Canada

Vancouver is British Columbia’s biggest city. It’s the gateway to the glaciers of Alaska, and it’s also one of the world’s most desirable places to live. It has all the urban delights of a city with a lot of well protected natural parks.

Vancouver has been developed with livability in mind and maintained the perfect balance between nature and the built environment. Stanley Park is a great example. The park has a century-old seawall from the downtown area, which protects the bay, and provides access to the waterfront at the same time.

As Vancouver is built by the ocean, water plays a major role in the city. There are several ports in Stanley Park with great views of mountains and ships.

The coastal First Nations people were seafarers. So, Totems and sculptures of the Haida people were collected and displayed in the museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia.

Vancouver city takes its name from the British navigator, George Vancouver, who landed in the area in 1792. Vancouver was used to be called Gastown. Its early development was greatly impacted by the construction of the Waterfront Railway Station.

The railway construction brought thousands of Chinese workers to Vancouver. So, it has fused Oriental flavors including eastern cuisine and restaurants, traditional Chinese parks and Chinatown.

Downtown Vancouver has many iconic places such as the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, which is the castle of the city; Canada place is an icon of the settler’s voyage history; Science World provides plenty of scientific discovery activities, and Vancouver Aquarium is a great place to meet the cold-water creatures of BC coast.

In the Southside of Vancouver, the Granville Island Public Market is very famous, especially for its brewing products. Queen Elizabeth Park on Little Mountain is the highest park in the city with stunning gardens.

After crossing the Lions Gate Bridge, there are several natural parks near the North Shore Mountain. At Capilano suspension bridge, you can take a tree top adventure; at the top of Grouse Mountain, you can take a bird’s view of Vancouver.

Heading to the very north, about 2 hours’ drive from Vancouver, is the most famous mountain village of Whistle which has the largest ski resort in North America.

Vancouver is a city connected people and nature with plenty of adventure activities to explore.