TRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL | Top 10,000 Places to Visit in Canada
The page created by Alex Marzec | Red River College | Photo by paintingmydearestfriends@gmail.com
Ella Beach is the favourite and very lovely beach for locals. It is not the best beach in the area, but it is one that people often frequent during their walks. It’s not to be missed if you like a good bonfire and sleep on the beach. The beach is not sand but rocks, keep in mind.
Photo: Google Street View, CybercoMs. eth
If you come to the island, you must check out Mystic Beach and stay the night – it’s the best beach on Vancouver Island.
Travel past Sooke for about an hour and hike into Mystic Beach. Spend 10$ at the entrance and camp overnight on the beach.
Photo: Google Street View, Trevor Richmond
Jordan River Regional Park has a lovely campground on the beach.
Plus, there is plenty to see around.
Photos: Google Street View, Dan Smith (mrplowdan), PaintingMyDearestFriends
Sooke Flow Pipe is a great hike. Not recommend bringing pets or children as the pipe can be slippery.
Easy access from the Sooke Potholes Parking lot #2. The trail starts right behind the red hut.
The hike up to the flowline takes about 10 minutes. Walking right along the line takes about 7 minutes to a very impressive trestle with the flowline on top.
Turning left, you can hike along for a while. You can stop at the potholes on top of the flowline and jump into it. Hear the echoes as well.
Photo: Google Street View, Wade Spearin
The Galloping Goose Trail is going along the shoreline in Sooke. It is a 55-kilometre rail trail between Victoria and the ghost town of Leechtown, north of Sooke, where it meets the old Sooke Flowline.
The Galloping Goose trail leads to the Sooke potholes.
Photo: John Newcomb, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54534253
With the Sooke River running along, the Sooke Potholes display naturally carved and polished rock pools that date back to 15,000 years from the ice age era. These formations are carved from the chain reaction of the melting ice and lodged boulders from the canyon walls – creating a deep path of natural bedrock.
The area is a favourite day visit for hiking and sightseeing for locals and visitors. These rock formations also have become a popular cliff jumping and swimming area.
The Sooke River within the park is also a popular salmon breeding ground. Catching and releasing fish is common.
Photos: kriscons, Kyle Pearce, flickr CC BY-NC 2.0
Whiffin Spit is between the Sooke Harbour and Juan de Fuca Strait and offers a scenic coastal walk along the shoreline.
The area is popular with dog walkers and nature enthusiasts as wildlife such as shorebirds and sea lions can often be spotted during your walk.
Photo: Google Street View
“Don’t miss our large boardwalk at the bottom of Ed Macgregor Park.”
It’s a fantastic place to relax! The boardwalk is a zig-zag path through lush vegetation.
There are multiple entry points.
Photos: Google Street View, sdkonkle, PaintingMyDearestFriends
It’s a great hike, and the view is terrific, especially if you know all the secret hidden paths.
At the top of Broom Hill is a swing looking out over Sooke Harbour and the Juan de Fuca Strait. Â A great adventure!
Photo: Google Street View, Nico Soebagio
There are many coves along the East Sooke area to explore by sailboat.
Check out the unique bioluminescence at Anderson Cove – only at certain times of the year. You’ll want a little rowboat or kayak to see the full effect. Anderson Lagoon Tours offers boat tours to see the bioluminescent plankton after dark. It’s best to look for it in the summer and fall.
Photo: reddit, r/MostBeautiful
The Sooke Region Museum exhibits the Lighthouse, 1928 Plymouth Locomotive and Moss Cottage. It is worth the stop here for trip planning.
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/SookeRegionMuseum
This 156-hectare park is something out of a postcard. The Matheson Lake Regional Park offers many environmental places to explore, such as streams, lakes, natural flower gardens, and dense forestry.
There, you may spend your day at the beach, go fishing, or walk the moderate trails that go on for a variety of kilometres. As you walk, you’ll run into a bird haven with multiple species or get a glimpse of their famous Rainbow Trout by the streams and other bodies of water around.
Photo: https://www.victoriatrails.com/trails/matheson-lake-loop/
Sheringham Point Lighthouse is a designated National Heritage Lighthouse.
Four acres of land were purchased in 1911 from Edwin Clark, an early settler and first postmaster in the community, and construction of the tower began the following spring.
The Lighthouse Site is open daily for the public to visit, enjoy and appreciate.
Photos: Earnest & Lucia Light
Hop aboard the boat with Captain Mike and Sarah in the Sooke Harbour Resort and Marina. Get the best exploration on the Strait of Juan de Fuca waters outside Sooke.
Sooke’s #1 rated tour, any of your questions will be answered by their experienced wildlife enthusiasts. It will be an unforgettable experience. You will have the opportunity to get up close to see orcas, humpback whales, seals, and other wildlife on land.
Wind-proof suits are provided if the weather gets a little hazy.
Photos: https://adventuresbyhip.com/
For a fishing trip available year-round, Bluefin Fishing Adventures is the place to go. It is based in a rainforest with fresh waters around the southwest tip of Vancouver Island.
Sooke has a history of being a popular fishing destination for generations with the locals. You have the option of fishing off foot or via boat. Explore the marine life in shallow or deep waters while taking in the breathtaking scenery. Entire habitats of salmon that migrate from the west coast of Vancouver Island to their spawning grounds in nearby areas are readily observed.
The appropriate climate Sooke has to offer allows accessibility to fish anytime you’re around. You will see plenty of other fish, such as Chinooks, Sockeye, and Coho.
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/bluefinfishingcharters/
Since 1988, the Marshall-Inman Gallery is not only about art but also features a surrounding llama breeding farm. You may pet them, feed them, or admire them from afar.
The gallery offers excellent opportunities with multiple art activities, gallery exhibits, public art, and more. The expertise in their pieces goes from pottery, woodworking, sculptures, and paintings.
The owners, Basil and Gleny, show their true heritage in all their works while offering great explanations every step of the way.
Photo: Google Maps
“I am a local artist here and mostly work on pet and people portraits. We have one of the most charitable and kind communities that I have lived with on the island.”
A big thank you from 1000 Towns of Canada for helping create the Sooke town page!
Painting: https://www.instagram.com/paintingmydearestfriends/
Licensed in 2003 as the first meadery in Western Canada, this farm specializes in producing mead – honey mixed with water and yeast.
Beekeeper Bob Liptrot has been in the field of beekeeping for over 35 years. Liptrot creates mead to make a different number of world-renowned wines. In 2012, CBC named Liptrot as the best quality wine in BC.
Thursday nights are Open Mic nights at Sooke Oceanside Brewery! From 7 pm until late, grab the mic or sit back and enjoy a night filled with raw talent over great brews.
Locally owned and operated, Sooke Oceanside Brewery resulted from a dream to bring the love of craft beer back to the West Coast. Ryan Orr started brewing out of his garage, which transitioned to operating out of a garage attached to a Shell Station. Not long after, Ryan got head brewer Garritt Lalonde to join the company.
With more experience, their beer is acknowledged through the community as a one-of-a-kind. With a wood interior finish, the brewery is small but has a cozy feeling.
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/SookeBrew/
West Coast Canadian Cuisine reflects the harvest & season
A real experience of locally sourced food and fresh alcoholic beverages in Sooke is at the Wild Mountain restaurant. With a 4.8 rating on Google, you cannot go wrong. They offer a wide variety of seafood and Canadian Cuisine.
Start with a snack, such as their Wild Mountain Bread, or jump to their main course, such as their handmade ricotta & scallion gnocchi.
Finish your meal with desserts, such as their Warm Honey Cake with beer from the local brewery or specialty house-made cocktails.
Photo: Elizabeth Taylor, Google Maps
A restaurant that aspires to the best food quality and features a 4.8 rating on Google. Whether you’re on the patio or inside, Route 14 is the must-stop restaurant when you’re in Sooke. It is a personal favourite of the locals.
From their wide array of food, such as Oceanwise Seafood, Sterling Silver Premium Beef, and Free Range Eggs, to their well-loved Steak, you’ll find something to satisfy your hunger.
Photo: Google Street View
The best place to eat out in Sooke is Indian Delight.
Menus at this Indian Restaurant are dominated by what is called Mughlai cuisine, a category of north Indian food—born during the Mughal Empire—that’s laden with rich, gravy-based meat and vegetable stews.
Photo: Google Street View
If you get out to Mystic Beach, stop at the Stoked Wood Fired Pizzeria & Market on your way. Best pizza!
Photo: https://stokedpizzeria.com/
