Vancouver Island, pt 2 - Victoria Suburbs
So you’ve explored every inch of downtown Victoria and want to venture to the outskirts of town. Surprisingly, there is a lot more to Victoria than just the Empress Hotel and the bug zoo - a lot more. Whether you are into history, nature or a little of both - this post will discuss a variety of things you can do outside Victoria.
If you have been to Vancouver Island before, you might have a feeling on where I will be suggesting first. Full disclosure, if you are on a strict budget then don’t go to The Butchart Gardens. However if you are willing to bite the price tag for the love of photography, go without a second thought. Since I was doing a road trip throughout the entire island, I felt like it was my duty to at least check this place off of my ‘things to do’ list. Honestly, it was a very pleasant experience but it’s a place you only need to go once. For about $60 (in US mind you), you can gain entry to the gardens and slowly shuffle your way through the monstrous crowd of people. Mr. Mustang and I traveled by car but there are many businesses that offer travel packages where a shuttle can pick you up in Victoria. Click here for a list of transportation options.
The grounds are extremely impressive but choosing what season to visit is an important factor to consider. Naturally, Butcharts is a garden so visiting during the winter months might be a bit of a let down compared to going during the summer. We went during the height of summer so everything was in full bloom but was also more money to enter. Once inside, you're given a map of the grounds and I suggest taking a lazy approach of exploring the gardens. Butchart is a vast estate so try not to be in a rush; after all, you paid a hefty fee to enter so you should take your time. Although, for an added expensive (between $40 - 60/person), you can enhance the trip by snagging a table at the nearby restaurant and experience ‘afternoon tea’. With the gardens as a backdrop, you get to enjoy a selection of soothing teas, adorable finger sandwiches and victorian era desserts. Looking back, doing afternoon tea with Mr. Mustang was one of my favorite moments during the trip. The service was first class and the food was top notch that I would only go back purely for the restaurant. There is a more affordable option, the Blue Poppy restaurant that is more family friendly and has a beautiful cafe like setting with plenty of seating. For all dining options, click here.
The nearest attraction outside of the downtown core is Craigdarroch Castle. When planning this trip, I only knew of this castle’s existence by simply googling “things to do in Victoria”. The history of this castle is brief but that doesn’t make it any less special. Built by the Dunnmir family who struck in rich in the coal mining business, they built a castle in the late 1800s to showcase their wealth. I always heard it only takes three generations to kill a family fortune and the Dunnsmir family was no exception. By the time the grandchildren inherited the castle, they promptly sold it (furniture and all) to the highest bidder to settle their steep debts. After 100 years of passing ownership, the castle is currently owned by the local historic society in Victoria and is currently being restored.
The castle typically opens around 9am and I advise getting there early. There aren’t many castles on Vancouver Island so the estate attracts a lot of visitors. If driving, the parking lot is small so street parking might be your only option if you arrive after 11am. However if you feel up for a challenge, the distance from downtown Victoria to the castle is only a 30 minute walk or a 15 minute bus ride. Admission is cheap but keep in mind though, they don’t accept US currency so make sure to bring a couple of bucks in Canadian with you.
The castle is a good 2 hour visit with a lot of well maintained rooms and exhibits. After seeing the castle, I do recommend taking time to walk the neighborhood and marvel at all the houses nearby. The area the castle sits on has certainly changed since first being built but the grounds are still worth a stroll around the block.
If you are on a budget and want to combine both the gardens and a castle, the Government House is a great compromise. The existing Government House is actually not the original castle on the estate. The first official residence, known as Cary Castle, was built in 1859 and was later converted into housing the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia but later was destroyed by a fire. The house was quickly rebuilt in 1903 but succumbed to another fire in 1957. The new architects wanted to match the design of the previous structure so it was rebuilt in 1959 but with a brand new conservatory as a gift for the Lieutenant Governor at the time. Now open for the public to tour, the estate does also offer afternoon tea but the room isn’t as elegant as Butchart Gardens. For details, you can go to the website here.
For the summer crowd, Vancouver does experience hot temperatures so a classic way to cool off is spending time at the beach. Willows Beach is a popular beach where most people like to relax. The beach boasts soft sand, a nice breeze and safe swimming. Like all beaches, parking is limited so you might need to park off of Scenic Drive where the boat ramp is. Another good beach is only a two minute drive away at Cadboro-Gyro Park. Cadboro Bay is bigger than Willow and in my opinion, safer to swim since it has a natural cove that keeps the waves calm and gentle. Once again, parking is limited so you might need to get creative on where to park and compromise on how far you want to walk. But during the summer months the beach has a pop up amusement park for the kids with all the classic carnival rides.
I know that part 2 was brief compared to part 1 but Mr. Mustang and I were on a timeline and by the time we left Butchart Gardens, it was 4pm and we had a nonstop drive to Tofino. Part 3 will focus primarily on Tofino and how remote the town truly is.
