A saltwater lagoon located at the base of the Royal Roads property, next to the Fort Rodd Hill / Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites and a view across Esquimalt Harbour at Dockyard.
Birding at Esquimalt Lagoon. Do not forget to look up too. You may sight a Belted Kingfisher sitting quietly on a branch and, either stalking the shorelines or perched high in the evergreens, you may see a number of Great Blue Herons.
Walk to a nearby 2 km long beach/ocean front, explore a forest with castle. Visit a historic fort/ lighthouse.
I think this additional information may also useful for our guests.
The number one attraction near the house is the Hatley Castle, one of only few castles in Canada.
It is now a home to the Royal Roads University. You can go around and visit the castle grounds, which are very beautiful. There is a gate that is open during the day time to get inside the fenced garden. It's the one closest to the castle.
To get there, you walk up the Portsmouth Drive and turn right on Heatherbell Rd. Go to the end of heatherbell, and as soon as you crossed a little bridge, there is going to be a gate with the number G6 on it. Behind the gate, you will find a trail that will takea you up to an intersection of trails, where you take the right one and it will lead you to the castle and grounds. It takes about 15 to walk there.
You can also take a walk on the beach. It's beautiful out there. You can see ships, including cruise ships.
The lagoon itself is a place to watch birds, including blue herons, polar geese, and others.
To get to the beach, you walk up Portsmouth and turn left on Matilda. Follow Matilda until you come to the closed gate, just go around it and after about 50 meters take a trail on your left that will lead you to the Lagoon Rd and the beach. It's only 10 minutes walk.