There are lots of great beaches in Victoria
and the surrounding area.
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Cadboro
Bay Beach |
| Long expanse of beach, atmospheric driftwood,
Indian arrowheads, atennis courts, and a park that
sports a whimsical giant wooden tugboat and a life-size
concrete Caadborosaurus. |
| |
Willows
Beach |
| Definitely the place to see and be seen especially
in the height of summer when tanning or reading
that trashy paperback is high on the agenda. Well-serviced,
family-friendly and clean, this is just the sort
of cherry urban beach you'd expect to find nestled
in the bosom of Oak Bay. |
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Gonzales
Beach |
| Although all beaches are public, access to this
Fairfield treasure (at Gonzales Bay, on the western
side of King George Terrace) is sufficiently hidden
that there aren't the massive crowds you'd expect.
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Thetis
Beach |
| There is great swimming and lots of nature trails.
Take the Colwood exit, then follow the Old Island
Highway till turning right at Six Mile Road which
leads to the park entrance. |
| |
Matheson
Beach |
| After you've worked up a righteous sweat circumnavigating
this rural lake, you can either take the plunge
at the sandy main beach or, if you want a bit more
privacy, at several spots along the perimeter. This
Metchosin charmer can be accessed via the Galloping
Goose or along the Old Island Highway to Sooke Road,
then left onto Happy Valley Road, right onto Rocky
Point Road, and right again onto Matheson Lake Park
Road. |
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Elk/Beaver
Lake |
This is a wonderful family spot, able to accommodate
huge crowds of swimmers, sun bunnies, kayakers,
picnickers, or even hikers. Head out the Pat Bay
Highway, about 20 minutes from downtown Victoria. |
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Island
View |
Remote enough not to be overly popular, this
is one of Victoria's finest beaches, not least
because of those atmospheric sand dunes over-looking
Haro Strait. Mount Baker never looks better than
from here, and the offshore islands include James,
Sidney, D'Arcy and the San Juans. This is a beachcomber's
delight, complete with little intertidal ecosystems;
and birders are likely to spot grebes, loons,
and mallards. Easy access via the Pat Bay Highway:
turn right at Island View Road, which terminates
in a parking area. |
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Witty's
Lagoon |
The combination of woodlands, sandy beach,
tidal lagoons, rocky shores, and a waterfall,
this park/beach attracts both flocks of visitors
and flocks of visiting birds; including blue herons,
eagles, ospreys and kingfishers being just some
of the species that are drawn to this captivating
sanctuary. There are five kilometres of forested
nature trails, and a sandy spit ideal for picnickers,
swimmers and wildlife watchers. Access is via
the Old Island Highway to Sooke Road, then left
onto Metchosin Road. After six km you're at the
main park entrance, left opposite the Metchosin
Golf Club. |
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