Oak Bay, BC (British Columbia) is a beautiful municipality near downtown Victoria on southern Vancouver Island. It is known for its captivating coastline and everything around it.

It is a special creation of green lands, clear waters, blue sky, alluring arts and sports, and recreational resorts. In a word, it is a place where entertainment is everywhere.

To explore better, you need to know why Oak Bay exists. It is named after the Garry oak trees found everywhere here, and its beauty also brought a nickname to it called “tweed curtain” in those days.

In the earlier days, it was established by wealthy residents to relax on the silky sand shore and shiny water waves, enjoying the cool breeze at dawn and dusk. There were tea rooms to refresh, greenery, and crawling waves at the shores, but everything has changed.

Nowadays, it is a great tourist spot with many vivid art galleries, restaurants, resorts, golf clubs, tea parties, shopping zones, beach drives, exhibitions, pubs, spas, cafeterias, and gorgeous gardens. Everything around gives you an eye-feast enjoyment.

Oak Bay is also good in terms of education. The University of Victoria is north of Oak Bay.

9 Most Amazing Places to Visit in Oak Bay

1. Victoria Golf Club

Victoria Golf Club, the oldest golf club in Canada, has a glorious history and is one of the best golf clubs in the world.

Practicing and playing at the scenic 18-hole Victoria golf course is an amazing experience that can’t be missed.

It resembles the 18-hole golf courses at Perth Golf Network in Oak Bay. So, if you are passionate about golf, it’s the best place to shine.

1.1 Golf Course Ghost

There is gossip and amazing facts that Doris’s spirit can still be found on the golf course, and at midnight, the bell rings near the sixth greens and seventh fairway market.

If you are fond of experiencing the thrill, you must stay there.

2. Finnerty Gardens

Finnerty gardens are a treasure of greenery with fragrance, and April-June is the best time to visit Victoria’s treasure. You can find around 4000 species of fascinating flora here.

You will have a soulful experience of walking in the calm and peaceful sanctuary with birds chirping, the cool breeze, and the ripples created in ponds due to the fallen dry leaves in the pond, which is inexplicable.

3. Willows Beach Drive

Willows Beach is famous for its fantastic view. It has wide open and long views apart from other beaches. Walking along the smooth sandy shore and enjoying the view under the blue sky are inexplicable.

Willows Beach is best known as a safe beach where everyone, including kids, can swim. It also has a park at its entrance that will be perfect for recreational and outdoor activities.

3.1 Oak Bay Marina

At Oak Bay Marina, you can enjoy the day out by surfing, water rafting, and even power boats, which are available on a rental basis for short trips. You can also visit the attractive gift shops and restaurants with different themes at Willows Beach Drive.

Oak Bay, BC, is famous for its beautiful beaches. Gonzales Beach, Ross Bay Public Pebbles Beach, Flower Island, Sunny Lane, Oak Bay Beach, MC Neil Bay, Baynes Beach, and Spoon Bay Beach are the rest of the visit-worthy beaches in Oak Bay, BC.

4. Abkhazi Gardens – The Garden of Love

The Garden of Love, also called “the Garden that Love Built,” is Abkhazi Gardens at Oak Bay, BC. The alluring Abkhazi garden is the memory of the love of Prince Nicolas Abkhazia and Princess Marjorie Abkhazia.

The beautiful garden consists of a smooth stone path directing to the gift shop and tea house at its center, surrounded by fragrant flowers and shrubs.

4.1 A Memory of The Love

In 1946, Prince Nicolas Abkhazia and Princess Marjorie Abkhazi created a beautiful garden on approximately one acre of land with different flora species, rhododendron plants, and shady shrubs.

After they passed away, their love memory became available for everyone to visit.

5. Some Beautiful Parks

Oak Bay is a greenery treasure that wraps around the gigantic sea like a necklace to the shores.

There are many vivid parks in Oak Bay, such as Fire Fighter’s Park, Walbran Park, Anderson Hill, Nottingham Park, and many others with their specialties. Some are abruptly awesome, underdeveloped, and nature-formed parks like Trafalgar and Uplands.

5.1. Trafalgar Park

Trafalgar Park is a small park situated in Oak Bay, BC. Even though it is a small park, it gives a gigantic ocean view. Trekking to the top of the rocky hill and viewing the gigantic ocean is amazing.

Here, the parking is available for nearly 20 cars, the rocky beach drives in the evenings, and the sunset view gives you eternal peace and bliss.

5.2. Uplands Park

Uplands Park is an ancient aesthetic park in Oak Bay. Even though it is an underdeveloped park, it is one of the most beautiful and precious parks in Oak Bay.

It has a few benches& picnic tables built in past times, rare species of shrubs and flora, boat ramps, scenic beach view, unique surroundings, and calm nature brought special glory to this park.

6. The Miniature World – Empress Hotel

You can see the marvelous miniature world in the Empress Hotel.

The miniatures there depict a lot of things regarding the history, art, and culture of Victoria, fairy tales, Vancouver Island, the evolution of Western Canada, customs and traditions of Victoria, tourist spots, Oak Bay coastline, Oak Bay village, legislative buildings and everything about and around Oak bay, BC Canada.

Even though it sounds expensive, it is affordable. It reminds you of the story of Lilliput and Gulliver’s travels. You will be a Gulliver in that world of Lilliput museum.

The miniatures are unique and interesting, especially the attention to detail for significant events like the parade on Monday in the history of greater Victoria, and many such events are outstanding.

7. Victoria Bug Zoo

Victoria Bug Zoo near Oak Bay is a mini zoo full of alive little bugs. There are around 50 various species of bugs brought from different parts of the world.

Visiting Victoria Bug Zoo will also be informative and knowledgeable for kids, adults, and bug lovers. You will find this zoo open all the seasons, and you can choose the interaction level with cute animals and bugs to view closely, and few can be taken on hands.

You can see giant ant colonies, praying mantes, hairy tarantulas, dark white scorpions, gold-colored spiders, giant cockroaches, and many other interesting and funny bug species exist here.

8. Oak Bay Beach Hotel

Oak Bay Beach Hotel is a beautiful boutique resort with luxurious amenities and high-quality services such as a fitness room, heated seaside outdoor mineral pool, snug, free wifi, three restaurants that provide delicious dining, special spa services like a boathouse spa, and many other comforts.

It is known for its scenic sea views around it. Oak Bay Beach Hotel also provides a fireplace in the lobby, and the heated pool temperature always reflects the season.

Oak Bay Beach Hotel is the only hotel in the country with an oceanfront spa.

They use marine clay, seaweed, and glacier water with a unique layering technique that improves healing capacity, increases inner peace, and reduces hormonal imbalances and muscle tensions. Salish seaside massage is the best remedy for body pains and relaxation.

The unique thing about this hotel is even the food menu changes according to the season.

Funghi pizza at FARO, French onion soup, and Blackforest Bateau are mouth-watering recipes you can’t resist eating that are available here anytime.

Nearby Attractions at Oak Bay Beach Hotel

• Russell Books and Munro’s Books are the best gift shops near the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. Apart from these 2, you can also visit the Side Street studio, Dino Lab, and Roger’s Chocolate Shop near the Oak Bay Hotel.
• David Foster Theatre, this hotel donates some amount from every event in this theatre and donates to the David Foster Foundation, bearing the non-medical expenses of families with their kids undergoing lifesaving organ transplantations.
• Walking on the sea wall across John Tod Street Bridge at the inner harbor, having afternoon tea, and boarding a ferry for a harbor tour at Oak Bay is an exciting and thrilling experience one can’t miss.
• Christ Church Cathedral at Oak Bay depicts the royalty and glory of ancient architecture from the outside and interiors. Crystal clear glass windows inside the church give an amazing view of the surroundings, and the new chapel and organ console in the evenings are inexplicable.
• Cattle Point Urban Star Park is scenic with a rock sea view. Here, you find soft rocks everywhere around you. Cattle Point is the best stop for enjoying the view from a car drive, especially for kids enjoying the tiny tide pools around Cattle Point near Oak Bay Beach Hotel.

Oak Bay: A Coastal Getaway

Oak Bay, BC, is a unique holiday spot with a seashore, luxurious comforts in one place at an affordable price, and many other amusing things.

Places like the historic Victoria Golf Club and the beautiful Finnerty and Abkhazi Gardens showcase Oak Bay’s diverse offerings. The Oak Bay Beach Hotel, on the other hand, with its scenic views and unique spa experiences, adds a touch of luxury.

In conclusion, Oak Bay is not just a place but an opportunity to immerse yourself in nature, history, and leisure. So, whatever you seek from this getaway, Oak Bay will welcome you with open arms, promising an unforgettable coastal holiday in British Columbia.

Last Updated on January 12, 2024 by Namrata