Outdoor Life and Adventure

Beaches

A short distance from Sooke you will find many glorious beaches and secluded coves.

Gord's beach is an excellent place to watch the sunset and enjoy the myriad forms of the driftwood, slightly further afield you will find Mystic beach and China beach which is the starting point for the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail which will take you in to Port Renfrew, it also features a waterfall.

Parks and Trails

If you love the wild outdoors or enjoy exploring nature then this is the area for you. East Sooke is perfectly placed for access to the many hiking trails, coastal walks, mountain bike trails and parks that the area offers.

Juan de Fuca Marine Trail

Follow the beautiful Juan de Fuca Straits and discover the plethora of marine life that exists in the area. The trail runs from China Beach for 45 km's until it reaches Botanical Beach near Port Renfrew. This is not a trail for the faint hearted, though some easier routes are possible. This is a trail for the adventurous hiker. Most of the trail is designed for day or multi-day strenuous hiking with some easy to moderate day hiking possible near the beaches.

East Sooke Regional Park

This 1,435 hectares of West Coast wilderness has trails ranging in category from easy to challenging. The park features 50 km of trails that you can hike along from the rocky coast, over dry hilltops, through dark rainforest to sheltered coves. You will get magnificent views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Olympic Mountains. Then down into the coves where small beaches, rocky bays and tide pools are ideal for exploring and scuba diving.

Sooke Potholes Regional Park

If you love to swim in sparkling clear water then here is the place for you. The Sooke Potholes are unique geological formations - deep rock pools and polished canyons that are wonderful for swimming. The park also has some lovely trails and scenic viewpoints.

Galloping Goose Trail

Converted from an old railway line Galloping Goose trail is great for a more leisurely flat cycle ride or walk, you can even travel ahorse back. The trail is 45 km long and runs from Sooke to Victoria which means you can travel up to the Sooke Pot holes or down into Victoria along this trail.

French Beach Provincial Park

A wonderful 59 hectares of park featuring excellent whale watching opportunities from the beach as well as forests of Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock and Western Red Cedar. You will also find Salal, Oregon Grape and evergreen Huckleberries and a large variety of ferns along the trails.

Slightly More Leisurely Activities

Whale Watching

Vancouver Island is famous for its whales and Sooke is no exception. Having 3 pods of Orcas regularly inhabiting the harbour, you stand an excellent chance of seeing a pod or two pass by. It's not just the Orca's that can be seen, there are also Grey whales, porpoises, harbour seals and sea lions. We have several pairs of binoculars available for guest to use. If you fancy getting up close you can join a whale watching tour from Sooke. Take a stroll around the harbour and you will quickly find a charter.

On and Under the Water

Scuba Diving and Snorkelling

The clear water of the Juan de Fuca and Georgia Straits offer the scuba diver and snorkeller a wonderful opportunity to observe an abundance of marine life. The Race Rocks Underwater Marine Park, near Victoria, is a great place to go to explore the depths. All around the island you will discover numerous wrecks to explore.

Other Water Sports

The area around East Sooke offers plenty of opportunities for the water sports enthusiast. Whether you're a kayaker, a surfer, a windsurfer or a sailor the rivers, harbour, basin and open sea will give you the chance to enjoy your sport at it's best.

Just in Case that's not enough !

Here are a few of the other activities that you can do in and around East Sooke and further afield :
Horse Riding
Bungy Jumping
Caving
Storm Watching
White Water Rafting
Ski-ing and Snow Boarding

Still not satisfied, visit the Sooke Visitors centre for up to the minute information on what's happening locally.

Don't forget to check out our links page for all the information you'll need to make your vacation an experience you'll never forget.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS


Things to Do, Places to Go, People to See

A few suggestions for enhancing your vacation experience at East Sooke Suite.

Whatever you enjoy doing during your vacation you'll find it within easy reach of East Sooke. For the lover of the outdoors the Sooke area is a paradise, with over 10,000 hectares of regional parkland, as well as two Provincial Parks. If traversing the great outdoors isn't your thing then there's plenty of other ways to enjoy the splendours of the area. Fishing, whale watching, bird watching, nature studies; all are readily available right on the doorstep. For those of a more artistic bent the studios and galleries will keep you more than happy. In Sooke you will find a philharmonic orchestra and the Stage West Players. To find out what's happening specifically during your stay click here for an up to date calendar of events in the area.

Sooke
Sooke is a friendly, quiet community with plenty to do and see. Sooke surrounds the Sooke Basin and harbour both of which are well protected from the ocean winds, so if kayaking is your thing then this is a great place for you.

The harbour also offers boat ramps, mooring and marina facilities and from here you can join a cruise or a whale watching tour, charter a fishing boat or hire a guide.

But Sooke is not just about the water, here you will also find a performing arts group, orchestra, many talented musicians, art galleries and artisan studios. Walk among the streets to find unique studios that feature everything from funky pottery and glasswork to First Nations art and exotic woodwork.

You will also find a lovely selection of restaurants and cafes to suit all palates; from the world famous Sooke Harbor House, to Pont No Point, and Marcus' Wharf Side Restaurant, and Sushi, fish and chips or home cooking at Mum's Cafe.

Arts, Crafts, Culture

In early November Sooke holds it's annual Arts and Crafts fair.
August sees the Sooke Fine Arts Show, Vancouver Island's largest juried art show. The Fine Arts Show offers an abundance of sculptures, watercolours, acrylics and photographs. Local musicians perform daily while artists offer demonstrations of their work. If you miss the show season you can always while away a few hours browsing through the many studios and galleries that Sooke offers. And don't forget to check out what the Stage west Players are offering during your stay. If music is your thing make sure to catch the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra.

Sooke also boasts a Museum and Visitors centre. Exhibits featuring historic photographs, First Nations' artefacts, miniature model displays and artefacts depicting the day to day life of early pioneers in the region give the visitor an insight into Sooke's history. There is also an Ornithological Exhibit which changes it's display of photographs of the bird population with the season. In the museum grounds you will find exhibits depicting the pioneer life of the Sooke Region as well as Moss Cottage, the oldest standing pioneer home in Sooke!

Spas and Body Treatment

Sooke has a selection of nice spa's and body therapy establishments for those who want to pamper themselves or relax after a hard days hiking. Some of the centres offer a mobile service.

Victoria
The capital of British Columbia is 45 km from Sooke and well worth a day trip. This historic city has much to offer including the Royal British Columbia Museum, a world-class repository of native artifacts, the Old Town and Market Square. You can stroll around downtown Victoria and take pleasure in the gardening passion of the local residents or visit Butchart Gardens for a more formal approach.

Fishing

This is the perfect place for the angler, whether you want to sit on the shores of a river or the ocean or journey out to deeper waters you're almost guaranteed to be able to leave 'the one that got away' stories behind. The area offers both saltwater and freshwater fishing. The Pacific salmon species - chinook, coho, sockeye, pink and chum - are the most sought after prizes, but your just as likely to find halibut, ling cod, snapper or rock cod. There are plenty of people offering charter fishing or guide services out of Sooke harbour or simply go it alone in the many rivers or beaches in the area. Be warned certain rules apply and you will need to get a license.

Golf
There are a number of excellent golf courses in the surrounding area. The closest are the Royal Colwood Golf Club and the Olympic View Golf Club. Both clubs offer everything the keen golfer could want, beautiful surroundings, competition standard fairways and great 19th holes. You can book a tee-time online at the Olympic View.

Leisurely Activities

Bird Watching

Vancouver Island is a bird watchers dream, loons, herons, sea eagles, flycatchers, swans, swallows, thrush, plovers, sea bids, land birds the list goes on. There are the native birds and then there are the migratory birds. With such a variety of habitats expect the unexpected. From mid September to late October migrating raptors gather at the Esquimalt Lagoon, in East Sooke Park. Around Sept 30th, as many as 1000 Turkey Vultures can be seen arriving over the coastal hills along with a mix of other raptor species. Tours and guides are available locally and further afield.

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