Victoria,
the capital of British Columbia, is one
of the premier travel destinations in the
World. It is situated on the south tip of
Vancouver lsland off the west coast of British
Columbia, Canada. The city has over 300,000
inhabitants, many who like to commute on
bicycles. Its breathtakingly beautiful inner
harbor area is overlooked by the majestic
Harbour Princess Hotel and lined with Heritage
homes converted to Bed & Breakfasts.
The streets of downtown Victoria are safe,
clean and well lit at night. More...
Victoria,
the capital of British Columbia, is one
of the premier travel destinations in the
World. It is situated on the south tip of
Vancouver lsland off the west coast of British
Columbia, Canada. The city has over 300,000
inhabitants, many who like to commute on
bicycles. Its breathtakingly beautiful inner
harbor area is overlooked by the majestic
Harbour Princess Hotel and lined with Heritage
homes converted to Bed & Breakfasts.
The streets of downtown Victoria are safe,
clean and well lit at night.
Cycling is very popular in and outside of
the city limits; and you will find that
drivers are very courteous to commuting
cyclists even on busy roads. There are several
cycling routes around the city and few that
extend north along both shores of Vancouver
Island. Less...
The best time
to visit Victoria and Vancouver Island is
in the summer months (June – August)
when the temperatures are the warmest. To
avoid the high tourist season, you should
travel late May through mid June or September
through early October. Less...
Climate
and Weather
Victoria,
situated on the southern tip of Vancouver
Island has one of Canada's mildest climates.
This area is the sunniest spot (averaging
2,183 hours of sunshine per year) in the
province.
The area owes its moderate temperatures
to the prevailing westerly winds blowing
off the Pacific Ocean. The pacific maintains
a year-round, constant 10°C (50°F)
temperature and so is warmer than the land
in winter and cooler in summer, keeping
the temperatures in a comfortable range.
Rugged mountains confine this moderate climate
to a narrow band of British Columbia between
the ocean and the coast mountains. The Olympics
of Northern Washington and the Vancouver
Island mountains shelter the southern and
eastern regions of the Island with Victoria
benefiting the most. As a result, Victoria
has the lowest rainfall and the most sunshine
recorded of any West Coast region.
Victoria’s climate with average daytime
temperatures range from 22 C° / 71°
F in July to 7° C / 45° F in December
making this "Garden City" an ideal
destination for cyclists any time of the
year. Less...
How
to Get There
If you traveling
to Victoria by air, your closest airport
is Victoria International Airport. This
is a small airport with only one luggage
carrousel, and there are only few direct
international fights arriving and departing
on a daily basis. The airport is located
about 40 minutes by car north of Victoria.
Shuttle buses and taxis serve the airport
for $13CDN and $30-$40CDN (in 2005) one
way, respectively.
If you traveling by air and are arriving
at Vancouver International Airport near
Vancouver, you must either fly or take a
ferry to Vancouver Island. However, BC Ferries
take cars and buses, so car rental and taking
public buses are good options. The most
economical way is to take a bus directly
from Vancouver Airport to Victoria. The
bus line is Pacific Coast Lines 1-800-661-1725
and the fair is $32 CND one way, which includes
ferry passage (in 2005). You can also rent
a car and take it on a ferry transport to
Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island, just north
of Victoria. From the Swartz Bay Ferry terminal
(near Sidney), drive south on highway 17
to Victoria. Hwy 17 runs straight south
from Swartz Bay.
If you are traveling by car from the USA,
you can drive to Port Angeles on the Olympic
Peninsula and take the BC ferry from there
directly to Victoria’s harbor. Just
beware that the ferry fills up quickly and
is available only every 4 hours or so. Less...
Accommodations
Victoria
is a world-class city and as such it offers
plenty of world class accommodations, ranging
from fancy (and really fancy) hotels and
B&Bs to small, functional establishments. Less...
The
Roads
The quality
of roads is quite good. The occasioanl hazard
you are likely to encounter will be in form
of a wildlife rather than road damage, although
there will be few rough spots as you venture
farther out along the west coast towards
Port Renfrew. Less...
What
You Need To Know
One of the
most beautiful botanical gardens is located
just north of Victoria – The Butchart
Gardens - and it is a must to see. In summer
months you can even enjoy the fireworks
which light up the sky over the gardens. Less...
