Island View Beach Regional Park is a 51-hectare expansive beach located on Island View Road along the eastern shore of the Saanich Peninsula, north of Vancouver Island and south of Sidney.
This Park offers other fun activities to engage in besides visiting the beach.
Is Island View Beach Regional Park worth visiting? Let’s find out with this list of amazing things to do when you visit.
Camping
The Island View Beach Regional Park has an Oceanfront Campground, so whether you are visiting the Park with a tent, trailer, fifth wheel, motorhome, or coach, the Park offers a scenic view, making it an ideal spot for a camping vacation.
The beach has eighteen beachfront recreation vehicles, five tent trailer sites, and twenty-four treed tent sites to make your visitation easy and enjoyable.
All campsites are self-sustained and are only reserved online up to thirty days in advance.
The campsites are pretty affordable as you only pay $25 per night and $10 for any additional vehicle through an online medium, either with a Visa or MasterCard.
Wildlife Viewing
For nature lovers, during migration times in spring and autumn, seabirds and shorebirds land at Island View Beach, and watching them land at the shore of the beach is a fantastic site to behold.
When you visit, make sure to bring along binoculars. It is safer to watch the wildlife from a distance and not disturb them.
Hiking
This Park offers three hiking trails: the Island View Beach Trail, Island View Beach, and the Island View Beach. The first two locations have straightforward hiking trails, while the third has a strenuous and challenging trail.
Past reviews about hiking at Island View Beach Regional Park boast that the Island View Beach Trail is the best location to hike on the island because it is an easy route and takes an average of 25 minutes to complete.
The best time to visit the trail to hike is March through October.
Visit the Craigdarroch Castle
Although not within the Park, this location is an excellent spot. For history enthusiasts, you will see historical buildings and architecture built in a homely nature, featuring beautiful woodwork, unique artifacts, and an impressive collection of original stained glass.
The castle is open for a tour only on Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is closed on December 25th, 26th, and January 1st.
The ticketing policy differs and can be paid with either cash, Visa, Mastercard, Debit, or Traveller’s Cheque. Here is a list :
- Adults – $20.60
- Seniors (65+) – $19.60
- Post-secondary students (18+ with Valid ID) -$18.50
- Youth (13 -17) – $14.80
- Children ( 6 -12) – $10.00
Note: Children under 6 can enter when accompanied by a paying adult.
Visit Victoria Butterfly Gardens
The Victoria Butterfly Garden is a must-stop location for every tourist, combined with other things you can do at Island View Beach Regional Park.
It is a family-friendly tourist site that houses approximately 70 species of butterflies, poison dart frogs, tortoises, large iguanas, flamingos, tropical ducks, and free-flying tropical birds.
The garden is open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and an entrance ticket costs $15.26
Note:
- Dogs are allowed at the park, but they are required to be on leash at all times.
- You can park overnight, especially for night campers and kayakers; however, permits are required to be processed during work hours (Mondays -Fridays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm).
- Visitors can access the Beach, Boat Launch, Picnic areas, public washrooms, and water sports.