An insider's guide to Victoria since 1997.

Welcome to my Unofficial Guide to Victoria!

I built this site for people who want to get to know Victoria not just walk off the cruise ship, have tea at the Empress and do some quick shopping along Government Street. I was inspired by a similar site about San Francisco which served me very well way back in 1995 and again in 1996. I built this site in 1997 and have been answering questions ever since! If there's something you want to know and can't find on this site, just ask -- use the contact form -- and I will do my best to answer it.

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada, situated on the Southern tip of Vancouver Island. The city itself is home to a little over 78,000 people but the surrounding area (Canada Census calls it the Metropolitan Victoria area; locals call it Greater Victoria) is home to about 330,000. Victoria has a mild, West Coast climate and a laid back culture similar to other cities in the Pacific Northwest region.

Victoria is known officially as The City of Gardens and, unofficially, as home to the newlywed and nearly dead (among other things). To me, Victoria is simply home. I was born and raised here and, despite how expensive Victoria can be, don't plan on leaving any time soon. If you're thinking of moving here, check out the City of Victoria website and my sister site, FrugalVictoria.com ("Living for less in the City of Gardens").

If you visited the site in an earlier incarnation, you will certainly notice some changes. I am in the midst of a major redesign, making sure to keep the restaurant and attraction reviews prominent and easy to find while removing some of the other content. If there was something you cannot find, let me know and I will point you in the right direction! Thanks for visiting!

Find out more about Victoria by following links below.