How to Get There 

The town of Sooke is less than an hour drive from Victoria, BC on Vancouver Island. To get to the island from the mainland you can take a ferry, fly into Victoria airport, or take a seaplane right into Victoria harbour. Sooke is split into two areas, the main town of Sooke, and East Sooke which is much quieter and far more remote. Sooke Point Ocean Cottage Resort is located in East Sooke, right on the ocean and beside East Sooke Regional Park. It isn’t a walkable destination so we definitely recommend either driving onto the ferry, or renting a car on the island. We drove our car over from Victoria and it was a beautiful drive! 

The Resort 

Sooke Point Ocean Cottage Resort is truly one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever stayed. The resort sits on a rock peninsula on the south tip of the island, and the ocean views are stunning. The area is very remote, incredibly quiet, and a perfect spot to relax and unwind. We spent our days watching sea lions swim right outside our balcony, and taking Theo for walks around the property. We loved that some of the cottages are pet friendly, and we highly recommend bringing your furry family members along with you! There are guest services facilities as well as a fitness centre on the property, and the resort is just steps away from many beautiful hiking trails in East Sooke Regional Park! This spot really is such a special gem on Vancouver Island, we can’t recommend it enough.

The Cottages

The resort units are all absolutely beautiful. There are four different room configurations, and all the cottages have balconies with stunning ocean views and luxury finishes. There are studio suites as well as one, two, and three bedroom cottages, so plenty of options to accommodate everyone! There are also kitchenettes or full kitchens in every unit, and we definitely recommend bringing along groceries to cook meals in your cottage as there are no restaurants on-site or nearby. We stayed in a one bedroom cottage and it was perfect for the two of us and our little pup Theo. We had plenty of space to unpack, lots of room to work, and we couldn’t get enough of the views off our balcony. I’m sure every unit on this property would be absolutely gorgeous and make for a great stay! 

East Sooke

East Sooke is a small community, southeast of the town of Sooke. It is best known for the regional park where you can hike 50km of trails and enjoy incredible views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Olympic Mountains. There are also beautiful beaches along the coast to enjoy! It’s truly such a beautiful place to relax and be surrounded by nature. It’s very quiet and a perfect spot to get away from it all. As a same-sex couple we found the town of Sooke as well as East Sooke to be very safe and welcoming. We felt comfortable at the resort and around locals being open as a couple, and the entire area felt very warm and inclusive. We feel so grateful that the province of BC is so incredibly LGBTQ+ friendly, we’re always excited to recommend it to other queer travellers!

For more information on Sooke Point Ocean Cottage Resort, you can visit their website here.

Disclosure: Prestige Resorts generously hosted us (and Theo) for our stay in East Sooke. We had such a wonderful experience and we’re so excited to share this resort with our audience! 

The post A Romantic Lesbian Friendly Getaway to Sooke Point Ocean Cottage Resort appeared first on Lez See the World.

How to Get There 

Sooke is less than an hour drive from Victoria, BC on Vancouver Island. To get to the island from the mainland you can take a ferry, fly into Victoria airport, or take a seaplane right into Victoria harbour! Sooke isn’t a very walkable destination, so we recommend either driving onto the ferry, or renting a car on the island. We drove from Victoria and it’s a really beautiful drive, the island has so much natural beauty!

The Resort 

Prestige Resorts has locations all over the province, and their Sooke resort is truly stunning. The property is right on the water and it has the most beautiful ocean views! They are also pet-friendly, which means that little Theo got to come along, and that is so much fun for us. We spent our mornings cozied up in our room relaxing, and our afternoons exploring the property and taking Theo for walks by the water. The full service resort also has an on-site cafe, restaurant, bar, fitness centre, spa, and pool, so you’ll have everything you need during your visit! It’s such a perfect place to slow down and enjoy island living, we absolutely loved it. 

The Rooms

There are a variety of rooms available at the resort, including many with an ocean view and beautiful balconies! There are also options with kitchenettes and dining areas, which are perfect for longer stays. The accommodations are all beautifully decorated with luxury amenities, it’s really such a comfortable resort where you will feel right at home. We stayed in an oceanfront room with a huge balcony, and our favourite thing about it was the beautiful view of Sooke Harbour! We highly recommend this resort if you’re looking for a unique getaway on Vancouver Island, it’s a perfect escape from Victoria and a great starting point to exploring Sooke. You won’t be disappointed! 

The Town of Sooke

Sooke is a quiet, seaside community best known for its amazing nature activities. You can go whale watching, kayaking, and hiking, and explore the amazing beaches in the area. There is such an abundance of things to do any time of year, even if you’re coming for a relaxing vacation we highly recommend venturing out at least a little bit! As a same-sex couple, we found Sooke to be extremely safe. The resort and all the businesses we visited in town were very kind and welcoming. We felt completely comfortable being out and open as a lesbian couple, and the entire community felt really inclusive. BC travel destinations tend to be some of the most LGBTQ+ friendly spots in Canada, and Vancouver Island is no exception. We love taking trips in our home province and we can’t recommend it enough to other queer travellers! 

For more information on Prestige Resorts and their different locations, you can visit their website here.

Disclosure: Prestige Resorts generously hosted us (and Theo) for our stay in Sooke. We had such a wonderful experience and are so excited to share them with our audience! 

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How to Get There 

Halcyon Hot Springs Resort sits on the shores of Arrow Lake in Nakusp, BC. It’s about a 7 hour drive from the city of Vancouver in one direction, and about a 7 hour drive from Calgary in the other. It’s a very quiet part of the province, best accessed by car and ferry. If you’re driving from the north, you’ll take the Upper Arrow Lakes ferry, and if you’re driving from the south, you’ll take the South Arrow Lakes ferry. Both are free! It’s a beautiful drive and we highly recommend taking your time to enjoy all the sights, but you will need to plan for winter driving conditions if planning your trip in the colder months.

The Resort & Restaurant

Halcyon Hot Springs Resort sits on 35 acres of property overlooking the beautiful Monashee Mountains and Arrow Lake. The views are absolutely stunning and the resort is very quiet. They encourage all their guests to embrace the “slow life” during their visit. Having no cell reception and being surrounded by nature makes this easy, it’s a really wonderful place to relax and unwind. On site at Halcyon is an incredible restaurant called The Kingfisher, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner service to guests. The chef is able to accommodate different dietary restrictions and we were blown away by what they were able to offer for upscale plant-based dishes. If you’re looking for something really special for your vacation or a great way to celebrate a milestone or occasion during your stay, The Kingfisher Restaurant also offers private dining experiences. You can enjoy an intimate meal with incredible food and beautiful water views, all to yourself!

The Spa & Hot Springs

Also on-site is The Spa at Halcyon, offering a variety of massage treatments that are the perfect way to treat yourself. And of course there are the amazing hot springs pools filled with lithia-rich mineral waters! Every stay at the resort includes hot springs access, so you can relax in the healing waters as much as you’d like. There are two pool decks, the upper deck has a hot pool, a warm pool, and a cold plunge pool, while the lower deck has a seasonal mineral pool. The hot springs are wonderful to enjoy both in the daytime and in the evening, and there is some ‘adults only’ time most nights. If you’re looking for a private experience, you can also book a private time in the hot springs pools just for you and a small group to enjoy on your own. 

The Accommodations 

The thing we loved most about Halcyon, is that there are no hotel rooms at the resort. All of the accommodations are private cottages and cabins, with everything spread out all over their large property. Every guest gets to have a private spot all to themselves during their visit! There are options for singles, couples, families, and large groups, including everything from more rustic cabins, to new luxury cottages. They also have two units that are wheelchair accessible, and seven units that are pet friendly. We stayed in a pet friendly, one bedroom chalet and it was perfect for us. We love getting to bring little Theo along on our adventures and he really enjoyed being out in nature here. We loved how private all the accommodations are, and that everyone has a quiet place to enjoy themselves during their stay. Our cabin was just a short walk away from the restaurant and hot springs pools, as well as just a quick stroll down to the beach. We highly recommend taking some time to explore the property during your stay, there are beautiful walking trails and quiet places to sit and enjoy being surrounded by nature. 

Lesbian Friendly 

One of the best parts about travelling locally in BC, is that we always feel safe and comfortable as a same-sex couple, even in the most remote areas. This sleepy resort hours away from any big city, was just as welcoming as anywhere else in the province. The staff was wonderful, the space was inclusive, and we felt completely comfortable being ourselves. The resort feels strongly about welcoming everyone, and we feel confident recommending this spot to other LGBTQ+ travellers as a great place to visit! 

For more information on Halcyon Hot Springs, you can visit their website here.

Disclosure: Halycon Hot Springs generously hosted us (and Theo) for accommodations, meals, and activities during our stay at the resort. We were able to experience everything this property has to offer and we had such a wonderful time. We’re so excited to share them with our audience! 

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