Headed to Victoria, B.C. for a few days, need tips!

Speck D

New Member
Region
USA
City
Santa Cruz, CA
Hello to all in the E Bike Community. This is my first post, and I am glad to have come across this forum! I am a merchant mariner and will be in Victoria for a few days, I have my eBike with me and am looking for suggestions of places/ trails/ routes to ride, things to see and do, etc. Ill be staying downtown and am excited to explore the city. I have never been to Victoria so if you know of any good rides or good trails, or tips feel free to share. Thank you in advance!
 
I just did the scenic route ride yesterday. Here's a link:

Instead of going in one direction and then coming back the same way I did a loop. I continued on to Mt. Douglas and then took the rail trail back to the down town.
 
I just did the scenic route ride yesterday. Here's a link:

Instead of going in one direction and then coming back the same way I did a loop. I continued on to Mt. Douglas and then took the rail trail back to the down town.
Awesome, that sounds like a perfect ride for the first day! How is the weather there this time of year?
 
MyRadar weather app shows it will be pretty nice there through this Thursday. I have not ridden a bike there, so I cannot speak to that aspect, but an unique place worth a visit, if you like such things, is the Abkhazi Garden: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazi_Garden?wprov=sfla1

The story behind the people who created it is fascinating, and it is an amazing place to walk around. Every few steps, you have a completely different view or scene, and it all seems to be built on some solid bedrock, rather than on easily tilled topsoil.
 
Victoria is very bike friendly. Lots of bike paths and a great rail trail system. The weather looks decent (around here it means it's not raining) until Thursday, but we're leaving today.
 
MyRadar weather app shows it will be pretty nice there through this Thursday. I have not ridden a bike there, so I cannot speak to that aspect, but an unique place worth a visit, if you like such things, is the Abkhazi Garden: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazi_Garden?wprov=sfla1

The story behind the people who created it is fascinating, and it is an amazing place to walk around. Every few steps, you have a completely different view or scene, and it all seems to be built on some solid bedrock, rather than on easily tilled topsoil.
awesome suggestion, thank you! Will defiantly check this out!
 
Victoria is very bike friendly. Lots of bike paths and a great rail trail system. The weather looks decent (around here it means it's not raining) until Thursday, but we're leaving today.
Really good to know, I've heard nothing but great things, I am excited to see it for myself!
 
So Speck, how did your trip to Victoria go?
Well, unfortunately, due to some last minute issues, my boat that I am on got diverted and w were no longer able to go to victoria. I was really excited, but looking forward to getting up there soon. Such is life! The good news is that the trip (even though cancelled) allowed me to stumble across this great forum.
 
So happens we decided to take our first trip out of the US since the Beforetime by hopping the Black Ball Ferry from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, BC, on our ebikes! We bought one of the package hotel deals through the ferry co, and good we did because as we were checking in to the hotel, the people ahead of us were being charged $450...it is the height of summer.. Or maybe they were also staying for two nights. Anyway, we were allowed to keep our bikes in our room, because I would certainly fret otherwise, though they do have a bike storage area in the basement.

We set out the next morning and so happens we ended up doing the loop along the east/northeast coast roads, Beach Dr, etc, all the way up to Mt Douglas Park, and then straight down to the harbor on the bike trails, just as Deacon suggested above. 26.2 miles, altogether.

Absolutely lovely ride. Lots of beautiful old houses, interspersed with some modern architecture ones, views, inlets and lots of BIG trees. Lot of Garry oaks looking very unhappy, however. Like they've got a blight or bugs. They tend to look awfully gnarly anyway, but they are not in good health.

Anyway, today we went out the Galloping Goose Trail, or maybe it was the E&N Rail Trail. Or both. There are SO MANY bike trails and bike lanes in this town! We went out to the Thetis Lake Regional Park. Didn't get to see a lot of it, because we were due back at the ferry. The Galloping Goose goes along Hwy 1 for a bit, which is not so wonderful, but at least it is there. A lot of bike infrastructure.

I have to say, being in Canada again really brings back how laid back other countries are compared to the US now. There is a tension, a freneticism, in everyday life in America which is not present or at least not as prevalent outside of America.

So all in all it was a great weekend trip. And 46miles of ebiking over 36hours...
 
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