Vancouver, the pearl of Canada’s Pacific Northwest
Vancouver enjoys an enviable natural setting wedged between mountains, forests and ocean inlets in Canada’s beautiful Pacific Northwest. Ranked among the world’s best places to live, this young and multiethnic metropolis reverberates with a unique vibe characterized by trendy neighbourhoods, a bustling downtown brimming with shopping plus posh and affordable hotels, a lively gastronomic scene, hip nightlife hotspots and cultural delights galore. Dominated by modern glass-and-steel architecture, this cosmopolitan city at the south-western gateway to British Columbia province boasts a scenic hinterland ideal for outdoor adventures plus smashing parks and beaches within its boundaries.
Discover dining and foodie delights plus bars and nightlife
Wherever visitors choose a hotel in Vancouver they seldom leave hungry. The city’s cultural diversity makes it perfect for belt-busting gastronomic getaways. Across town are farm-to-table and seafood restaurants showcasing excellent local produce. Besides Vietnamese, Chinese and Indian restaurants serving some of North America’s finest Asian food, there are Korean barbecues and Japanese gastro-pubs called izakayas , particularly along Denman Street and towards Stanley Park on Robson Street in downtown’s West End, where many popular hotels plus dining, entertainment and shopping options are located. There are also affordable or high-end eateries throughout central Vancouver serving Greek, Italian, French, Spanish and Lebanese fare. If you crave coffee and cake, areas like Strathcona and Main Street in Mount Pleasant are brimming with hip caffeine addict hangouts. Historic Gastown even boasts a cafe where a purring posse of moggies prowl around to help cat lovers unwind. Many popular independent eating places, bars and nightclubs are also in Gastown.
Vancouver is proud of its craft beer scene. Some of the best-known small batch breweries reside in Main Street and on Granville Island, which lies across False Creek to the southwest of downtown. Indeed, the Granville Island Brewing Company runs beer-tasting tours, offering samples of its mainstay tipples and constantly-evolving specials chalkboard. The island is also home to craft liquor producers plus a covered indoor market that’s perfect for purchasing local food and handicrafts. In the summer, there’s an outdoor farmers market too. Meanwhile, a magnet for party animals is the Granville Entertainment District around Granville Street in downtown. It features Vancouver’s highest concentration of late-opening nightclubs and bars.
Delve into Vancouver’s parks and beaches
Green spaces and sandy beaches abound in Vancouver, and Vancouverites cherish their city’s affinity with nature. Birds of prey circling overhead, nesting herons and dolphin pods playing in sheltered bays aren’t uncommon sights. Beachgoers can take advantage of Vancouver’s sheltered climate at popular haunts like idyllic Jericho Beach in the western suburbs. Kitsilano Beach is an alternative hangout nearer downtown. This beach is ideal for sunbathing and swimming when warm weather arrives. It even boasts a large alfresco heated saltwater pool.
Sprawling Stanley Park north of downtown is one of Vancouver’s best-loved attractions. Encircled by an impressive seawall ideal for enjoying the sea air, this forested urban park houses the Vancouver Aquarium and is criss-crossed by biking, pedestrian, jogging and rollerblading trails. Canada’s First Nations cultures are celebrated within this 1,000-acre park, which is sprinkled with colourful totem poles and distinctive inuksuk cairns. The scenic seawall trail takes at least two hours to circumnavigate on foot, but bike hire is possible around Denman Street. Overlooking downtown and boasting mountain panoramas, Queen Elizabeth Park in South Cambie showcases native Canadian trees, pristine lawns and synchronized fountains plus an aviary within the Bloedel Conservatory, which also features a Henry Moore sculpture. In nearby Shaughnessy, travellers can enjoy the VanDusen Botanical Garden with its displays of global plants plus a maze and visitor centre. In Chinatown, the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden & Park offers a plant-filled oasis of tranquillity built around the principles of harmony and balance.
An adventurous outdoor playground
Make Vancouver your springboard to the vast outdoor playground on its doorstep. Depending on the weather, it’s possible to ski on fresh powder then hit the beach all in one day, and Vancouver’s proximity to mountain resorts amid the steep southern slopes of the snow-capped North Shore Mountains helped it host the 2010 Winter Olympics. Among the most popular winter sports resorts are Grouse Mountain and Cypress Mountain, which are both within 40 minutes’ drive of downtown. Other popular pastimes in the mountains include kayaking, mountain biking and hiking. Wildlife watchers might even spot cougars, bears and coyotes. Thrill seekers shouldn’t miss the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which is also in the North Shore Mountains. Spanning the Capilano Canyon, the bridge tends to sway gently even though it’s well-anchored by chunky steel cables.
Vancouver boasts a smorgasbord of attractions
Whether you’re walking or using public transport like the SkyTrain metro network, which serves Vancouver International Airport, Vancouver contains many interesting attractions and happening neighbourhoods to explore, wherever your hotel is. Trendy Gastown’s most iconic landmark is its steam-powered whistling clock at the junction of Water Street and Cambie Street, where visitors love grabbing selfies amid cobbled streets and heritage buildings. For a truly Canadian sporting experience, head to the Rogers Arena in Chinatown to cheer on local ice hockey heroes the Vancouver Canucks.
With its calming waterfalls, Robson Square is the modern heart of downtown. It boasts a year-round skating rink plus the Vancouver Art Gallery, which displays an impressive permanent collection, including more than 200 artworks by Emily Carr who celebrated the region’s indigenous cultures. Meanwhile, the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia campus teems with international and local cultural artefacts such as intricate First Nations wood carvings and costumes.