Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea

Vancouver Island


Sidney's kid-luring highlight, this aquarium is accessed through a dramatic Disney-style entrance that makes you think you're descending below the waves. Then you'll step into a gallery of aquatic exhibits, including alien-like jellyfish, a large touch tank with purple starfish and an octopus that likes to unscrew a glass jar to snag its fresh crab dinner.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Vancouver Island attractions

1. Victoria Distillers

0.04 MILES

The ambitious manufacturers of Victoria Gin have branched into vodka, whiskey and beyond. The distillery relocated to Sidney in 2016 and now inhabits a…

2. Seaside Sculpture Walk

0.05 MILES

A dozen or so photo-friendly sculptures are dotted around the town's waterfront. Look out for a graceful gymnast, a hollow eye made out of whale bones and…

3. Sea Cider

3.19 MILES

A rustic farmhouse and cider producer where tours, samples and ocean views are available, this is a tasty pit stop if you're a red-nosed cider fan. The 10…

4. Victoria Butterfly Gardens

6.22 MILES

These gardens offer a kaleidoscope of thousands of fluttering critters, from around 75 species, in a free-flying environment. As well as watching them…

5. Butchart Gardens

6.75 MILES

Far more than just another pretty flower arrangement, Butchart is a national historic site and a triumph of early-20th-century gardening aesthetics. With…

6. Ruckle Provincial Park

8.46 MILES

A pocket of ragged shoreline and gnarly arbutus forest on Salt Spring's southeastern rump contains around 16km of trails and the oldest active farm in BC…

7. Merridale Estate Cidery

8.73 MILES

One of BC's earliest exponents of craft cider-making, Merridale has since gone from strength to strength. The rustic-chic cidery site is lined with trees…

8. Cherry Point Vineyards

8.88 MILES

One of the Cowichan Valley's original wineries is now on its third owners, Colombians who have added a bit of Latin panache to wines such as the crisp,…