Victoria – Bench by Bench

Esquimalt has secrets. Many people never get across the blue bridge to find them, or if they do, they stick to the Westsong Walkway or the Galloping Goose.

What are these secrets? Unmarked parks tucked away in secluded coves. A hilltop park that, although not as high as Mt. Douglas or Mt. Tolmie, provides a panoramic view of Victoria and the westshore. Only you can’t drive to the top. You have to find an access point along the  street and walk up through Garry oak meadows and outcroppings of rock.

Then there is the wild Macaulay Park where you can explore the bunkers and lookouts from the days when it was Fort Macaulay. Down the road is the manicured Saxe Point with trails that lead out through the woods to sites along the water and beyond Saxe Point are four tiny, beach-access parks. In the middle of Gorge Vale Golf Club is one of Victoria’s oldest cemeteries and off Admirals Road, is Naden at CFB Esquimalt.