While your first thought may be that Fisherman’s Wharf just sounds like a dock jutting out into the sea, plastered in gull guano, you would be sorely mistaken.  Located in James Bay, which is hailed the oldest neighbourhood in Victoria, Fisherman’s Wharf has several colourful rows of floating houses, docked pleasure vessels, and actual fishing vessels.  On the docks you can find food vendors and restaurants (some with paddle-thru service), fishmongers, rental kayaks, whale watching tours, and you can even catch a ride on the Harbour Ferry back to the docks near the Fairmont Empress Hotel.

Several seals enjoy visiting the wharf, and the businesses in the area are ready with buckets of minnows for tourists to feed them.  The seals will come right up on the side of the dock to catch the fish that you throw them (provided there are no dogs nearby).

With 9 piers to stroll along, as well as Fisherman’s Wharf Park on the land beside it, footpaths along the cost, and historical monuments such as Emily Carr House nearby, one could easily spend an entire afternoon exploring this part of town.