Culture and Recreation

DestinationVictoria.com Culture & Recreation is devoted to giving you the best in arts, culture and recreation that Victoria and Vancouver Island has to offer. When you need reliable alternative information about what to see, things to do, places to explore, shows you must see or events to check out, we will be here with reviews, articles and other pertinent information.

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Hiking Tours, Guided Day Trips - Sombrio

When I first started exploring the West Coast of Vancouver Island, I couldn’t imagine picking a favourite place. Between jumping in fresh water pools of the Sooke River, hiking the 3500 acres of East Sooke Park, or climbing through giant trees to the sandy beaches of the Juan de Fuca trail, I was beside myself.

Victoria's Best Golf Courses

There are over forty golf courses on Vancouver Island stretching from Victoria right up to Campbell River. Golfers might find themselves distracted with scenes of meandering deer, spawning salmon, nesting eagles and herons and the Coast, Cascade and Olympic mountains in the distance.

The Jack & Steve Nicklaus co-designed Westin Bear Mountain Victoria Golf Resort is not to be missed. Minutes from Victoria, its spectacular 19th hole offers 360-degree views of the Olympic and Cascade Mountains well as the Juan de Fuca Strait. This course was voted #63 in Condé Nast Traveler’s Golf Poll 2008, which ranks the top 100 courses worldwide.

Royal Colwood Golf Club

Over the years, Royal Colwood has been privileged to play host to royalty, celebrities, sports stars, and the general golfing public. All have enjoyed the experience. The membership of Royal Colwood comes from all walks of life, united by their common love for the grand old game of golf.

Victoria Spas

There are countless spas in Victoria and north on Vancouver Island, including day spas, luxury hotel spas and destination resort spas. How do you tell which spas are the best? We've compiled a list of highly rated spas in Victoria and Vancouver Island, ranging from relatively affordable day spas to super-luxurious hotel and resort spas for you to discover on your visit.

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria - January 19, 2010

Glimpses of Japan: Recent Print Aquisitions

December 18, 2009 to April 11, 2010

Great New Wave: Contemporary Art From Japan - January 29 – May 30, 2010

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria - Emily Carr: On the edge of nowhere

Emily Carr: On the edge of nowhere
Opening 30 June, 2010 -

Although Emily Carr described herself as an “isolated little old woman on the edge of nowhere” her work has an appeal that is universal in its expressive messages rather than strictly limited to regional depictions of British Columbia.

Belfry Theatre

The Belfry Theatre has been producing plays since 1976 and has gone on to become one of Canada's most respected companies. The theatres is dedicated to producing contemporary plays with an emphasis on Canadian works and they strive to promote artistic, cultural and educational events in the Victoria region.

Editorial - My 20 Visits to Victoria

Readers Write : Suggestions from a regular visitor to our fair city.

I have been coming to Victoria with my family for over 20 years. Here are a few suggestions I have for visitors, based on my own experiences and interests:

When to come: Spring and Fall are best. In the Summer, there are so many tourists it is hard to walk down the street. Though I’ve never done this, I think Christmas in Victoria would be beautiful.

Bear Mountain Golf Club and Resort

Nicklaus' Valley Course gives golfers a break at Canada's Bear Mountain Resort

Until recently, officials at The Westin Bear Mountain Resort and Spa downplayed the difficulty of the original course. They didn't want to scare people off by revealing the true difficulty of Jack Nicklaus' Mountain Course. But now that Bear Mountain's Valley Course has opened, making the resort the only golf property in Canada to feature 36 holes by Nicklaus Design, they don't mind telling you how tough the Mountain Course is because relief is here.