Bastion Square

Bastion Square is not really a square; it's more like an open-air alley that descends (or ascends, depending on which way you enter it) for several city blocks and through multiple intersections of lightly-trafficked side roads. On a late Sunday morning, we passed by a handful of pop-up tents from local artists and craftsmen that weren't there the day (and night) before, so depending on when you visit, what you encounter here might be different than another.

The "square" itself is clean, well-maintained and attractive, passing by several storied, stately structures built well over a century ago, repurposed and repopulated with nascent businesses, many of them pubs, clubs and restaurants, but also a smattering of others, such as a rare book store, and some satellite offices for regional colleges. At sunset, visitors are afforded a gorgeous view of Victoria Harbor painted in a pageant of dusky and fiery hues that encompass the entire color spectrum: a radiant sky with shades of red, orange, yellow, indigo, violet, framed by green foliage and blue water.

Worth a visit for the ambiance and atmosphere alone, particularly when it is buzzing with visitors, tourists and patrons, but Bastion Square is made complete by the quantity and variety of quality dining establishments along its concourse. One of my favorite places to idle away the time in Victoria, and after your visit, I am sure you will agree.

The center where there are several pubs and restaurants nesting and welcoming the brood of tourists and fun seekers.

The Irish compete with the English waterholes here. The wells are a bit more expensive because it is in the historical part of town. Near China town.

REVIEW # 8

I came, I saw and I left.

DID YOU KNOW: This place is known to be haunted? Well, I came and I definitely didn't notice any spooky stuff happening.

Situated in a historical part of Victoria, Bastion Square Market is a lovely two block stroll on a lovely Saturday or Sunday. On Saturday's, come and enjoy the lovely Artisan Market. It's quaint and small but one can simply enjoy the walk through the heritage buildings and the lovely restaurants that are around the area.

Luckily, my hotel was located right near the Bastion Square market and was nestled near the lively Irish Pub (perfect place, if you ask me)!

I really thought that Bastion Square was going to be this huge market that many people come to explore, but I was wrong. Bastion Square is a small market that is open seasonally. It offers a friendly space of local artist and vendors to come market and sale their merchandise. During the summer time, when it's warm, all the vendors come out and advertise all their good arts and crafts. You can easily spend a fortune here with all the goodies they have.

I'm happy that I was able to experience this place during the summer, as I hear that it's increased with vendors in the square. It also has a wonderful view overlooking the downtown Victoria area and water.

A great little place to sight see and take touristy pictures. It is pretty much near everything so you are able to come and get some food or go shopping.
There is a great view of the water and various restaurants and shops. It's a fun little market and things to buy but is pricier than usual. It's not really a big place but great to sit and chat or a brisk walk.
I went on a beautiful sunny day so the vibes were strong and definitely felt jubilant on my last day touring Victoria.

Bastion Square has plenty of restaurants, bars and shops if you are visiting downtown Victoria and are looking for something to do.

It seems that for parking, there is mostly street parking that you are required to pay. But parking is free after 6 pm. Earlier, we had tried to pay for parking after getting a spot, but our credit card was invalid each time we tried to pay. I found out later that because our credit cards are registered in the US, sometimes credit card machines will not recognize it because it is not registered in Canada and will void the transaction (vice versa for Canadians who try to use their credit cards in the US for example may also experience some problems). So we were glad that we were able to get a spot after 6 pm and not have to worry about trying to pay for parking.

When we came to Bastion Square, we brought out little dog with us. We also saw some people walking their dogs around as well.

Although there is plenty of places to walk around with your pup, nearly all of the restaurants in this area is not dog friendly. It seems that Canada is quite strict about that, as dogs are also not allowed to dine with you on an outdoor patio (which we found out later). Your dog must be tied up to the fence and stay right outside of the restaurant in order for you to dine with them. So if you are lucky to nab a corner spot outside, then it may not be a big deal and your pet can be right next to you. But if not, you either need to wait for that area to become free or you have your pet just sitting out further away from you on an outdoor patio area (my little girl dog is rather needy and needs to be around us, so that wouldn't work for us).

Anyways, aside from the restaurants not being dog friendly, I do like this area as there is plenty to see and plenty of walking to be done.

You can also see great views of the water and see the seaplanes come in and land ever so gracefully onto the water.

Bastion Square was part of original Fort Victoria, currently encompasses several buildings, and is part of a lively outdoor market during the summer. It's a pleasant public space and the main square is home to the Maritime Museum (a former 1889 Court House).

Also noteworthy is the Law Chambers building, which was designed by Francis Rattenbury (of Fairmont Empress and BC Parliament fame). Gayle and I had wonderful romantic dinner here right here Camille's.

There's a cute street right under the sign to walk through with a small variety of vendors. But there wasn't much to really look at or buy. I'd recommend a stroll through the street to check out the vibe, but there's not much to see. Just vendors selling clothing, face masks, candles, jewelry, specialty foods, etc. It was a wide and somewhat odd mixture of offerings.

I'm not sure what exactly Bastion Square encompasses, but there are a bunch of pubs around which I loved! I only had time to check one since I came to Victoria via cruise ship, but it was nice to walk around with the view of the water and the vibe of the outdoor restaurants. This area is definitely worth checking out!

Fun outdoor market that we all enjoyed. This is where we all got tattoos. And they had some wonderful jewelry people.

The market is a fun place to walk around and window shop. It is set up on Saturday during business hours, and local venders sell their hands-made goods (e.g., jewelry, stuffies, snacks, etc.). Things are pretty pricy, but worth the quality. It's a good place to kill some time.

This is a great piece of history! Lovely & clean outdoor market - Thursday - Saturday it's a public market & Sunday it's a farmers market. I loved all the great buildings, shops & restaurants nearby. There was this great Irish pub (Irish times), everyone wore kilts & from the looks of it, they were fast servers! I had the pleasure of eating at a restaurant across from them & watching all the action.