I visited a Canadian province that felt like a dreamy, walkable mix of Europe and the Pacific Northwest

I flew into Victoria from Whistler on one of Harbour Air's carbon-neutral seaplanes, which takes off and lands on water.

My ticket cost the same as a seat on a standard aircraft routed between Whistler and Victoria, so I decided to arrive by seaplane for the unique experience.

British Columbia was a royal colony under British rule before it became the sixth province of Canada in 1871. Today, the region's ties to the UK are reflected in Victoria's impressive, stately architecture.

But the city's history stretches much further back than the British settlers' arrival in 1778.

The Lekwungen people had already lived there for thousands of years. I learned about the Indigenous groups' cultures and histories by visiting some of the city's longstanding landmarks, like the totem poles and the Signs of Lekwungen.

My first impression of Victoria was that it felt like a combination of the UK and Portland, Oregon. 

Throughout my trip, I picked up on the British influence on the city, particularly during a "Castles, Hoods, & Legends" bike tour that took me to landmarks including Craigdarroch Castle and Beacon Hill Park. I also went to Hotel Fairmont Empress to enjoy afternoon tea, one of the UK's centuries-old traditions.

Other parts of Victoria, such as its inclusive and progressive community, reminded me of Portland. My tour guide informed me that British Columbia is historically one of Canada's more liberal provinces, and during my trip, I saw a lot of pride flags hanging around town. 

I also noticed many environmentally focused initiatives led by community members and local businesses, like Eagle Wing Whale & Wildlife Tours, a carbon-neutral whale-watching company.

Victoria's atmosphere felt similarly progressive to where I live in Los Angeles, but people in the capital city seemed so much nicer and happier.

Everyone in town who I interacted with was genuinely friendly, which immediately stuck out to me.

Strolling through Victoria, which is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, was a breeze.

The streets were extremely accessible by foot or by bike, and there were wide bike lanes everywhere I went.

It seemed like there were flowers blooming everywhere I looked in Victoria. 

Each June, the city marks the start of summer by hanging hundreds of flower baskets around town. The tradition dates all the way back to 1937. 

Though I didn't make it to the iconic Butchart Gardens on this trip, I've heard its beautiful blossoms are legendary.

In terms of logistics, traveling from the US to Canada wasn't too challenging.

I took a flight, but there's even a ferry from Seattle to Victoria. My cellphone still worked since my Verizon unlimited data plan carried over to Canada and Mexico.

My credit card also worked, although I had to pay a small international service fee when I used it in Canada. However, these additional fees vary by credit card.

I recommend withdrawing Canadian dollars out of the ATM for smaller purchases rather than using a credit card to pay for taxis or items at the market.

The food I ate in Victoria was fantastic, and the prices were on par with what I would pay in Los Angeles. 

Victoria had a ton of restaurants, bars, and breweries — including Spinnakers, Canada's oldest licensed brewpub.

I'm used to bars in the US being strict about only allowing people 21 and older inside. So, I thought it was funny that Spinnakers had a sign saying patrons had to be at least 19, the legal drinking age in Canada, to enter.

As someone who grew up in the US, I've always used the imperial system. However, Canada uses the international metric system.

When I was in Victoria, it wasn't hard to figure out conversions (like calculating how many kilometers I kayaked), but it took me a moment to get used to the system. 

Knowing how to switch between the imperial and international metric systems is important since the latter is used in many places outside the US.

Because of Victoria's friendly locals, tasty food, and abundance of outdoor activities, it's definitely a place that I'll return to explore more in the future.

This story was originally published on September 12, 2022, and most recently updated on August 28, 2024.