Victoria, the provincial capital of British Columbia, is located on the south-eastern tip of Vancouver Island, known as the Saanich Peninsula, just across the water (and a few small islands) from Seattle. In contrast to Vancouver, its larger, edgier and somewhat grubbier sibling, Victoria is every inch the charming, sophisticated seaside city. I hasten to use the word "charming" in relation to any place, as it sits a little too close to "quaint" or even the dreaded "twee" for my liking, but I qualify my assertion of Victoria's charm with a nod to its buzzing nightlife scene around the waterside Downtown area and its wide range of restaurants, offering an eclectic mix of good-value cuisine from all over the world.
Our journey to Vancouver Island began with a short ferry ride, cutting a dash between the rocky outcrops and fuzzy green islands littering the Strait of Georgia, which divides the island from the mainland.
We arrived at our hostel, checked in and dumped our bags before strolling the short distance to the marina, just in time to witness that most spectacular of things: a coastal sunset.
The city centre also has a number of beautifully-maintained public spaces, in which my girlfriend was only too happy to pose for the camera.
About 20 minutes to the north-east of central Victoria lies the swanky suburb of Uplands, which borders the leafy campus of the University of Victoria. To the south is the lovely Cadboro Bay area, which comprises a number of very open, sweeping bays and stretch upon stretch of sandy beaches, well used by locals young and old (and their dogs).
As a stop-over which only made its way into our itinerary the day we left Vancouver, Victoria has been a great place to start our travels down the West Coast.
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