In town, the best view of The Fairmont Empress and the Legislature comes from walking along the pedestrian path in front of the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort, off the Johnson Street Bridge. In summer, sit and enjoy a coffee or glass of wine with the view from the patio.
When the fishing fleets come in early in the morning, head over to Fisherman's Wharf, at St. Lawrence and Erie streets, to watch as the fishermen unload their catches. Later on, you can enjoy the sunset from the wharf along the eastern edge of the Inner Harbour or from the 18th floor of the Vista 18 Restaurant, 740 Burdett Ave. (tel. 250/382-9258).
Just south of downtown, you can see across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands to the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula from the Ogden Point breakwater, the top of the hill in Beacon Hill Park, or the walking path above the beach along Dallas Road. Farther afield, Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse offer equally good views of the mountains, as well as a view of the ships in Esquimalt Harbour.
Mount Douglas, a 15-minute drive north of the city on Shelbourne Street, affords a panoramic view of the entire Saanich Peninsula, with a parking lot just a 2-minute walk from the summit. To the east, Mount Work offers an equally good view, but the walk up takes about 45 minutes. At the top of Little Saanich Mountain (about 16km/10 miles north of Victoria) stands the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, 5071 W. Saanich Rd. (tel. 250/363-8262), and its new Centre of the Universe interpretive center, which offers guided tours and activities for C$9 (US$7.20/£4) adults, C$8 (US$6.40/£3.60) seniors and students, C$5 (US$4/£2.25) youths 6 to 18, and C$23 (US$18/£10) families. The interpretive center is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 4:30pm and Saturday from 10am to 5:30pm November to March. The observatory stays open later in the year, with evening prices C$12 (US$9.60/£5.40) adults, C$10 (US$8/£5) seniors and students, and C$7 (US$5.60/£3.15) youths 6 to 18.
