Victoria, Canada: 'Our city holds surprises at every corner' | Travel

A bright red hot tub bobs contentedly in the harbor, a sight eye-catching in any city, but particularly riveting given that this harbor belongs to elegant Victoria, the perfectly coiffed and attired lady that is the capital of British Columbia.

The tiny red craft is operated by Hot Tub Boat Victoria, which rents the delightfully silly vessels so two to six people can enjoy a one-and-a-half-hour hot soak while tooling around the harbor. Victoria has its elaborate Parliament Buildings and civilized high teas, but she also has a penchant for fun.

One of the world’s loveliest — and friendliest — of cities, Victoria embraces life with gusto. Sitting pretty on Vancouver Island, Victoria, the oldest city in the Pacific Northwest, suffers from an embarrassment of riches, what with mountain, ocean and harbor vistas and the British vibes of tea rooms, the Empress Hotel, double-decker buses and pristinely maintained gardens that thrive in the region’s benign weather.

This is a city where cute-as-a-button harbour ferries perform water ballets on weekends. The skippers of these highly agile watercraft have created a synchronized performance with their little boats, but not before these “ballerina” captains practiced their moves on foot along the Inner Harbour, to the amusement of the crowds.

“Dive into the unexpected, and you'll find a city teeming with life, culture and unparalleled hospitality,” said native son Derek Orr, whose Iron & Wood Golf Simulators are unexpected fun.

Orr’s facility, located about 15 minutes from downtown, is perfect for serious gaming practice or just having a good time. Three climate-controlled private rooms with surround sound Bluetooth audio feature more than 125 championship golf courses and 12 multi-sport games that range from hockey to zombie dodgeball.

“Where else can you tee off in a virtual Pebble Beach setting and then enjoy a cup of locally-roasted coffee at a century-old building just a few blocks away?” Orr asked.

Orr’s favorite city is also where a robust busker culture embraces personalities such as Darth Fiddler, dressed in full Star Wars regalia, and where a perfect stand-in for Mma Grace Makutsi of “No. 1 Ladies Detective” fame sits primly in the middle of Government Street typing poems for the tourists.

Even the stores are unique. An example — at a whopping 45 square feet — is the Cultured Swine Barbershop, nestled on lower Johnson Street. With room for only one chair, it is unofficially the world’s smallest barbershop and North America’s smallest storefront.

Yeah, Victoria is different.

Its close proximity to both Vancouver and Seattle means the city of 90,000-plus makes for a popular quick stop for tourists, particularly Alaska-bound cruisers, but Victoria deserves more than just a day to savor its charms.

Cuisine that fuses the culinary legacy of the city’s many cultures, together with a passion for locally sourced ingredients, results in an abundance of gustatory temptations. Professional foodie and “Victorian” Andy Olson has distilled participation in food tours around the world into A Taste of Victoria Food Tours, a perfect introduction to the city’s culinary hidden gems.

Olson delivers a two-hour experience that weaves food and history as he leisurely meanders from Victoria Public Market to Fan Tan Alley in Chinatown, Market Square, Government Street, the Inner Harbour and more while visitors graze on everything from to-die for pierogis with kraut and bacon confit at Sult Pierogi Bar to Paris-Brest pastries at La Roux Patisserie, a shop that is the darling of location scouts for Hallmark Channel movies, never mind the fact that this so la-la bakery is located in the midst of bustling Chinatown.

"I think the thing that defines Victoria's food scene is fusion,” said Olson.

“We have so many great local producers and the vendors in town take a variety of local ingredients and use them in a melting pot of culture, which produces some delightful fusion restaurants serving fusion dishes. A French Patisserie in Chinatown run by an Irish woman whose family has lived in Chinatown for 100 years is a great example of this."

Victoria is so food-oriented that even the halls of Parliament are open for lunch … and breakfast. The dining room of the iconic Parliament Buildings welcomes the public for both meals when the legislature is not in session, with a gourmet menu that showcases options such as Steak Champignon, Cod Meuniere and Prawn Bisque. Understandably, reservations are recommended for this very unique dining location. Make it lunch-and-a-show with the Parliamentary Players, a troupe of thespians, who during summer months, perform award-winning “Travelling Plays” that take visitors back through time as the free theatrical experience rambles through the grounds of the Legislative Assembly.

Partaking of high tea is de rigueur in this city. Most tourists beeline for the Empress Hotel, but those who break from the crowds head to venues such as Pendray Inn and Tea House a couple of blocks from the Empress and the bustling Inner Harbour. The atmosphere is tranquil in this historic manor, where Victorian-style afternoon tea is served on the verandah overlooking the water.

Butchart Gardens, just a half hour out of town, provides another splendid spot for afternoon tea, and, on summer Saturdays, outdoor concerts and spectacular fireworks.

Wednesdays through Sundays, under the mantle of dusk, the Gardens are transformed with subtle lighting and become a romantic wonderland. During the day, this treasured National Historic Site of Canada overflows with the joy that millions of radiant flowers bring.

Breweries, cideries and wineries abound. Slide down or walk down the newest area attraction, the spiral Malahat Skywalk with its sweeping views of mountains and fjords, and afterwards proceed to eat, drink and be merry amidst the pleasant scenery at Merridale Cidery and Distillery, Junction Orchard & Cidery and Unsworth Vineyards, to name a few.

Elegant and quirky, Victoria is also outdoorsy. There is no need to travel far to go kayaking, for outfitters such as Ocean River Sports offer harbor kayak and SUP tours.

Whale watching is popular, and the creatures seem happy to show off their magnificence to their human admirers. Several companies operate from the Inner Harbour with several options. Prince of Whales offers half and full-day tours using environmentally friendly, fast catamarans, and, for an even more adrenaline-pumping encounter, three-plus-hour Zodiac adventures for 12 passengers who suit up in their survival suit to stay warm and dry and as the boat cuts through  pristine waters.

On land, Victoria is pedestrian and bike friendly. Steps from the Parliament building, Pedego Victoria has a fleet of electric bikes for exploring the town without breaking a sweat. The picturesque Galloping Goose Trail, built upon a former rail line, offers miles of scenery around the harbor and beyond.

Those who prefer indoors to out should have no problem in Victoria, home to a surfeit of extraordinary activities such as Haunted Manor Mini-Golf + Ping Pong Lounge. Not your average mini-golf, Haunted Manor is an immersive twist on the game as players wind their way through an 18-hole course set a mansion with a ghoulish history. After golfing, battle it out in your private ping pong lounge.

And now for something completely different, join a group doing hands-on fossil restoration at DinoLab Inc., also in downtown Victoria. The company, which works with fossils millions of years old, has provided specimens for some of the world’s top museums. Visitors can book a private tour of the dinos, witness the restoration process and grab pneumatic tools to work on a fossil.

“Our city holds surprises at every corner,” Orr said.

He is right.

For more on Victoria, visit tourismvictoria.com. Maria Sonnenberg is a Brevard County, Florida-based freelance food and travel writer.

More travel stories

5 Florida cities top TripAdvisor's fall destinations list, but not the ones you think

Biscayne National Park showcases natural wonders not far from Miami | Travel

Richmond delivers on adventure, history and Southern hospitality | Travel

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Quirky, elegant and outdoorsy: That's British Columbia's Victoria