Buchart Gardens is right close to the ferries and airport. Depending on your arrival time you may want to hit that before heading to Victoria. Also near the airport is the Shaw Ocean Discovery in Sidney. It is small and meant more for kids. Sidney Spit ferry is right there for a 1/2 day trip.
In Victoria you'll hit the Inner Harbour. Undersea Gardens is there and a little bigger that the previously mentioned Shaw Ocean Discovery but it is all native westcoast fish/undersea fauna (nothing to fancy). The BC Museum is cool if you are into museums. Also, if you have a car tour Dallas Road, walk the breakwater and check out Beacon Hill Park. Good eats in the Harbour - Red Fish Blue Fish for something quick/cheap and at night you can't beat the view of the Parliament buildings from Milestones.
On hot day if you wanna hike and swim and explore an awesome swimming river check out Sooke Potholes (my personal happy place to escape). Westcoast beaches past Sooke are cool. Google Mystic Beach, Sombrio Beach or Botanical Beach in Port Renfrew. They recently paved the logging roads from Port Renfrew to Lake Cowichan for an interesting long drive to get from Victoria to Sooke to Port Renfrew to Duncan and see some nature.
There is sooo much. After 38 years on the island I still haven't seen even 1/2 of it. PM me if you want any specific details.
|