Breakfast (1375 Chesterman Beach Rd., 250/725-3410, www.brimarbb.com; $279-339 d) look right onto Chesterman Beach, close enough to hear the surf. On the second floor, the spacious Moonrise Room has an equally spacious private bath, while the slightly smaller Sunset Room has a private bath across the hall. The secluded Loft Unit, under the eaves, runs the whole length of the top floor. Rates include Wi-Fi and an ample breakfast, with fruit, granola, yogurt, baked goods, and a hot dish like eggs Benedict or baked french toast. Guests can help themselves to coffee and tea at all hours and store snacks in the hallway fridge.

Even if you’re not staying at the Long Beach Lodge Resort (1441 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/725-2442, www.longbeachlodgeresort.com; $199-439 d, cottages $449-589), have a drink or a meal in the resort’s inviting Great Room, with walls of windows facing the ocean. The lodge has a highly regarded surf club, where both kids and adults can learn to ride the waves. When it’s time to sleep, choose from 41 studio units in the main lodge, with sturdy Douglas fir furnishings, or from 20 two-bedroom cottages in the forest, set back from the beach. Solo travelers: In the off-season, the resort regularly offers excellent discounts for individual guests.

Opened in 1972 on the beach at Cox Bay, Pacific Sands Beach Resort (1421 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/725-3322, www.pacificsands.com; $235-365 d, 2-bedroom unit $490-850) has grown to encompass a variety of units in several buildings. Most of the modern condo-style beach houses have two bedrooms and views across the lawn to the waterfront. In other buildings, the studio to two-bedroom units are smaller but still feel airy and beachy. All suites have full kitchens, handy since there’s no restaurant on-site, though the lobby coffee bar sells drinks, snacks, and quick meals. Rent beach cruiser bikes to go cycling or gather the gang in the gazebo to roast marshmallows.

The Pacific Rim Visitor Centre (2791 Pacific Rim Hwy., Ucluelet, 250/726-4600, www.pacificrimvisitor.ca; 8am-7pm daily June-early Sept., 10am-5pm daily May and early-Sept.-mid-Oct., 9am-5pm Tues.-Sat. mid-Oct.-Apr.), at the Tofino-Ucluelet junction, where Highway 4 meets the Pacific Rim Highway, provides information about the region. Parks Canada staff are on hand to offer visitor services for Pacific Rim National Park Reserve May through October.

Tofino Tourism (www.tourismtofino.com) has a detailed website with useful trip-planning tips. They run the Tofino Information Centre (1426 Pacific Rim Hwy., Tofino, 250/725-3414 or 888/720-3414, www.tourismtofino.com; 9am-7pm daily mid-June-early Sept., 10am-5pm daily early-Sept.-mid-June), 4.5 miles (7 kilometers) south of downtown Tofino and 15.5 miles (25 kilometers) north of the Tofino-Ucluelet junction.

Small Tofino General Hospital (261 Neill St., 250/725-4010, www.viha.ca) offers 24-hour emergency services.

GETTING THERE

Air

The Tofino-Long Beach Airport (YAZ, Pacific Rim Highway, www.tofinoairport.com) is seven miles (11 kilometers) southeast of the town of Tofino and 18 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Ucluelet.

Orca Airways (888/359-6722, www.flyorcaair.com) has regular flights to Tofino from the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport (5220 Airport Rd. S., Richmond, www.yvr.ca; year-round, one hour; one-way adults $175-220) and from the Victoria International Airport (1640 Electra Blvd., Sidney, 250/953-7533, www.victoriaairport.com; mid-May-mid-Oct., one hour; one-way adults $225-270).

KD Air (800/665-4244, www.kdair.com; one-way adults $175-225) also flies between Vancouver’s South Terminal and Tofino.

Car

A road trip from Vancouver to Tofino involves taking a ferry from the mainland to Nanaimo, and then driving west across the island; allow six hours to make the journey.

From Vancouver, drive northwest to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal and take the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay Ferry (www.bcferries.com; 1 hour and 40 minutes; one-way adults $17.20, ages 5-11 $8.60) to Nanaimo.

Tofino Bus (250/725-2871 or 866/986-3466, www.tofinobus.com) can take you to Tofino starting from Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station (1150 Station St.; 7.5 hours; adults $62, seniors and students $56, ages 2-11 $46). This route runs in partnership with Greyhound, which provides bus service from Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay, where you board the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay Ferry to Nanaimo. After arriving at the Nanaimo ferry terminal, you transfer to the Tofino Bus to the west coast. You must purchase a ferry ticket in addition to the bus fare.

Tofino Bus can also take you to Tofino from Nanaimo’s Departure Bay Ferry Terminal (4 hours; adults $46, seniors and students $42, ages 2-11 $23) and from downtown Victoria (6.5 hours; adults $69, seniors and students $62, ages 2-11 $36).

GETTING AROUND

Easy to explore on foot, the town of Tofino is just a few blocks square, with most shops and restaurants along Campbell or Main Streets, between 1st and 4th Streets. To travel between town and the beaches, it’s easiest to have your own car, although it’s possible to cycle or take a bus.

Car

From its junction with Highway 4, the Pacific Rim Highway runs 20 miles (32 kilometers) up the peninsula to the town of Tofino, passing Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and beaches along the way. In town, the highway becomes Campbell Street.

If you arrive in Tofino without a car, you can rent one from Budget (188 Airport Rd., 250/725-2060, www.bcbudget.com) at the Tofino airport.

Bus

The free Tofino Transit shuttle bus (www.tofinobus.com; 11am-8pm daily late June-early Sept.) runs during the summer between town and Cox Bay, with stops near several beaches. Buses leave about once an hour in each direction, so check the schedule online before setting out.

Bike

Cycling is a good way to travel between the village of Tofino and the beaches. Ride along the 3.75-mile (6-kilometer) Multi-Use Path, locally known as the MUP, a fairly flat, paved trail that parallels Highway 4 from town to Cox Bay. TOF Cycles (660 Sharp Rd., 250/725-2453, www.tofcycles.com) and Tofino Bikes (1180 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/725-2722, http://tofinobike.com), both located between MacKenzie and Chesterman Beaches, rent bikes.

UCLUELET

Ucluelet Aquarium (180 Main St., 250/726-2782, www.uclueletaquarium.org; 10am-5pm daily mid-Mar.-Nov.; adults $14, seniors and students $10, ages 4-17 $7) has a rare “catch and release” philosophy. In the spring, staff bring in sealife from the local waters of Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds to populate the kids’-eye-level tanks, releasing them in the autumn back to the wild. The “please touch” displays are fun for youngsters and not-so-youngsters alike.

For hikers, the Wild Pacific Trail (www.wildpacifictrail.com) has several moderate options at the foot of the Ucluelet peninsula. The 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) Lighthouse Loop starts and ends on Coast Guard Road south of Terrace Beach. The hillier Artist Loop takes you 1.7 miles (2.8 kilometers) along the cliffs starting from either Brown’s Beach or Big Beach Park near Black Rock Oceanfront Resort. Get a map on the trail website or from the Pacific Rim Visitor Centre.

FOOD

Stop into Zoë’s Bakery and Café (250 Main St., 250/726-2253; 7:30am-4pm Tues.-Fri., 8am-4pm Sat.-Sun.; $5-10) for pastries, soups, quiche, sandwiches, and other baked goods. Try the Savory Breakfast Egg Bake Thingy, a delicious mash-up of sourdough bread cubes and bacon, topped with an egg. Zoë’s is also known for its carrot cake.

ACCOMMODATIONS AND CAMPING

The Ucluelet First Nation runs the unique S Wya Point Resort (2695 Tofino-Ucluelet Hwy., 250/726-2625 or 844/352-6188, www.wyapoint.com), which has several lodging options on a remote section of coast. Nine wood-frame lodges ($289 one-bedroom, $389 two-bedroom), decorated with works by First Nations carvers, are upscale cabins, each sleeping four to six, with solid hand-built bed frames, living rooms with sleep sofas, full kitchens, and spacious decks above Ucluth Beach. Fifteen heated yurts ($150-175) made of thick canvas offer more rustic accommodations. You can cook outside on the barbecue and sleep inside on the sofa bed; some yurts also have bunk beds for the kids. Shared washrooms are nearby. The third option is the campground (early-Mar.-mid-Oct., $35-60), where some sites overlook the ocean and others sit in the forest near the beach.

Family-friendly 133-room Black Rock Oceanfront Resort (596 Marine Dr., 250/726-4800 or 877/762-5011, www.blackrockresort.com; $169-379 d) has everything you need for a beach getaway. Modern studios and one-bedroom suites in the main lodge, decorated in earthy greens and blacks, have kitchen facilities, spacious baths with heated floors and soaker tubs, and free Wi-Fi. Choose a fourth-floor room for the best views. Surrounded by trees in separate buildings, the Trail Suites range from studios to two-bedroom units. On the sea-facing deck is a plunge pool and two hot tubs; inside is a small fitness room and spa. Borrow a complimentary bicycle to go exploring. When you get hungry, Fetch Restaurant, specializing in seafood, cooks up breakfast, lunch, and dinner; Float Lounge serves drinks and light meals.

INFORMATION AND SERVICES

Get local information at the Pacific Rim Visitor Centre (2791 Pacific Rim Hwy., Ucluelet, 250/726-4600, www.pacificrimvisitor.ca; 8am-7pm daily June-early Sept., 10am-5pm daily May and early-Sept.-mid-Oct., 9am-5pm Tues.-Sat. mid-Oct.-Apr.) at the Tofino-Ucluelet junction.

GETTING THERE

By car and ferry from Vancouver to Ucluelet, the 165-mile (260-kilometer) trip across the Strait of Georgia and then across Vancouver Island takes about six hours. Drive northwest from Vancouver to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal and take the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay Ferry (www.bcferries.com; 1 hour and 40 minutes; one-way adults $17.20, ages 5-11 $8.60) to Nanaimo. When you leave the Departure Bay ferry terminal, follow the signs to Highway 19/Parksville. Just past Parksville, exit onto Highway 4 westbound toward Port Alberni. Check your gas; there are no gas stations between Port Alberni and the Pacific coast.

Highway 4 comes to a T at the Tofino-Ucluelet junction. Turn left (south) onto the Pacific Rim Highway; Ucluelet is five miles (9 kilometers) south of the junction.

SIGHTS

DOWNTOWN

S Victoria’s Inner Harbour

Fairmont Empress

S Royal British Columbia Museum

B.C. Parliament Building

Robert Bateman Centre

Victoria Bug Zoo

Fisherman’s Wharf

Emily Carr House

Beacon Hill Park

Legacy Art Gallery

Chinatown

Breweries

EAST OF DOWNTOWN

Abkhazi Garden

Craigdarroch Castle

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

Ross Bay Cemetery

THE SAANICH PENINSULA

S Butchart Gardens

Victoria Butterfly Gardens

Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre

Wineries and Distilleries

WEST OF DOWNTOWN

Hatley Park National Historic Site

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

SHOPPING

CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES

BOOKS

GOURMET FOOD AND DRINK

OUTDOOR GEAR

SPORTS AND RECREATION

S WHALE-WATCHING

FOOD

AFTERNOON TEA

GROCERIES AND MARKETS

MODERN CANADIAN

SEAFOOD

ASIAN

FRENCH

ITALIAN

VEGETARIAN

DINERS

BAKERIES AND CAFÉS

ACCOMMODATIONS

UNDER $150

$150-250

OVER $250

INFORMATION AND SERVICES

VISITOR INFORMATION

MEDICAL SERVICES

GETTING THERE

AIR

CAR AND FERRY

DIRECT BUS AND FERRY

DIRECT FERRY

PUBLIC TRANSIT

GETTING AROUND

BUS

FERRY

TAXI

CAR

Parking

Car Rentals

BICYCLE

SIGHTS AND RECREATION

NANAIMO MUSEUM

THE BASTION

S SNORKELING WITH SEALS

FOOD

ACCOMMODATIONS

INFORMATION AND SERVICES

GETTING THERE

AIR

CAR

Via Horseshoe Bay

Via Tsawwassen

PUBLIC TRANSIT

S PACIFIC RIM NATIONAL PARK RESERVE