Attractions in Greater Vancouver
• A WorldWeb.com Travel Guide for Greater Vancouver, British Columbia.
There are few cities in the world with locations that compare to the spectacular setting of Vancouver. The deep, blue Pacific Ocean rolls out as far as the eye can see to the west, the Coast Mountain Range's brilliant, snow-capped peaks brush the heavens to the north, and lush, green vegetation surrounds and abounds throughout the urban environment that is Greater Vancouver.
The conurbation—which includes but is not limited to Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster and Richmond—has several engaging indoor attractions to offer but its primary focus is its outdoor wonders. Sightseers are spoilt for choice when it comes to open-air spaces and places while their rainy-day options are probably fewer than in some other large cities. Vancouverites are a hardy lot whose love of alfresco living far outweighs any possible dampening of enthusiasm by a few drops in the air.
VANCOUVER
Many parks are dotted throughout Vancouver but the jewel in the crown is downtown's 405-ha (1000-acre) Stanley Park. The huge, green expanse is a popular location for biking, walking and inline skating, as well as the home of the child-friendly Vancouver Aquarium. Beaches are spread around the edges of the park as well as in the neighborhoods of nearby Kitsilano and Point Grey and are hugely popular with visitors and Vancouverites. Far west, Wreck Beach, a clothing-optional sandy retreat, sits below the cliffs that are host to the University of British Columbia. The university's Museum of Anthropology is known for its architecture and informative exhibitions about totems and First Nations peoples and is one of several museums within the city's limits. Shopping, street entertainment and a little history combine on Granville Island with a public market, small boutique stores and numerous restaurants.
WEST VANCOUVER
The Lions Gate Bridge, a distinctive feature of Vancouver, takes visitors across the Burrard Inlet to the North Shore and West Vancouver. Cypress Mountain Ski Area in Cypress Provincial Park was the proud host of snowboarding and freestyle skiing at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. It is just 30 minutes from downtown and provides the most vertical for skiers on the North Shore. In addition to its affluent homes and gorgeous views, the borough is also the guardian of several other green tracts, including the 75-ha (185-acre) Lighthouse Park. The park protects one of the few remaining old-growth forests in the Lower Mainland, and has an abundance of hiking trails.
NORTH VANCOUVER
North Vancouver is located east of West Vancouver and is home to the legendary 130-m (450-ft) wood and wire pedestrian Capilano Suspension Bridge, which hangs 70-m (225-ft) above the Capilano Valley floor. Along the same road lies Grouse Mountain, which is a snowboarder's or skier's closest option to downtown in the winter and provides a grueling yet popular hiking challenge on the Grouse Grind the rest of the year. Sightseers can also take the Skyride cable car to the top of Grouse for unparalleled views of the city or to see the grizzly bear sanctuary. Back at sea level, a fresh food market and freshly prepared bites and coffees await at Lonsdale Quay, which is located at the SeaBus terminus.
BURNABY
Shopping devotees looking for alternatives to Robson Street in central Vancouver can take a stroll in Burnaby's Metropolis at Metrotown mall, which has over 470 stores. This is just a short 20-minute Skytrain ride east of downtown Vancouver. Burnaby, a large urban city in its own right, is also the location of Burnaby 8 Rinks, one the biggest ice sports facilities in Greater Vancouver with six NHL-sized ice rinks and one figure skating rink. Parks again figure heavily in the landscape, including Deer Lake Park and Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area, the latter of which surrounds the architecturally notable Simon Fraser University.
NEW WESTMINSTER
New Westminster, which lies south of Burnaby on the northern banks of the Fraser River, was the original capital of British Columbia. History buffs can indulge their passions in the historic home-turned-museum that is Irving House, which dates from 1865. Other museums in the city include Samson V, a floating maritime history exhibition, and the New Westminster Police Museum.
FORT LANGLEY
Travelling east, more bygone-day memorabilia is available at Fort Langley National Historic Site, close to the small town of the same name. The site, which was built in the 1840s, was restored in the 1950s and provides a look at the pioneering past of the area. The village itself also has a picturesque array of 19th-century store fronts with antique shops and a couple of small museums in which to while away an afternoon.
DELTA
On the southern banks of the Fraser River, west of Langley, botanists and zoologists will relish the Delta Nature Reserve, which is part of the largest estuarine raised-peat bog on the west coast of the Americas. Farther south at Ladner, a charming old-world village dating from pioneer days, is the 360-ha (890-acre) Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary—a delight for would-be ornithologists or birdwatchers.
RICHMOND
Directly south of Vancouver and home to Vancouver International Airport is the city of Richmond. Forty-four per cent of its residents are of Chinese ethnicity and No. 3 Road, which has become a shopping mall phenomenon, reflects this with the Richmond Centre, Parker Place and Yaohan Mall combining to provide what some might argue is a true and contemporary Chinatown experience. No. 5 Road boasts a multi-denominational and cultural selection of centres and temples. These include the Shia Az-Zahraa Islamic Centre, the India Cultural Centre, the Buddhist Lingyen Mountain Temple and not far away in the direction of the quaint fishing village of Steveston, the International Buddhist Temple. In the 1880s, Steveston was the world's largest fishing port and is still home to Canada's biggest fishing fleet. Fresh seafood and fish and chips, almost an obligation here, are served at places like Pajo's located on the wharf.
The conurbation—which includes but is not limited to Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster and Richmond—has several engaging indoor attractions to offer but its primary focus is its outdoor wonders. Sightseers are spoilt for choice when it comes to open-air spaces and places while their rainy-day options are probably fewer than in some other large cities. Vancouverites are a hardy lot whose love of alfresco living far outweighs any possible dampening of enthusiasm by a few drops in the air.
VANCOUVER
Many parks are dotted throughout Vancouver but the jewel in the crown is downtown's 405-ha (1000-acre) Stanley Park. The huge, green expanse is a popular location for biking, walking and inline skating, as well as the home of the child-friendly Vancouver Aquarium. Beaches are spread around the edges of the park as well as in the neighborhoods of nearby Kitsilano and Point Grey and are hugely popular with visitors and Vancouverites. Far west, Wreck Beach, a clothing-optional sandy retreat, sits below the cliffs that are host to the University of British Columbia. The university's Museum of Anthropology is known for its architecture and informative exhibitions about totems and First Nations peoples and is one of several museums within the city's limits. Shopping, street entertainment and a little history combine on Granville Island with a public market, small boutique stores and numerous restaurants.
WEST VANCOUVER
The Lions Gate Bridge, a distinctive feature of Vancouver, takes visitors across the Burrard Inlet to the North Shore and West Vancouver. Cypress Mountain Ski Area in Cypress Provincial Park was the proud host of snowboarding and freestyle skiing at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. It is just 30 minutes from downtown and provides the most vertical for skiers on the North Shore. In addition to its affluent homes and gorgeous views, the borough is also the guardian of several other green tracts, including the 75-ha (185-acre) Lighthouse Park. The park protects one of the few remaining old-growth forests in the Lower Mainland, and has an abundance of hiking trails.
NORTH VANCOUVER
North Vancouver is located east of West Vancouver and is home to the legendary 130-m (450-ft) wood and wire pedestrian Capilano Suspension Bridge, which hangs 70-m (225-ft) above the Capilano Valley floor. Along the same road lies Grouse Mountain, which is a snowboarder's or skier's closest option to downtown in the winter and provides a grueling yet popular hiking challenge on the Grouse Grind the rest of the year. Sightseers can also take the Skyride cable car to the top of Grouse for unparalleled views of the city or to see the grizzly bear sanctuary. Back at sea level, a fresh food market and freshly prepared bites and coffees await at Lonsdale Quay, which is located at the SeaBus terminus.
BURNABY
Shopping devotees looking for alternatives to Robson Street in central Vancouver can take a stroll in Burnaby's Metropolis at Metrotown mall, which has over 470 stores. This is just a short 20-minute Skytrain ride east of downtown Vancouver. Burnaby, a large urban city in its own right, is also the location of Burnaby 8 Rinks, one the biggest ice sports facilities in Greater Vancouver with six NHL-sized ice rinks and one figure skating rink. Parks again figure heavily in the landscape, including Deer Lake Park and Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area, the latter of which surrounds the architecturally notable Simon Fraser University.
NEW WESTMINSTER
New Westminster, which lies south of Burnaby on the northern banks of the Fraser River, was the original capital of British Columbia. History buffs can indulge their passions in the historic home-turned-museum that is Irving House, which dates from 1865. Other museums in the city include Samson V, a floating maritime history exhibition, and the New Westminster Police Museum.
FORT LANGLEY
Travelling east, more bygone-day memorabilia is available at Fort Langley National Historic Site, close to the small town of the same name. The site, which was built in the 1840s, was restored in the 1950s and provides a look at the pioneering past of the area. The village itself also has a picturesque array of 19th-century store fronts with antique shops and a couple of small museums in which to while away an afternoon.
DELTA
On the southern banks of the Fraser River, west of Langley, botanists and zoologists will relish the Delta Nature Reserve, which is part of the largest estuarine raised-peat bog on the west coast of the Americas. Farther south at Ladner, a charming old-world village dating from pioneer days, is the 360-ha (890-acre) Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary—a delight for would-be ornithologists or birdwatchers.
RICHMOND
Directly south of Vancouver and home to Vancouver International Airport is the city of Richmond. Forty-four per cent of its residents are of Chinese ethnicity and No. 3 Road, which has become a shopping mall phenomenon, reflects this with the Richmond Centre, Parker Place and Yaohan Mall combining to provide what some might argue is a true and contemporary Chinatown experience. No. 5 Road boasts a multi-denominational and cultural selection of centres and temples. These include the Shia Az-Zahraa Islamic Centre, the India Cultural Centre, the Buddhist Lingyen Mountain Temple and not far away in the direction of the quaint fishing village of Steveston, the International Buddhist Temple. In the 1880s, Steveston was the world's largest fishing port and is still home to Canada's biggest fishing fleet. Fresh seafood and fish and chips, almost an obligation here, are served at places like Pajo's located on the wharf.
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