For many visitors arriving on Vancouver Island, Sidney and the Saanich Peninsula are the first places you see. The gloriously green rolling hills and farmland, lush cool forests, stunning ocean views, and friendly communities create lasting first impressions. The Saanich Peninsula encompasses the area just north of Greater Victoria all the way to Deep Cove and Swartz Bay, a major BC Ferries terminal. Sidney, the location of the Victoria International Airport, and Brentwood Bay are the two largest communities on the semi-rural Saanich Peninsula.

Sidney is a seaside resort town renowned for gorgeous ocean views. And, with all the beautiful new developments along the waterfront, this pretty little town has even more appeal.

Sidney is also acclaimed for its delightful shopping and dining and, because Sidney has more bookstores per capita than anywhere else in the country, it has been named Canada's Booktown.

Sidney has attractions for the whole family, including the B.C. Aviation Museum, a volunteer-run museum with a hangar full of historic aircraft, as well as artifacts, uniforms, photographs, and personal histories, including the diary-like letters of a World War I pilot. The Institute of Ocean Sciences is a government facility devoted to the study of coastlines, oceans, lakes, and rivers.

The Sidney Historical Museum presents an impressive interactive look at the pioneer history of Sidney, the Sidney Marine Mammal Museum is a family museum with interactive whale exhibits and a film, and the Marine Ecology Station is an interactive science and teaching facility kids love.

Other great things to do in Sidney include digging for gold, fossils, and coloured stones at Mineral World and Scratch Patch; taking the ferry to Sidney Spit Marine Park for a day of hiking, beachcombing, and bird watching; watching the harness races at Sandown Park; and watching for whales and wildlife on a marine tour. Kayaking tours and fishing charters are also available in Sidney.

For great ocean views, stroll the docks at the marina, follow the beachside walkway along Lochside Drive, and walk to the end of the pier on Bevan Avenue.

The community of Brentwood Bay overlooks the Saanich Inlet and has some great restaurants and shops, a pretty marina, and a BC Ferries terminal providing service to Mill Bay in the Cowichan region.

Brentwood Bay boasts one of the South Island region's most famous attractions: the Butchart Gardens. These splendid, world-renowned gardens have been drawing visitors to the region since 1904 and have recently been designated a National Historic Site. Enjoy twenty hectares of display gardens, restaurants, a gift shop, and seasonal live entertainment. Special events and activities take place year-round, particularly in the summer, where there is the famous Saturday Night Fireworks,  and at Christmas with the unique Seven Days of Christmas display, which changes every year.

Two minutes from the Butchart Gardens, the Victoria Butterfly Gardens is a beautiful indoor tropical garden with hundreds of free-flying butterflies and exotic birds, as well as an orchid garden, carnivorous plant display, and art gallery.

Other great stops on the Saanich Peninsula include Island View Beach, Coles Bay Regional Park, and John Dean Provincial Park.

Families and history buffs have a couple of intriguing options. Heritage Acres is a twelve-hectare park featuring antique farm equipment, the Newman Boathouse Museum, a model train track, nature trails, heritage buildings, and an eclectic museum operated by the Saanich Historical Artifacts Society. The Log Cabin Museum and Archives is another good choice; this charming restored building located on the old Saanich Fairgrounds site on East Saanich Road, was first opened July 1, 1933 by Premier Tolmie and now offers a look at the Saanich Peninsula from the 1850's to the present.

And to top it all off, every Labour Day is the Saanich Fair, the oldest Agricultural Fair in British Columbia, and one of the oldest in Western Canada.  It is now located at the NEW Fairgrounds on Stellys Cross Road.