My husband and I will have 2 free nights (3 days) during a Vancouver/Whistler trip in September and thought we would spend them on Vancouver Island - probably Victoria. Any suggestions would be welcome. I stumbled upon the Swans Art Boutique Hotel that looks pretty interesting. We are very active people.

What type of accommodation are you looking for and what is your budget? I don't recommend Swans though. When you say you are active are you looking for a spot where you can go hiking and that type of thing? Give us a little more information. Victoria's inner harbour area has most of the tourist attractions and has a lot of excellent accommodation. September is the best month to visit. Will you be renting a car? You don't need one for the Victoria area but if you wanted to get further afield you would definitely need one.

I was thinking a small Inn or B&B - roughly $200/night.

Yes, we would be into hiking, rafting, whale-watching etc. We are avid golfers but probably won't take up a whole day for that unless there's a "must play" course nearby. We won't have a car.

Lots of easy/fun/interesting/safe/quiet/cycling options in the Greater Victoria area here's a start.

http://www.gallopinggoosetrail.com/

http://www.crd.bc.ca/parks/lochside/

Sam has given you a couple of good websites for activities. There are several good whale watching companies from the inner harbour as well. The only golf course that could be a must play is private so that doesn't work. It actually gives Pebble Beach a run for its money when it comes to scenery etc.
Here are a few websites for B&B's that are in the area I think you should stay (all a few blocks from the inner harbour). There are actually dozens of great B&B's in Victoria so if any of these aren't of interest post again. I think a B&B is better than a hotel/motel to give you the flavour of the city.

http://www.robertporterhouse.com/
http://www.trutchmanor.com/
http://www.heathergatebb.com/
http://www.humboldthouse.com/
http://www.ambrosiavictoria.com/

Here are a few whale watching companies as well

http://www.princeofwhales.com/
http://www.oceanexplorations.com/
http://www.eaglewingtours.com/


Have a great visit and if you have anymore questions just ask.

If you are active and hike and are going to rent a car, get out of Victoria and go up to Tofino and Ucluet. It is a rain forest and on Long Beach. It is one of the great places in Canada and you will always remember it. Much nicer than one more city. The drive is a few hours, but it is pretty and somewhat rustic - the way most highways were 60 years ago - two lane, tree lined & sane. You might have to book a hotel in advance in Sept. I have not been there in yrs and altho it has been built up, I think hotels are still limited.

We really enjoyed our stay at Abigail's. It is a hotel by name, but is small and has a nice feel to it. It is near Beacon Hill Park, but a short walk to the inner harbour area.

Thanks everybody for the excellent information!

I have already booked Robert Porter House and look forward to cycling and whale watching. Will consider renting a car for one day (if possible) to drive to Ucluet.

Glad we could help! I think driving to Ucluelet is not wise if you only have one day. Its a long drive and would only advise it if you could spend a couple of days there. There are lots of other areas closer to Victoria but perhaps you should just come back again when you have more time to spend on the Island. In the meantime enjoy your visit!!

I wouldn't do Ucluelet as a day trip. The Pacific Rim National Park, Ucluelet and Tofino is a 5 hour drive from Victoria and once there, you'd want at least 3 full days to experience the region. It's truly a magical part of Vancouver Island and would be where I'd steer outdoor/wilderness/nature enthusiasts.

Here's a photo of the landscape:

http://www.islandhavens.ca/Tofino%202.jpg

Ideally, 3 days around the Pacific Rim + 1-2 days in Victoria would be how I'd plan it, although if that's not possible, I'd maybe rent a car and drive 2 hours out of Victoria west to the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park (Sombrio Beach specifically):

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/exp.../juan_de_fuca/

Here's info on the Pacific Rim:

http://www.britishcolumbia.com/Parks...etails/?ID=404

Swans is a very nice hotel right in the heart of Victoria with a restaurant and brewpub with beers brewed from their brewery. I would definitely recommend staying there, there is live music and it is central to everything in Victoria. It is also right at the end of the Galloping Goose Trail so you can access a ton of hiking and biking trails around the Victoria area, the trails branches off in all directions and parts of the trail end up hundreds of miles up island.

http://www.swanshotel.com

We were in Victoria in May and we stayed at this VRBO apartment. http://www.vrbo.com/192715
It was very nice to have private parking and you can rent kayaks at the base of the building. We walked from end to end of the harbor twice. We like the option of cooking our own food that we picked up on the docks.

For a lovely but active vacation, consider cycling from the ferry to Victoria, using the wonderul Lockside Trail - safe for the whole family - see http://averagejoecyclist.com/?p=71