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Victoria Port is part of the city of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. The town is relatively well-known for its uncanny resemblance to an English town, its pleasant temperate climate, and, significantly, for being home to the prominent Victoria Port mentioned above.
The city known for its layout that enables cycling and walking is around 60 miles from Vancouver in mainland Canada and Seattle in Washington, a part of mainland USA.
It’s also connected to Port Angeles, WA, and is at a distance of just 25 miles.
Victoria, British Columbia, is an easy-to-access city for the world, with its year-round availability of airplanes and an international airport, seasonal cruise ships, and most ferries.
Notably, the Victoria Clipper ferry, which operates from Victoria, BC, to Seattle, WA, docks at the Victoria port and provides service all year round.
Thus, it makes for a somewhat viable spot for Victoria Port. A significant commercial and recreational harbour.
1. Victoria Port
Victoria Port is part of the southern region of the city of Victoria in British Columbia, a significant Canadian province.
Essentially divided into Upper, Inner, Outer, and Middle Harbors that enable cruise docking, have ferry terminals, and much more.
It is central to the cruise ships, especially on tours that include Alaska and Canada.
Some of the most famous cruise ships that regularly dock on the Victoria port belong to brands and companies like Disney, Carnival, Holland America, and others from luxurious brands including Oceania, RSSC-Regent, and more.
The Victoria Port is varied in its functionality. The harbour which was a spot for shipbuilding and commercial fishing in the past now hosts many recreational vessels, cruise ships, and ferries.
Alongside that, many summer festivals and carnivals also occur on the harbour and its many ports.
In addition, Victoria Port helps the local ecotourism businesses flourish, the whale watching industry, and regular ferries to Port Angeles, Bellingham, and Seattle in Washington, USA.
2. Terminals, Marinas, and Points of Victoria Port
2.1. Ogden Point
Ogden Point is arguably one of the most significant parts of Victoria’s port. With two cruise ships docking piers and simultaneously hosting 4-5 ships, Ogden Port is one of Canada’s busiest ports of call.
2.1.1 Location and Size Specifications
At a scalable distance of around 2 miles from the centre of Victoria and approximately 18 miles from the Victoria International Airport, Ogden Point makes for a lovely cruise port.
Pier A and B are part of Ogden Point. With two deep-water berths for each with fantastic mooring facilities, both piers make cruise ship docking viable and accessible.
Spread across a region of 30 acres, it boasts the ability to dock the RCI Oasis class, which is acclaimed as the world’s largest passenger ship.
For pier A, the northern berth extends to about 800 ft, while the southern extends to a whopping 1100ft.
For pier B, after the renovations and expansions on the dock, the births were opened to about 1040 ft, allowing berthing for large vessels and those with gross tonnage (GT) of 225k tonnes.
2.1.2. Services and More
There are numerous facilities available for the passengers of the cruise ship and the crews on board.
For the cruise ship staff, facilities are available that include cargo storage, which can fill vessels up to 300 m, and the pier’s 9290 sq m expansive warehouse, equipped with cable ship necessities.
Canadian border agencies are set up on every pier for visitors and tourists on board. There is also a car parking facility, ship-to-shore bridges, baggage handling, a tourist information desk, a currency exchange, water taxis, and much more.
2.1.3. Fun Activities
For your recreational purposes, there are several activities that you can do and several other facilities.
Restaurants like Breakwater Bistro, Whitehall Rowing, and Sailing if you want to sail, a heliport, a friendly space built for a beautiful stroll by the ocean, and the Na’Tsa’Maht(The Unity Wall), which is a mural that depicts art.
There are tours and excursions into the city that allow you to explore the famed city. These may include, but are not limited to, the Butchart Gardens, the renowned Empress Hotel, whale watching, enjoying the Craigdarroch Castle, and more!
You can also experience the ultra-famous cold-water diving experience here at Victoria Port, no matter your level of experience. Victoria Harbour Authority, or GVHA, is a non-profit organization that manages Victoria Port and its portions.
The terminals, piers, and marinas mentioned below all fall under the GVHA
2.2 The Hyack Terminal
Located on the Inner Harbor of the Victoria port, downtown, the Hyack terminal is responsible for vessel moorages and services to add the plane.
The cold water diving experiences and other water adventure companies have set up shop in the Hyack terminal.
2.3. Wharf St.
The Wharf Street floats are a very significant part of the Victoria Port. Settled in the northern region to the seaplane terminal in the port, it is owned by the Greater Victoria Harbor Authority.
This is a beautiful place to roam around, just like the city of Victoria. With enchanting views of the Capitol Buildings, lovely little shops and restaurants, and the walkway it offers to the amazing Johnson St. Bridge and the Bastion Square just before it.
According to the needs of the ships required on this marina, there are available slots for monthly moorage or mooring your boat there for even more extended periods if there is an offseason, generally between October and May.
It is safe and secure due to it being gated throughout the year.
2.4. Broughton Street Pier
Just walking distance from Wharf St. Is the Broughton Street Pier. With open access, this pier provides the necessary facilities to onboard guests, crew members, tourists, visitors, or just the locals.
Here, you can find a restaurant, or if you want to go somewhere, water taxis are available. There are also vessels here to aid you in whale watching.
If you’re mooring the ship on Wharf St, then there are laundry, showers, and washroom facilities for you here too!
2.5. Johnson Street
In a somewhat contrasting fashion to the marinas mentioned above, Johnson Street, of the Victoria port, is used for commercial purposes only, with few to no recreational facilities.
Docking is available for monthly moorages only and is primarily used by people using fishing boats and boats and ships used for commercial purposes.
2.6. Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal
Located in the North Saanich region, the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal covers about 30 acres and is a mere 10-minute drive from the Victoria International Airport.
This ferry terminal is about 20 miles from the Victoria port and boasts 5 berths and an administration building, several local supporting and house-sustained kiosks, a cafeteria and coffee shop, and more.
This ferry terminal provides daily service to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, which is essentially the mainland of BC and connects the island to The Southern Gulf region and the islands there, including the Salt Spring, Mayne, Pender, and others.
Its also connected to some major public transportation routes and the British Columbia Highway no. 17.
Swartz Bay connects Victoria to the 18 miles covering Lochside Regional Trail for the outdoor excursion enthusiasts in this region.
3. Harbours
The Victoria Port and the area under it can be accessed through many different ways: 3-4 harbors, the Gorge waterway, the Portage inlet, and more.
Amongst all those mentioned above, there are mainly four harbours that provide an entryway to the Victoria port as below:
3.1. Outer Harbour and Middle Harbor
The outer harbour portion of Victoria Port essentially constitutes Ogden Point, a significant and undetachable part of the technicalities and the physical landscape of Victoria Port.
The outer harbour extends from Pier A of Ogden Point to Macaulay Point in Esquimalt.
On the other end, the middle harbour of Victoria Port lies between the Shoal Point in Victoria and the famed Colville Island on the Esquimalt side of town. It is east of the significant Inner harbour.
It is home to the fisherman’s wharf docks, a seaplane terminal, non-power-driven vessels, and the clearance dock for Customs Canada alongside the Victoria Canadian Coast Guard station on the Shoal Point.
3.2. Inner Harbor
The inner harbour is arguably one of the most beautiful parts of Victoria Port and perhaps the entire city.
Situated between Laurel Point in Victoria and Songhees Point on the western side of Victoria, it is a site you do not want to miss.
3.2.1. Major Attractions
Over time, the inner harbour has become a tourist spot and an attractive place to visit in must-be tourist itineraries.
Surrounded by the mega-giant, the famed and classic Empress Hotel, Fairmont, and the old and gloried Legislative Buildings, this harbor on Victoria Port is a sight to soothe the eyes.
You can visit countless places here at Victoria port or just a mere minute’s walking distance away. For example, the Royal British Columbia Museum, located in the inner harbour area, is an excellent place for history lovers that hosts exhibitions, tours, and much more.
The world-famous Butchart Gardens are also pretty close to the region. The Craigdarroch Castle is also a beautiful sight that enhances the town’s British essence with its impeccable woodwork and Victorian-era objects.
3.2.2. Eating and Travelling Around
The streets of the inner harbour of Victoria Port are decked with things to do, shops to visit, and restaurants to eat at.
The beautiful cobblestone streets are home to authentic Canadian art and souvenir shops, a lit-up beautiful boardwalk, and restaurants and cafes like the La Roux patisserie, the IL Terrazzo, and many more.
On this side of the Victoria Port, you can enjoy fascinating carriage tours by the Tally-ho carriage tour company that offers horse-driven carriage rides around the city, renting a bicycle to go around, taking a water taxi to somewhere, or using the famous shuttle bus.
Walking is a preferred way to explore all the beauty that Victoria Port’s inner harbour offers and enjoy the inborn romance of the place.
4. The Shuttle Bus Service
The shuttle bus service is an integral part of the Victoria Port experience. For the price of $12, this bus is a giant and an attraction in itself.
Stretching to about 45 ft, this shuttle bus boasts of being the first-ever purpose-built and fully electric double-decker bus in the entire continent of North America, which makes it a big feat to look out for.
With 99 seats, plus a standing room and approximately 65 chairs on the upper floor, this is the bus of the dream.
It has USB points for each seat, wheelchair lifting, aids for easy mobile convenience, and a low floor design that makes it easy for everyone to access.
The Wilson’s Group of Companies, which is known for their travel services from the Ogden Point cruise terminal, also of Victoria port, got together with the GVHA to build up and also upgrade Victoria port’s shuttle bus service from the terminals to downtown and launched new and comparatively quieter and more impressive busses.
Last Updated on by Apeksha Soni, B.Tech
