Colwood, 10 km from downtown Victoria on Vancouver Island, is one of 5 cities in a region called the Western Communities, more commonly referred to as the West Shore of Victoria. Langford, Metchosin, View Royal and the Highlands are the other West Shore communities.
Colwood’s best known landmark is Hatley Castle, a Tudor Revival mansion and grounds originally built as a residence for James Dunsmuir, Premier and later Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. The site was a naval training facility from 1941-1995 as Royal Roads Military College. The estate is now the campus of the public Royal Roads University. The original residence is surrounded by extensive formal gardens, including featured Japanese, Rose and Italian Gardens, all in turn surrounded by the extensive grounds of the Hatley National Historic site.
Colwood is also home to the first lighthouse on Canada’s west coast, Fisgard Lighthouse, built in 1860. There hasn’t been a keeper there since the light was automated in 1929, but many thousands of visitors every year capture the feel of what life might have been like. Fisgard and Fort Rodd Hill, a coast artillery fort built in the late 1890s, are a Parks Canada National Historic site.
Another highlight of Colwood, especially for bird watching in British Columbia, is the 100 hectare saltwater lagoon called Esquimalt Lagoon. The lagoon is a federally designated Migratory Bird Sanctuary, home to a large variety of bird species including osprey, bald eagles and great blue herons. Locals regularly canoe, kayak and sail on the lagoon. The land above Esquimalt Lagoon contains trees that are among the top 10 biggest Douglas firs in the province of BC. One of the firs, dubbed the Magna Carta Tree, is over 500 years old and measures two metres in diameter..
Your Colwood Bed & Breakfast innkeepers look forward to sharing all the attractions and recreational opportunities in their area, as well as all of nearby Victoria’s attractions.