Outdoor Activities in Victoria, BC
There aren’t many locations across all of Canada that offer as many choices for outdoor activities and the opportunity to participate in them year round as you can find in the Victoria BC and the surrounding Greater Victoria area. It’s hard to beat our proximity to rivers, lakes, oceans and mountains as well as urban, suburban, country and wilderness locations. The temperate climate means you can indulge in your favourite outdoor sports and recreation practically all year long.

Living on an island (albeit a big one) means that we are surrounded by the ocean, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy it. Fishing is perhaps the first to come to mind, but there is also sailing, kayaking, canoeing, or just boating for pleasure. If you’d prefer to get right into the water, there’s swimming (for the cold-hardy), surfing (a short jaunt up-island to Tofino) and scuba diving. The waters surrounding Vancouver Island offer world class diving with spectacular undersea biodiversity.
If you favour fresh water over brine, there are a number of lakes within a 30 minute drive of downtown Victoria where you can swim, waterski, canoe, fish, or just lounge on your air mattress, cold beverage in hand.
Another very popular outdoor activity is camping, and there is a plethora of options within or close to Greater Victoria. Pitch a tent or park your RV at a private campsite or in one of the local provincial campsites at French Beach, Goldstream, and in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park at China Beach, Sombrio Beach and Parkinson Beach. Some of these BC Provincial Parks feature trails suitable for multi-day hikes and wilderness camping. Be sure to check with BC Parks about registration, rules and closures before you go.
If your idea of camping means really fending for yourself, there are … Continue reading >>>