The Empress Hotel looms large over Victoria

Rather unfairly, Victoria is often derided as "home to the newly wed and the nearly dead".

But the genteel and oh-so-English capital of British Columbia rarely fails to charm. Millions visit here every year to stroll the lovingly-manicured Butchart Gardens and indulge in afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel.

Victoria lies in a sheltered harbour at the southern tip of wild and wind-lashed Vancouver Island. Rudyard Kipling once described the city as "Brighton Pavilion with the Himalayas for a backdrop". And indeed, it's impossible not to be seduced by Victoria's natural charms.

While in town you could explore the 150-acre Beacon Hill Park, home to one of the world's highest totem poles; eat fish and chips by the seaside at Fisherman's Wharf; or explore the sparkling blue harbour in a kayak, windsurf or on a whale-watching expedition.

Little more than 30km west of Victoria, the Sooke Potholes on the banks of the Sooke River are ideal for cooling off on a sweltering summer's days.

On a bad weather day, you could take a guided tour of the elaborate Parliament Buildings or keep dry inside Victoria's excellent Royal British Columbia Museum, which displays permanent exhibits on BC's First Nations and European history.

BC Ferries run multiple times daily from Vancouver to Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island. Victoria lies 27km south of Swartz Bay.

Numerous flights daily link Vancouver with Victoria. Harbour Air sea planes service Victoria's Inner Harbour, landing metres away from the Empress Hotel.