Inexpensive Things to do in Sooke

• Walk on Whiffen Spit: Parking lot located at the end of Whiffen Spit Rd in Sooke. The April day I stood in East Sooke and saw someone walking their dog in sunshine drenched swirling mist on Whiffen Spit was the day I fell in love with Sooke. Whiffen Spit in all of its moods is beautiful.


• Galloping Goose Trail: http://www.gallopinggoosetrail.com/ This trail is built on an historic rail bed and runs from Victoria out to Sooke and along the Sooke River.
• Sooke River Potholes: http://www.sooke.org/potholes/index.htm The Potholes are accessible via Sooke River Rd. Go north (away from the harbour) on Sooke River Rd and drive about 4 km to the end of the road. At road's end there is a series of 3 parking lots. The parking lots are near good swimming and picnic locations. If you follow the Galloping Goose Trail further upstream, you can find less frequented places. This is one of my favourite things to do in Sooke! The Galloping Goose Trail is easily reached from the 3rd parking lot at the end of Sooke River Rd. There are other Goose Trail access points along Sooke River Rd. See the Galloping Goose website above for information on the access points. If you ride a bike to travel along the river, bring a bike lock, so that you can leave your bike near the trail and explore on foot.

Sooke's Coffee Shops (with internet access)

• Stick in the Mud. 6715 Eustace Rd, Sooke. Look for the sign at the corner of Eustace and Otter Point Rd., just one short block up from the Sooke Rd / Otter Point Rd intersection.
• Reading Room. Located in the Western Foods Shopping Centre in the far right corner as you face Western Foods.
• Serious Coffee. Located in the Village Foods Shopping Centre to the right of Village Foods
• Little Vienna Bakery Cafe. Located at 6726 West Coast Rd just west of the intersection of Sooke Rd / Otter Point Rd intersection. Look for the cat on the sign. This is an excellent bakery with fine desserts and breads. Inquire about the gluten-free breads. 250.642.6833 www.littlevienna.com

Fine Dining in the Sooke region

• Point-No-Point 250.646.2020. Waterfront with binoculars on the tables. Great sunsets. 20 minutes west of Sooke on West Coast Rd (beyond French Beach, but worth the trip). Try combining a hike (Sandcut Beach, Jordan River, French Beach, or China Beach) with lunch or dinner at Point-No-Point.
• Markus Wharfside 250.642.3596. http://www.markuswharfsiderestaurant.com/ Located at 1831 Maple Ave in Sooke. Has a view of the harbour.
• Sooke Harbour House 250.642.3421. Located at the end of Whiffen Spit Rd in Sooke. Gold Award for Best Out-Of-Town Dining, 1st Exceptional Eats Awards, Eat Magazine, February 2010. Gold Award for Best Vancouver Island Restaurant”, since 1989,Vancouver Magazine Grand Award”, One of the World's Best Wine Lists, Wine Spectator Magazine, August 2009.
• The Edge Restaurant 778.425.3343. http://www.edgerestaurant.ca/. Located at 6688 Sooke Rd, between Otter Point Rd and Townsend Rd, across from CIBC.

Things to do in Sooke

• Whale Watching http://www.sookewhalewatching.com/ call 250.883.3256 or 250.642.2343.
• Bike and pedal kayak rentals http://www.westcoastoutdoor.ca/ 250.208.0802.
• Kayak rentals and tours http://www.rush-adventures.com/ 250.642.2159.
• Fishing Charters http://www.markgrantfishing.com/ 250.744.0576 or 250.642.3904.
• Zip-lining http://www.adrenalinezip.com/ 250.642.1933.

Where to go Mountain Biking in Sooke

Sooke offers mountain bikers of all skill levels trails that will thrill and challenge. The primary locations are Broom Hill and Harbourview Rd. While it is legal to enter these areas, entering is done at your own risk. Please use common sense regarding your safety. Respect others using the area, and please respect wildlife.

Directions: Harbourview Road joins Sooke Road somewhere near the 5500 block of Sooke Road. Follow Harbourview Road to the end, where you will find a small parking lot. This land is maintained by TLC (The Land Conservancy) and the CRD (Capital Regional District). It is intended as a multiple use area, although the rules exclude motorized vehicles. Harbourview trails offer hikers access to the top of Mount Manuel Quimper, where there is an old fire lookout tower.

Directions: Broom Hill's best access is at the end of Blanchard Road. Starting at the Petro Can gas station in the Sooke town core, follow Otter Point Road to Burr Road. Burr Road will be on the left after Foreman Heights Road. Follow Burr Road to Petemar. Turn left on Petemar and go for a short block to Blanchard Road. Turn right on Blanchard and follow it to the end. Please respect the private property near the trailhead.

Sooke Mountain Cycle at 2075 Anna Marie Rd is your best source of information about Sooke mountain biking. A map is available at Sooke Mtn Cycle for the Harbourview trail system. Phone 250.642.3123.

Sooke's Hamburger Establishments

On a vacation there are times when you need a burger with fries, and wouldn't it be nice to have something other than the fast food you can find at home?

Stickleback West Coast Eatery at 5449 Sooke Rd: This is the new best burger I have ever had. Stickleback also has has some nice salads and appetizers. The location is terrific with an outdoor patio by the water. Come and watch kayak polo games while eating on most summer Sunday evenings.

Rock Beach Grill and Grocery at 7875 West Coast Rd: We had the pan-seared halibut burger (one of us had it with salad and one of us with fries). This is the perfect halibut sandwich. The halibut can also be ordered battered and deep fried. Our son liked the plain burger with fries.

Winks at the corner of Sooke Rd and Sooke River Rd: I like Winks' Mexican burger. All the burger patties are hand made from ground beef in the kitchen. Winks has a halibut burger, which comes either grilled or deep fried. I had the grilled version and it was delicious.

Stone Pipe Grill at 2038 Otter Point Rd: This is more of a standard restaurant than a "hole-in-the-wall" business, but the Stoney burger must be mentioned in any list of Sooke's best burgers. Great fries.

Smokin' Tuna Cafe at Becher Bay Marina: Located in the marina with a front seat view of Becher Bay, the Smokin' Tuna is something you must experience. Smokin' Tuna is conveniently close to Aylard Farm Park. It is only a 5-minute drive from Andover Cottage and not much further from Madrona Cottage. Smokin' Tuna Cafe is open for dinner on Thurs, Fri, Sat, and Sunday through the summer. This place is potentially romantic at any time of day.

Shells at Jordan River: Located at the west edge of Jordan River about 400 metres past the river. If you are coming from Port Renfrew, Shells is the first evidence of civilization as you come down the hill and begin to turn the corner into Jordan River. Shells is right on the corner. Shells serves hamburgers, and the essential halibut burger either grilled or deep-fried. Try their fries. They cut them from potatoes on the spot.

Sandcut Beach -- a Day Trip

Sandcut Beach is almost unknown, even to local people. There are no signs and no "improvements" for parking or access to the beach. If you are looking for a peaceful walk through a forest of giant coastal spruce and douglas fir, with a scenic beach at the other end, you have come to the right spot. For our guests staying at Vacation Homes near French Beach, Sandcut is only a short drive away.

Directions: Drive west on West Coast Rd beyond French Beach Provincial Park. Pass Point-No-Point and begin looking for Sandcut Creek. After you cross Sandcut Creek, go for another 400 - 500 metres and you will see a cleared area on the left side of the road. This is the place to park. The trail to the beach leads into the woods. This trail is not maintained, so be careful as you walk here. Once you get to the beach, go find the waterfall where the creek flows onto the beach. It is a great place for pictures.

East Sooke's Best Walks

Everyone wants a nice place to walk near a vacation home they have rented for the weekend. If you have a dog, a hike can turn your holiday into a real adventure. Pet friendly Andover Cottage is a short drive away from three terrific trails; Aylard Farm, Anderson Cove, and Iron Mine Bay. Last weekend, we hiked the Iron Mine Bay trail. Below, you will find directions to these three trails from an easily found starting point in East Sooke -- the intersection of Gillespie and East Sooke Roads.

Directions to the Iron Mine Bay trail: Go right from Gillespie Rd onto East Sooke Rd and pass Bill's store. Drive for about 10 minutes until you come to Pike Rd. The sign for Pike Rd is on the left and it is small, so begin watching for it after you pass Eliza Pt Rd. Turn left on Pike Rd. Shortly, you will come to a parking lot.

After you leave your car, follow the signs for Iron Mine Bay. The walk takes you through a forest of maple, douglas fir, and cedar that stretch to impossible heights competing for sunshine. After about 20 minutes of walking, you will come to the ocean. If you follow the path to the water you will find a perfect little beach in a cove which is Iron Mine Bay. On one side of the bay there is a small island that resembles a fortress. Our kids call this island "Pirate Island". At low or medium tide you can easily walk onto the island. Be careful as you move on Pirate Island. Avoid the cliffs on the side near the cove. Bring a lunch or a snack with you because you will want to spend some time here. The beach or the island are wonderful sheltered spots.

Anderson Cove Trail Access: On the way to Pike Rd and the Iron Mine Bay trail, you will come to the Anderson Cove trailhead. There is a large sign. The trail at Anderson Cove goes over the mountain to join the Iron Mine Bay trail, and the Coast trail. We walked part of this one recently. The trail is steep in places. In spite of the challenging terrain, we wanted to keep going. The opportunities for doing loops or through-hikes here will keep you coming back to this trailhead.

Aylard Farm: Go left onto East Sooke Rd from Gillespie Rd. Travel for 2 kilometres to Becher Bay Rd. Turn right on Becher Bay Rd and follow it to the end. Becher Bay Rd ends at the Aylard farm parking lot. A 5-minute walk will take you to the beach. The beach at Aylard Farm is sandy and sheltered. On bright days, the sun warms the shallow water. People even go in the water at this beach. Aylard Farm is also the point of access for a trail that winds along the shore from Becher Bay to Iron Mine Bay. This is a hike of several hours duration. Do not set out on this walk without plenty of food, water, good hiking boots, proper clothing, etc.

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Welcome to the Island Vacation Homes Blog!

The purpose of this blog is inform you about things to do in the Sooke area. Many opportunities for fun and relaxation in Sooke are almost unknown. This is part of Sooke's charm. You can come here, ride a bike, go kayaking, or find a nice restaurant and feel like you are finding something wonderful that few other people have discovered. As we say, Sooke is Wild by Nature.

Future posts will have titles like "Sooke's Best Kayak Launches", "Sooke's Best Hamburgers", and "Where to go Mountain Biking"etc.

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For accommodation in the Sooke area go to www.bcislandvacationhomes.com