Exploring Victoria
A favorite of visitors from around the world, Victoria is known as the City of Gardens and boasts the mildest climate in Canada. Visitors can find hundreds of things to do at any time of the year from visiting Victoria's legendary gardens to the reveling in the wild beauty of the Pacific Coast and the adventure of the great outdoors. A short stroll from The Magnolia guests can see the majestic Parliament Buildings, hundreds of shops and restaurants or depart on a whale watching expedition.
Click here for a calendar of Events Happening in Victoria
Shopping in Victoria
At Victoria’s eclectic shops, markets and shopping malls you’re sure to find something to suit your style, taste and budget, from antiques, handcrafted goods to the latest fashion trends. Plus, Victoria’s layout makes it easy to shop on foot, and hit as many stores as possible!
Click here for a directory of recommended shopping in Victoria
Butchart Gardens
Butchart Gardens features fifty-five acres of wonderful floral display, offering spectacular views as you stroll along meandering paths and expansive lawns. In 1904, Jennie Butchart began to beautify a worked-out quarry site remaining from her husband's pioneering efforts manufacturing cement at Tod Inlet on Vancouver Island. Her venture has become a family commitment to horticulture and hospitality spanning 100 years, delighting visitors from all over the world. From the exquisite Sunken Garden to the charming Rose Garden, this internationally renowned garden still maintains the gracious traditions of the past, in one of the loveliest corners in the world. www.butchartgardens.com
Whale Watching
No other spectacle of nature compares to the awe-inspiring sight of a massive killer whale breaching out of the deep blue water only 100 metres from your boat. Victoria and Vancouver Island are well known as the place to view migrating and resident whales in their natural surroundings, as well as providing a number of other wildlife-watching opportunities throughout the seasons. Whale watching tours can be taken out of Victoria steps from the Magnolia Hotel & Spa. The best time to see migrating gray whales is during March and April; gray whales are sighted in Clayoquot and Barkley sound from February through October. The "resident" orca (killer) whales that live in the local waters are best viewed from May through November, when they are at their feeding grounds. From tiny sea creatures and fish to otters, seals, sea lions and dolphins, the coasts of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands are a gold mine for visitors hoping to see marine life.
Royal BC Museum
Discover the Royal British Columbia Museum and its famous First Peoples, Natural History and Modern History Galleries just a short walk from The Magnolia Hotel & Spa. Three-dimensional displays offer the senses a feast of the sights, smells and sounds of British Columbia. Walk through a rainforest, sit among aboriginal poles and stroll down the street to window-shop in Old Town. www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Engaging, Challenging, Inspiring... steps from The Magnolia Hotel & Spa, Victoria's public art museum is home to BC's largest public art collection and features a world-respected Asian art collection, including an authentic Japanese Shinto Shrine located outside in the Asian Garden.
The Art Gallery offers a diverse presentation of exhibitions, ranging from Asian art, European and Canadian historical works and leading contemporary artists from across the country. The Art Gallery is often chosen to participate in national tours of important block-buster exhibitions. Permanently on exhibition at the Art Gallery are the paintings, writings and historical artifacts of BC's premiere landscape artist, Emily Carr. www.aggv.bc.ca
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