Beautiful, Clean, Safe, Friendly: Victoria , BC , Canada

Stewart College of Languages is located in the heart of downtown Victoria, next to the YM-YWCA, with its many sports facilities and the Royal Theatre. In the next block, you can enjoy the Greater Victoria Public Library. Sightseeing attractions, restaurants and shops are just a few steps away!

The capital of the Province of British Columbia, Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, on the west coast of Canada, just a few hours by ferry from Vancouver or Seattle.

Victoria is consistently rated as one of the best places to live in Canada. Home to about 300,000 people, Victoria is renowned for its friendliness, cleanliness and wonderful parks and gardens. It is the location for the famous Butchart Gardens, the prestigious Empress Hotel, Antique Row, the Royal British Columbia Museum, beautiful Beacon Hill Park, historic Chinatown and numerous beaches.

The most British of North American cities, Victoria is unique with its double-decker red buses and tudor-style buildings. We have great shopping too, including familiar names such as The Gap, Roots, Guess, Eddie Bauer, Chapters and many Starbucks coffee shops. There's also a wonderful variety of restaurants covering cuisine from many nationalities: Canadian, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Greek, Dutch, British... you name it, we have it!

Victoria is known for its temperate climate and has been nicknamed "City of Gardens ". We get the best of both worlds as it rarely snows here in winter, and we generally have very mild summers. Look here  for today's weather!

Located in sub-Mediterranean zone, Victorians enjoy some of the most moderate weather in all of Canada. Victoria boasts an average of 2,183 hours of sunshine yearly, and an eight month frost free season. Average annual rainfall is 26.2 inches (compared to over 50 inches in New York). The average monthly rainfall in winter is 5 cm (2 inches) and in the summer is less than 2.5 cm (1 inch).

Victoria has a very low humidity ratio, and almost constant offshore breezes which keep summer days from becoming too hot, yet summer evenings can cool off; therefore a sweater or a light jacket is recommended. Although winters are mild and rarely include snow, warmer clothing is recommended between the months of November and March.

Comfortable walking shoes are a must. This resort style city is made for strolling, with downtown hotels, restaurants, shops and parks within close proximity to each other.

Average Monthly Temperatures

( Monthly temperatures provided by the Tourism Victoria.)

The Gulf Islands make wonderful destinations for weekends. Nearby Salt Spring Island is famous for its laid back west coast culture, lamb and cheese. Or go Up-Island to visit Chemainus, famous for its murals, Strathcona Park or Tofino.

Both winter and summer activities abound. Just a few hours away is the fantastic resort of Mount Washington, which gets the highest snowfall in North America, and it takes less than a day to get to well-known Whistler. In Summer, try whale-watching, kayaking, horse-riding or hiking along the world-famous Westcoast Trail.

Vancouver and its many big-city activities are an easy day trip from Victoria ; or if you want a taste of the USA , take a ferry across to Seattle .

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