We enjoy staying at the Royal Scot. It's a quality, clean, affordable hotel in an expensive location. It's well-located, and the staff is very accommodating. I'm not paid to say any of this. It's simply the truth.

Start in the City

Victoria, located on the southeastern edge of Vancouver Island, provides excellent bike paths and waterfront views without leaving town. We began Day 1 with an introductory ride along the marked Seaside Tour route from the harbor, past docked cruise ships, onto Dallas Road, and eventually Beach Drive. We paused with local cyclists at Clover Point Park to watch whales enter the Strait of Juan de Fuca. One friendly local, Tara, volunteered route advice we effectively used throughout our stay.

Beach Drive continues to follow the shoreline, making its way along the city's eastern edge through affluent neighborhoods and convenient coffee shops. Watch for one of the area's popular painted public pianos, a dazzling display of red, blue, and green flower-like images in Loon Bay Park overlooking the Royal Victoria Yacht Club.

Patti Rogers and John Haus ride along Prospect Lake Road north of the city / © Dan Shryock photo

A Dream Come True

Many commuters who pedal into the city each day take advantage of a network of paved regional trails. There are more than 50 miles of paths, all former railroad beds, which serve as bicycle expressways channeling bikers between the Inner Harbour, suburbia, and eventually, the beautiful and sometimes challenging backroads.

We first tried the Lochside Regional Trail, which extends 18 miles north to rural Saanich, Sidney, and Swartz Bay, where another ferry terminal is located. Lochside is paved most of the way with occasionally packed gravel suitable for narrower road bike tires. Mattick's Farm grocery, near Cordova Bay Golf Course, serves as a good pit stop for a fresh deli lunch.

The short E&N Rail Trail heads west and connects with the 34-mile Galloping Goose Regional Trail to Langford, Metchosin, and Sooke before heading into the backcountry, where the road favors gravel bikes. However, we stayed on paved surfaces during Day 2 and turned toward Munn, Millstream Lake, and Prospect Lake roads for what locals consider the best riding in the region.

"For me, it's the Munn Road section in the area known as the Highlands," says Seamus McGrath, director of the area's annual Tour de Victoria cycling event. "There’s about 10 miles there where the road goes high up in the rainforest, high up in cedar trees and by the lakes. It’s technical with increasing radius turns. There are small mountain roads like something you’d find in Europe. If you’re an avid cyclist, it’s a dream.”

It’s a dream for anyone who likes to climb. Several short segments ramp up as much as 15 percent, but those fierce spots are out of mind minutes later. Locals like it, too, as evidenced when we again cross paths with Tara, our Day 1 advisor.

Do It Again …

Day 3 allowed us to explore a few new roads and relive the best segments from our first two days. We found ourselves back on Prospect Lake Road, a favorite of mine, for a sweeping, smooth ride before climbing a steady grade for 1.2 miles up to Observatory Viewpoint. We added a lunch stop at Italy-inspired Mosi Bakery, only a half mile from the bottom of the observatory hill, and then headed for Beach Drive for one last pass by the water.

… And, Again

Our same foursome returned to Port Angeles a year later to sample the Olympic Discovery Trail and climb up to Hurricane Ridge inside Olympic National Park. With an open day in the schedule, we boarded the Coho ferry again and transferred to Victoria.

This was a one-day, over-and-back excursion. We landed in Victoria by 10:30 a.m. and set out to tackle Munn Road one more time. First, I created a detour to La Roux Patissiere and surprised my friends with Paris-Brests, a high-calorie pastry invented more than a century ago to fuel cyclists during French bike races of the same name.

Once in the Highlands, we burned those calories and many more. Climate change was in full effect; it was a very hot September day. Temperatures reached the mid-80s, and it seemed even hotter deep in the trees without any breeze. Each hill felt like a dagger to a weary body, but all was almost forgotten once over each crest.

We also learned a valuable lesson the second time around. Avoid these seemingly remote, narrow, twisting roads on weekday afternoons. A steady flow of slow yet persistent commute traffic kept us alert.

Get to Know Victoria

Not every ride needs to extend deep into the trees. Consider a guided, narrated family excursion with a local tour company. Not interested in following the leader? Ask a bike rental shop for maps and destination suggestions. They’re ready to help.

“People find a bike tour the best way to get intimate with the city and see places you wouldn’t otherwise see if you’re in a vehicle,” says Jordan Varga, owner of The Pedaler Cycling Tours & Rentals. “Victoria is so condensed, and people are here for such a short time so they want to see as much as they can.”

During a previous visit, we took The Pedaler’s guided “Castles, Hoods and Legends” two-hour tour. We gathered some historical anecdotes, an architectural education, ocean views, and an introductory visit to lush Beacon Hill Park.

The City of Victoria installed towers in strategic locations across the area to count the number of cyclists each day / © Dan Shryock photo

Tour de Victoria

The Tour de Victoria bicycle event each August offers seven routes ranging from 9.3 miles by water to 100 miles into the rainforest and back again.

“They shut the city down for the day for bikes,” Seamus McGrath says. “That’s a feat in itself, and that’s the support Victoria fosters for the love of cycling. Bicycles are a huge part of our culture.”

Starting at the Inner Harbour, surrounded by historic buildings, the event was designed to capture all of Victoria's best back roads. The fully supported event welcomes all riders of all ages, all bikes, and all skill levels. “It’s a ride for everyone,” he says.

Complete information and route maps for Tour de Victoria are available at tourdevictoria.com.

Off the Bike

Go for a walk. It’s an easy and beautiful way to enjoy downtown Victoria without a bike. Stroll along Wharf Street toward Fisgard Street and Victoria’s Chinatown National Historic Site. Return via Government Street, a popular destination with several restaurants and taverns.

Local tourism information is available at tourismvictoria.com.