Willows Beach & Oak Bay Village
Willows Beach / Oak Bay
A sandy beach in the upscale Oak Bay neighbourhood facing Mount Baker, with Oak Bay Avenue nearby lined with English tearooms and small shops, once half-jokingly nicknamed 'Behind the Tweed Curtain'.
Oak Bay is an upscale residential district east of downtown Victoria, famous for its strong English character. Willows Beach is a rare fine-sand beach in the city, with calm water. In summer you can try stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking, and on clear days you can see the snowy peak of Mount Baker. Drive or cycle along Beach Drive past golf courses and grand estates to Cattle Point to watch seals and the sunrise. Oak Bay Avenue has tearooms, bookshops and galleries, ideal for afternoon tea. It is about 5 km from downtown, roughly 20 minutes by bus.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Abkhazi Garden
- Craigdarroch Castle
- Government House Gardens
- Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
- Market Square & Lower Johnson
- Beacon Hill Park & Mile 0
- Victoria Chinatown & Fan Tan Alley
- Inner Harbour & Fairmont Empress