4 Best Sights in West Shore, Victoria

Malahat Sky Walk

Fodor's choice

Only a 35-minute drive north of Victoria, this adventure starts with a short walk along a boardwalk through coastal forest before reaching the tower itself—a spiral ramp that rises 31 meters (104 feet) to the top. With only a 5% gradient, it is purposefully designed to be fully accessible for strollers and wheelchairs. Views over Finlayson Arm are stunning. Daring-of-heart can walk across the sturdy net suspended across the center of the tower and choose the spiral slide down for a faster exit. There are also traditional hiking trails to enjoy, and picnic areas. Note: drones are not permitted.

Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites of Canada

The world's best-preserved coastal artillery fort (it dates to 1895) and Canada's oldest west coast lighthouse occupy a parklike backdrop 13 km (8 miles) west of Victoria. You can walk through most of the buildings, including the lighthouse keeper's house, guardhouses, and the delightfully named fortress-plotting room. Interactive exhibits in the lighthouse let you navigate a 19th-century schooner. Wandering deer, forest trails, an interpretive nature trail, and historic military hardware share the rolling seaside site, and the views from the gun emplacements over the entrance to Esquimalt Harbour are fabulous. Between mid-May and mid-October you can stay the night in one of five oTENTiks (a cross between a tent and cabin) on-site. Each sleeps six and must be reserved in advance. To get here, take Highway 1A west to Ocean Boulevard.
Military Sight Family
603 Fort Rodd Hill Rd., Colwood, British Columbia, V9C 2W8, Canada
250-478–5849
www.pc.gc.ca
Sights Details
Fort C$8.50; tent cabins C$128 per night

Goldstream Provincial Park

Eagles, bears, and three species of salmon thrive in this 477-hectare (1,180-acre) wilderness park 16 km (10 miles) north of Downtown Victoria. Picnic areas, easy riverside walks, and challenging hikes draw visitors in summer. The latest addition is a skills development trail for mountain-bikers. In winter, a spotting scope is set up in the Goldstream Nature House to watch hundreds of bald eagles gather to feed on salmon. Naturalists provide guidance and interpretive programs at the Nature House, a year-round visitor center that's a 10-minute walk from the parking lot.

Recommended Fodor's Video

Witty's Lagoon Regional Park

About 30 minutes west of Downtown Victoria, this park has a sandy beach, forest trails, marshlands, and a large lagoon—and it's home to 160 species of birds. There's also a nature house that presents interpretive programs. Amenities: parking; toilets. Best for: solitude; walking.