Locals say you should visit this small BC city with charming streets instead of Vancouver

A summer trip is waiting!

Editor

The bustling streets of Vancouver have their own intrigue, with lots of shopping, those signature views, city beaches, and endless things to do. If you want all that without the crowds though, this smaller city in B.C. is a favourite.

We turned to readers on the Narcity Facebook Page to see where people should visit in the province over Vancouver, and the charming oceanfront city apparently gives it a run for its money.

Victoria offers a more low-key trip, but you still have all of the benefits of a city visit. There's tons of local shopping, great restaurants, cool cafes, and touristy things to do here.

Set on Vancouver Island the city is also the perfect place for exploring some of the world-renowned beauty that it's known for. Misty rainforests and unbelievably beautiful beaches are all within driving distance of the city.

Within the city limits you can get your fill of natural beauty though. For starters, there's the waterfront that you can walk along, taking in the sparkling ocean views.

Take your pick of neighbourhoods and you'll find a more quaint atmosphere, and often those same ocean views. Then Downtown has gorgeous streets lined with heritage buildings, with little shops ripe for exploring.

Step some time in the Inner Harbour — which you'll think is as picturesque as it can get, until you keep walking and reach Fisherman's Wharf. This is like a little seaside fishing village, but in the city. There you'll find food, shops, and tours to take you out exploring.

If you're heading to the West Coast for a visit it might be worth looking beyond the borders of Vancouver, and heading to Victoria.

  • Editor

    Morgan Leet (she/her) is an Editor for Narcity Media Group. After graduating from Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication, she jumped into fulfilling her dream as a journalist, merging her passion for travelling with writing. She got her start working in the print media world on Canada’s East Coast, then joined Narcity with a move to B.C., leading the launch of West Coast coverage. Her focus now is managing a large group of freelance writers, bringing human-forward and opinion content to the site.

CRA offers automatic tax filing and it could help 'put more money in your pocket'

You could be eligible for the service without even knowing it.

Canadian passport fees are going up this month and you'll pay more to get the travel document

"Fees for travel documents will be adjusted each year to align with inflation."

BC is getting rid of time changes and the last spring forward is this weekend

The province will soon be on daylight saving time permanently.

Mark Carney got publicly called out by a Liberal MP for his support of Iran strikes (VIDEO)

Liberal MP Will Greaves released a video openly criticizing Carney's stance.

Gene-edited pork has been approved in Canada but labels aren't mandatory

It's the only genetically modified meat approved for sale in Canada.

Ontario's safest cities for driving were revealed and you might not expect the top locations

It's based on accidents and infractions like distracted driving and speeding. 🚗