Beacon Park lies at the foot of Sidney's Beacon Avenue, near the city's waterfront. For us, it,…read moreand immediate surrounding area, offered a lovely, scenic spot for some short walkabouts to catch some waterfront sights & sounds, on our way to catch the ferry back home at Swartz Bay. Wow, what a lovely spot, and our stop here provided a nice, but too brief time to really absorb and experience the offerings, but we did what we could, and sure enjoyed the views. And a fun plus for us, was chatting with some of the local residents out for their morning walks with their dogs!! Within the Park, there is art (some 'fun and clever' sculptures associated with the 'Sidney Seaside Sculpture Walk' begin here), a small pavillion, picnic tables, and walkways along the waterfront (to really enjoy the seaside views). And nearby, the boardwalk out onto the Sidney Wharf (with fish market, restaurant, access to boats/ferries, and such), and the back-side of the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre (with it's own great nature-related sculptures, set on the living tide-pool setup). We now know what's there, and next trip will plan better, to enjoy a little more of what Sidney's Beacon Park, and area has to offer. edit to add: stopped by again, April 27, on the way to catch the ferry. Shot a few pictures of the sculptures.

This lake is a nice lake and meadow right in the city. It a nice walk around the lake with nice…read morescenic meadows and birds. Even though it's called Swan Lake, there are no swans but a variety of birds are around. I walked around the trail and didn't see any birds besides robins but I'm sure if we sat on the various benches around, we would have saw more. The lake has a few docks a bridges. The lake has cute ducks swimming and I didn't see any fishes. The lake had a lot of green algae and it was pretty thick around certain places. The ducks were swimming in it and seems perfectly fine. It was still kind of gross... There's a Nature House that is close to the parking lot. In the Nature House you'll find a gift shop and a few stuffed animals there. There are two educational classrooms that you can sign up for classes.

I think that Swan Lake is a lovely location for a walk, and with Spring here and the beautiful…read moreweather coming back, I highly recommend going to check it out. There are times when the path becomes tunnel-like under the trees and it really helps to fully immerse yourself in the beauty that the nature in Victoria has to offer. Plus, there are lovely bridges and wooden peninsulas so you can look out at the water from a bit closer. Despite its name, I didn't see any swans, but there was a quite large amount of ducks when I was there. And, as I have to sadly admit, there was also a large number of dead fish in the water. I believe the excess amount of algae in the water is to blame, however, I can imagine that the litter I saw occasionally strewn about the pathway doesn't help. Due to this, there is a bit of a stench when you're right above the water, which really put me off from lingering too long by the water. The surrounding greenery, however, was still as stunning and pleasing to the nose as you'd expect. I'll be going back soon for another stroll and hopefully, the stench has cleared up a bit by now.

A nice way to get around Victoria on foot without having to brave the busy streets / concrete…read morejungle. The area around the foot bridge with the Selkirk Trestle is the best part of the trail from Uptown to downtown. I'd like to explore more of the trail on bike next time. I saw a seal basking with its belly up right before it dived. It was so relaxed. Lots of bikers and families taking walks on this trail. The bikers like to go fast. They will ring the bell when they pass people on foot. Best to keep you leash short on any pets you will be walking and keep young children close in hand. A really pleasant discovery!

Awesome trail connecting Victoria all the way to nearby towns for walks or biking. Wonderfully…read morecovered in trees, many also take their dogs for a walk. The trail also leads to great picnic areas, lakes, a hidden gem for locals. Value 5/5 Atmosphere 5/5 Service 5/5 Quality 5/5 20/20

Interesting park to wander around especially if you enjoy old military relics. Great view of the…read morebay.

AKA Fleming Beach, this is my favorite park in Victoria, and my favorite place to go to explore and…read morereflect. (I hesitate to review my secret getaway spot, but sharing isn't so bad..) What can I say that isn't drenched with sentiment - I have been going here since I was a child. The rocky points, the cliffs (which frequently host climbers,) the bunkers and hidden tunnel, the lookout point it is all beautiful and decaying, rusting over as trees and grass gracefully take over. At night you can watch the lighthouses diligently send out their beacons. The ocean in front of you stops to display distant city lights glittering from the US border, on your left is the bright yet sleepy Victoria, there are dimmed neighborhoods to your right, and it feels like you are outside of this and deep within it all at once perched atop an aging lookout point. I say this with absolute certainty, it is the best place in the world to share a bottle of wine and talk about everything. There are tidal pools to explore during the day, places to jump from rock to rock, trails to follow and things to climb. It is a dog park as well, so it's nice to see all the dogs running and playing in the summer. I should warn beachgoers - there is not much sand to speak of most of the time, so don't bother if that's what you're looking for. It isn't for everyone, but to me it's amazing and perfect.

Super busy park - when I went last month, it was difficult to find parking on the south end of the…read morepark. There are two entrances so maybe the north end was better? Anyway, I went to Goldstream Falls and saw a huge group of salmon trying to jump up the falls. I'm not sure if any of them made it as it's very tall... The hike took a leisurely one hour, with the steepest part being right before the falls as there is a staircase leading down to the falls. There are huge trees and cool-looking fungi that dot alongside the trail. The trail follows the stream for a good bit so you hear the bubbling stream. The toilets are the composting/septic tank toilets without water, so be prepared. I wanted to go to Niagara Falls, but ran out of time. Maybe next time! At the time of this review, it looks like the trail to Niagara Falls is washed out and so inaccessible.

Their website states: This winter, from early December until late January, Goldstream Provincial…read morePark's Visitor Centre will be celebrating the return of the Bald Eagles with special programs and exhibits focusing on birds of prey. Not true. We came on January 22nd and the place was deserted. The Visitor Centre was closed and there was no eagle in sight.

This is a nice and beautiful lake to walk around. There are a few trails you can take, either to…read morego around the lake, or go to other areas like the Upper Lake, another loop that is a little steeper, etc. The lake is calm and there are some animals in the lake. I was up high so couldn't see tell if they were beavers or another animal. I assumed they were beavers as they can't be otters. There were 3 swimming by the inner rock in the middle of the lake and it looked like they were playing. I wish I had brought my camera but only had my phone. It was quiet when we went and it looks like you can kayak or canoe on the lake. No gas or electric motors on the lake.

We stayed in Langford when I visited Victoria, and this wonderful lake park was recommended. It's a…read moregorgeous and clean lake! There is a trail that goes around the lake and I've heard the lake is about a couple miles long. The lake itself is pretty big and is not circular like the main trail. I saw there are other trails that leads you to other parts of the lake. You can kayak the lake to see the size and see more views, like upper Thetis Lake. The trail is super easy to walk on and can be finished in like 30 minutes if strolling. The lake itself is very pretty and can get quite deep. It's very clean looking and you and see very clearly. It's definitely big enough to float around on a float and enjoy the hot weather. The lake can get pretty populated during the summer time. I went on a Monday and it can get quite full on the beach portion of the lake. There's also a West beach and I've noticed more dog owners go there. On the Main Beach, there is a bathroom, benches/tables, foot washing station, and water fountains. You can also walk around the lake and find a little cove for more isolated and away from the crowd. In the more isolated areas, there are nice rocks that you can sit up on or dirt covered areas. In the other areas, I've seen people diving off cliffs. There are signs around the lake that warns people of cliff diving. No alcohol is an allowed ($200 fine) and parking is around $2.25 until sunset. There are over flow parking lots as well.

Mount Douglas Park and renamed the indigenous peoples name, Pkols is a beautiful park that a…read morerelative of mine recommended to our group of four. We drove to the top and took in the beautiful view near the parking lot which you can get a view of Victoria and the Straight of Juan De Fuca. We then proceeded up a trail that took us even higher and got a breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding area of Vancouver Island. Entrance is free so it's definitely worth pursuing as far as sightseeing goes. Where we went to the top it's a manageable trail that you can do in casual shoes but if you want to climb up rocky trails it's probably best to have more rugged hiking shoes. At any rate this is a "must stop" while exploring the Victoria area.

Get your nature fix here in the Victoria area. There's easy hiking trails through the forest and a…read morenice little beach as well. The park is well maintained, with free parking, bathrooms, and even some EV charging stations. In no time you'll be refreshed and ready to face the city again.

If you want peace and quiet head to this park…read more Serene and beautiful. Quite and peaceful. I only have good adjectives to describe. Many picnic tables available. Small play area for kids. Enjoyable. Relaxing and did I say peaceful?

A very lovely arboretum in Surrey. Established and donated to the public by two brothers, it…read morefeatures a wide variety of exotic and domestic trees. There is also a bunch of cute "faeries" houses you can find. The only sad thing is I spotted a lot of plastic on these houses, which I don't think weathers well in the forest. They also have large tables with covering where you could gather.