Victoria's main attractions surround the inner harbour where recreational vessels, small ferries and cruise ships, ecotourism boats, and water taxis moor just steps from historical sites.
 

The opulent Empress Hotel, opened in 1908 and lying across the street from the Parliament Building has hosted prominent visitors including royalty, and remains famous for its afternoon teas.

Fisherman's Wharf is a unique area of the harbour where people enjoy purchasing seafood directly from boats or from food kiosks, embarking on whale-watching expeditions or viewing the charming houseboats.

On the waterfront promenade is a delightful seasonal topiary statue made of 10,000 plants entitled "Surfacing" which depicts a life-size mother and baby orca.
 

A major tourist attraction in Victoria is Craigdarroch Castle, a Scottish baronial style mansion constructed by the wealthy coal baron, Robert Dunsmuir.

In a quiet residential neighourhood lies tranquil Abkhazi Garden, a heritage garden on the home site created by Georgian royals exiled during the Bolshevik revolution.
 

The Gate of Harmonious Interest marks the entrance to Victoria's Chinatown, the oldest in Canada, formed in the mid-1800s during the Gold Rush.

Chinatown features the usual mixture of Chinese restaurants, grocery stores, and home decor shops as well as the narrowest street in Canada, Fan Tan Alley, housing unique shops and the Chinese Canadian Museum.
 

Beside the Royal BC Museum lies Thunderbird Park where Wawadit’la, a Kwakwaka’wakw (big house), and several totem poles by master carvers depict significant First Nations cultural practices.
 

While we were there, the Royal BC Museum was hosting an impressive and informative exhibit, Angkor: The Lost Empire of Cambodia.

Royal Roads University is a public university located in a decommissioned military college at Hatley Park National Historic Site in Colwood. Hatley Castle, former home of James Dunsmuir serves as its administration center.
 

The 650-acre Hatley Park estate contains heritage plants and themed gardens: the Rose Garden, The Italian Garden, and the Japanese Garden seen here.

A scenic drive along the southern shoreline of Victoria provides views of attractive communities such as James Bay, Gonzales Bay and Oak Bay.

Cattle Point Park provides a viewpoint across the Haro Strait to the Gulf Islands and Mount Baker, Washington. Its protected ecosystem offers sights of marine life, and starry night skies.

With close proximity to  wetlands, estuaries and ocean shoreline, there are many public parks where one can view an abundance of wildlife such as seals, otters, orcas and various birds.

Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse are National Historical Sites that preserve the historical coastal defense fortifications of Canada's west coast.
 

There is a great deal of public art in Victoria, with many statues serving as tributes to those who have contributed to Victoria's cultural richness.
 

Sidney-by-the-Sea is a community on the Saanich Peninsula near the ferry terminal for transit to Vancouver, Saltspring Island and the Gulf Islands. It boasts a seaside walkway with numerous sculptures, an aquarium,  and access to beaches along the Salish Sea.
 

Cowichan Bay is a fishing community which, along with its historical pier and active ship-building museum, offers attractive sights of the estuary, kayaking and whale-watching excursions, and inland tours of wineries.

About an hour's drive north of Victoria lies the town of Duncan, where 80 totem poles are on display with informative signage explaining their meaning. Duncan also houses an interactive logging museum.
 

Also north of Victoria lies the town of Chemainus where 63 murals adorn its buildings with themes from indigenous heritage and logging lore to rail history, nature and immigration.