Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada’s Pacific coast; about 100 kilometres from the city of Vancouver on the mainland. It’s one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest. It was built in 1843 as a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post. Victoria, like many Vancouver Island communities, has First Nations presence, composed of people from all over Vancouver Island and beyond. The city has a great number of students coming from other cities or countries to attend the University of Victoria, the Royal Roads University, the Victorias College of Art, among other important institutions. Lots of tourists come to visit the city too for its beautiful beaches, for its climate, not so cold as the rest of Canada and also by cruise ships that dock at Odgen Point near the city’s Inner Harbour. You’ll find restaurants, night clubs, pubs and theatres in the city centre with different regional events all year long. To see: the Parliament Buildings (1897), the Empress Hotel (1908), Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria Station Museum, Victoria Bug Zoo, Chinatown, among others.
Tips
Victoria is considered an ideal city for cycling, you’ll find hundreds of kilometres of bicycle paths, bike lanes and bike routes.
There are other activites like rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, golf, water sports, jogging; that are also very popular.
You can also take a tour to watch the whales that are often present near the coast.
You can also take the ferry all year long to go to Seattle (USA).
