Scenic Shoreline Tour
Majestic mountains and coastal city views
Views don't get much better than this: With snowcapped Olympic Mountains on one side and Victoria's dreamy coastline on the other side. You will find yourself in awe of nature's beauty all while learning about the history of Oak Bay and Victoria, discovering wildlife, and having fun paddling. This tour is for everyone, old and young, experienced paddler or newbie.
Amazing Scenery
Enjoy a south coast kayaking experience meandering along Victoria's stunning southern coastline and iconic Juan de Fuca Straight. Awe inspiring views of the Olympic mountains combined with the marine wildlife that makes Victoria famous, this tour is sure to leave you breathless!
Professional Service
Our tour guides are Paddle Canada certified sea kayak guides. Choose between Necky Eliza and Current Design Storm single kayak or (more stable and faster) Necky and Current design double kayaks. We include a snack on each kayaking tour. Private washroom amenities available.
See Wildlife
The waters in this area are full of life. You may be visited by curious seals, spot herons, cormorants, oyster catchers and eagles as we paddles along the amazing intertidal coastline. The occasional sea lion can be spotted around Trial's Southern point. Past hidden beaches, sea stars and floating jellyfish, this is a trip to remember!
Easy Access
We begin this trip at the highly photogenic Kitty Islet. There is free parking available here, and we have toilets located at our office which is directly across the street on Beach drive.
Pricing
2-8 people per tour, 3 hrs
Trip Details
Total trip distance is around 8 km. If winds are exceeding 20 km/h your guide will contact you before the tour to suggest an alternative route (e.g. our Oak Bay Coast & Islands Tour) or reschedule/cancel the tour.
We meet at Kitty Islet across from our office on Beach drive. We set you up with all your gear and you sign our waiver (If you have not already viewed and signed it online).
You should wear comfy clothing (fast drying athletic wear or merino wool is best but not required) and any kind of shoes (although water shoes or neoprene booties would be preferable) You won’t get very wet but some drops may sprinkle on you from paddling.
Valuables may be left with us to take to the office, locked in your car or taken in drybags on the trip.
We start with a brief review of safety signals on Kitty Beach before launching our kayaks. Here in the sheltered waters of McNeill Bay we will have a mini refresher lesson of basic kayaking strokes and emergency procedures before heading off on our adventure.
We will begin by following the shoreline around McNeill bay and making sure that everyone is comfortable and confident. Once our guide is convinced that everyone is safe on the water and can turn and paddle sufficently, we will pass Harling Point.You will learn a bit of Victoria’s and McNeill Bay’s history as you paddle out on the beginning of our journey!
We pass a number of small bays, mansions, and hidden pebble beaches before arriving at Harling/Foul point. From here we pass Harpooner rock, the Chinese cemetary, and then pass by the unmistakable Templer rock jutting out of the water.Lastly we will pass by what is arguably Victoria’s best sandy beach, Gonzales beach.(there are bathrooms here if needed)
After the sandy beach of Gonzales we continue west to the large pebbly beach of Ross Bay. Depending on group energy levels we will stop for a snack in the tiny Hollywood Cove or push on to the end of Ross Bay next to Clover Point.
After a snack and a drink, it’s time to retrace our steps and return to Kitty Islet. If you’re not in a rush after your tour, take a map and do a short walking tour over to the hidden gems of McMicking Park and Anderson Hill Park only minutes away!
