On one of the earlier (February 2017) visits to Victoria—before up-and-moving here from Toronto—I saw a small path just off the main walkway that runs parallel to Dallas Road, a beach road that runs along the south coast of the city. I went down the path to find that it ended at a spiral staircase opening onto a long, pebbled shoreline I later discovered was named ‘Spiral Beach’.
It was February and yet the weather was so nice, like a warm spring day. The beach was busy; filled with people out jogging, or walking their dogs, and throwing sticks into the water for them to retrieve.
Driftwood, logs, and tree trunks lined the beach, washed up over time by who knows how many storms. Some of the larger pieces looked like they’d been there for quite some time they were so sun-bleached, with sharper edges now worn smooth and rounded by constant exposure to the elements.
Fast forward from February 2017 to October 2020 and now I’m a resident of this beautiful city. Today I went for a bike ride and I had gravitated to this spot, thinking to stay for a while to sit down and read.
There weren’t as many people on the beach today, which made it more peaceful. The sound of waves lapping the pebbled shore is really quite something; so calming and soothing. It felt like I had the whole beach to myself, as I found a spot to sit and read and listen to the sound of waves and gulls.
If ever you get a chance to visit, go see this beach at Cook Street and Dallas Road. It’s a beautiful place, with amazing sunsets and cool breezes on warm days.