You can follow the Seawall path from English Bay into Stanley Park or around to Yaletown. In summer, you can rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards on the beach from Ecomarine Paddlesports Centre (1700 Beach Ave., 604/689-7575 or 888/425-2925, www.ecomarine.com; 10am-dusk Mon.-Fri., 9am-dusk Sat.-Sun. late May-early Sept.).
MAP 1: Beach Ave. at Denman St., http://vancouver.ca; 6am-10pm daily; free
Sunset Beach
As you’d expect from the name, Sunset Beach, along the Seawall near English Bay, is a west-facing beach with sunset views. Near the beach, built into the hillside at the foot of Broughton Street, is the AIDS Memorial, a public art piece installed in 2004. The names of nearly 800 people from British Columbia who died of AIDS are engraved on its rust-oxidized steel panels.
MAP 1: Beach Ave. at Thurlow St.; http://vancouver.ca; 6am-10pm daily; free
ICE-SKATING
Robson Square Ice Rink
From December through February, you can ice-skate right downtown at the Robson Square Ice Rink, under a dome outdoors beneath Robson Square, near the Vancouver Art Gallery. The rink is particularly busy on weekend afternoons, when families take to the ice, and on Friday and Saturday evenings. You can rent skates ($4) if you don’t have your own.
MAP 1: 800 Robson St., 604/209-8316, www.robsonsquare.com; 9am-9pm Sun.-Thurs., 9am-11pm Fri.-Sat. Dec.-Feb.; free
Yaletown and False Creek Map 3
PARKS
David Lam Park
Between Yaletown’s condo towers and the waterfront, you can sit by the water in the grassy expanse of David Lam Park, named for the Hong Kong-born philanthropist, real estate mogul, and politician who became Canada’s first Asian Canadian lieutenant governor. The 10.7-acre (4.34-hectare) park along the Seawall has a playground, tennis and basketball courts, and plenty of space for picnics. The park hosts free outdoor concerts during the annual Vancouver Jazz Festival in late June.
MAP 3: 1300 Pacific Blvd. at Drake St., http://vancouver.ca; 6am-10pm daily; free
KAYAKING AND STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING
Creekside Kayaks
False Creek is an especially beautiful spot for a late-in-the-day paddle, with views of the city skyline. At the Olympic Village on False Creek, Creekside Kayaks rents kayaks and stand-up paddleboards from spring through fall.
MAP 3: 1 Athletes Way, 604/616-7453, www.creeksidekayaks.ca; 11am-dusk Mon.-Fri., 9am-5pm Sat.-Sun. mid-Apr.-mid-Oct.; single kayak $20/hour, double kayak $35/hour, paddleboard $20/hour
CYCLING
BIKE RENTALS
Bicycle Sports Pacific
Opposite the Burrard Bridge where Yaletown meets the West End, Bicycle Sports Pacific rents seven-speed cruiser or hybrid bikes. You can reserve a rental in advance or simply drop in when you’re ready to ride.
MAP 3: 999 Pacific St., 604/682-4537, http://bspbikes.com; 10am-6pm Mon.-Sat., noon-5pm Sun.; $20/2 hours, $40/day
Reckless Bike Stores
Reckless Bike Stores rents city bikes and cruisers along the Seawall in Yaletown. The shop gets busy on summer weekends, so don’t be in a rush when picking up or returning your rental. They have another Yaletown location, which also rents electric bikes (starting at $28 for 1.5 hours), and a branch near Granville Island.
MAP 3: 110 Davie St., 604/648-2600, www.reckless.ca; 9:30am-7pm daily; $19/1.5 hours, $40/day
SPECTATOR SPORTS
S Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver is wild for hockey, particularly the city’s National Hockey League team, the Vancouver Canucks, whose regular season runs from October through April. The Canucks take to the ice at Rogers Arena (604/899-7400, http://rogersarena.com) on False Creek.
Games are always packed with fans wearing blue Canucks jerseys, but in years when the team is playing well, tickets are in particularly high demand. Expect larger crowds when the Canucks face off against their rivals, including the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, and Los Angeles Kings.
Rogers Arena has a place in Olympic hockey history, too. In the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Canadian men’s team beat their U.S. rivals here in the gold medal game, a 3-2 overtime cliffhanger, and Canada’s women’s team took gold on the same ice, winning 2-0 over the United States.
Behind-the-scenes tours (10:30am, noon, and 1:30pm Wed.-Sat.; noon, 1:30pm, and 3pm Sun.; adults $12, seniors and students $8, ages 4-12 $6) of Rogers Arena are offered regularly, although access to certain areas of the building, particularly the locker rooms, isn’t guaranteed. Check the arena website to confirm tour schedules. Tours are first-come, first served; meet at the Canucks Team Store, located at Gate 6 (Pat Quinn Way at Pacific Boulevard), at least 10-15 minutes before the scheduled tour time.
MAP 3: 800 Griffiths Way, 604/899-7440 or 800/745-3000, http://canucks.nhl.com; Oct.-Apr.; tickets $55-300
B.C. Lions
Curious about how professional Canadian Football differs from its American cousin? Watch the B.C. Lions run the field at B.C. Place (604/669-2300, www.bcplacestadium.com). Both the U.S. and Canadian versions of the sport got their start back in the 1800s, but they’ve diverged with a few different rules.
The nine-team Canadian Football League (CFL) plays on a longer and wider field than the National Football League (NFL), making passing more important to the game. Canadian teams have 12 players on the field, compared to 11 in the States, and have three downs rather than four to move the ball 10 yards forward. The CFL season begins in July, and the Canadian equivalent of the Super Bowl, called the Gray Cup, is played in late November. While the CFL isn’t the mega-business that the sport has become for the NFL, and it pales in comparison to hockey, plenty of orange-shirted B.C. Lions fans turn out for their local team’s games.
MAP 3: 777 Pacific Blvd., 604/589-7627, www.bclions.com; July-Nov.; tickets $35-130
Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver’s professional Major League Soccer team, the Vancouver Whitecaps, also plays at B.C. Place (604/669-2300, www.bcplacestadium.com). The regular season runs March through October. Since many Vancouver youth, both boys and girls, play soccer themselves, families often bring their kids to Whitecaps games.
The Whitecaps played their first match in 1974, in what was then known as the North American Soccer League. In 2011, the Vancouver club launched its first season as a Major League Soccer team.
CYCLING IN THE CITY
Vancouver is becoming one of North America’s top bicycling cities. Throughout the metropolitan area, you can pedal along a growing number of urban cycling routes, from downtown bike lanes to the popular Seawall route, which circles Stanley Park and follows False Creek through Yaletown, past the Olympic Village, and on to Granville Island, continuing west to the beaches in Kitsilano and Point Grey. Another city cycling path, the Central Valley Greenway, takes you through Vancouver’s eastern suburbs.
cycling near the Olympic Village
TIPS FOR CYCLING THE SEAWALL
One of the most pleasant ways to explore Vancouver is by bike on the paved, mostly flat Seawall that follows the water around the outside of Stanley Park and along False Creek. To help ensure a safe cycling excursion, keep these tips in mind:
Stay on the cyclist side of the path. In most places, there’s a parallel walking path for pedestrians, but at some points, which are clearly marked, the path is shared.
Watch for pedestrians. Many people unwittingly wander onto the cycling path to snap a photo or enjoy the view. Stay alert whenever pedestrians are nearby.
To avoid collisions, don’t stop suddenly and make sure no one is directly behind you when you slow down, particularly on the Seawall’s narrower stretches. And when you do stop, pull off the path to let other cyclists pass.
Wear a helmet. Vancouver law requires all cyclists to wear a bike helmet.
Note that within Stanley Park, while pedestrians can follow the Seawall in either direction, it’s one-way for cyclists. Whether you enter the park near English Bay or Coal Harbour, you must ride only in a counterclockwise direction, keeping the water on your righ
t side.
BIKE SHARING IN VANCOUVER
The city of Vancouver has a bike-sharing program that enables you to rent a bike at one location and return it at another. For visitors, the easiest way to use the Mobi bike share system (778/655-1800, www.mobibikes.ca) is to sign up online for a day pass. For $7.50 per day, you can take an unlimited number of 30-minute rides within a 24-hour period.
After you register online, you’ll receive a seven-digit user code that will unlock your bike. Bikes are stationed throughout the downtown area; search the Mobi website for the bikes nearest to you. Helmets, which local laws require cyclists to wear, are available at each rental station.
If you keep the bike for more than a half hour during any ride, you’ll pay an extra $5 for each additional 30 minutes, so it’s more cost-effective to dock your bike when you stop to sightsee, shop, or eat. You can check out another bike after your stop.
MAP 3: 777 Pacific Blvd., 604/669-9283, www.whitecapsfc.com; Mar.-Oct.; tickets $30-80
Granville Island Map 4
PARKS
Ron Basford Park
The grassy green space known as Ron Basford Park occupies a hilly knoll at the eastern end of Granville Island, between the Granville Island Hotel and Performance Works Theatre. Take a break to sit on the lawn and enjoy the views of False Creek and the city skyline. The park’s outdoor amphitheater hosts occasional concerts.
The park is named for the Honorable Stanley Ronald Basford, a member of Parliament and cabinet minister. Basford was instrumental in transforming the island into its current lively collection of studios, shops, markets, and theaters, earning him the nickname, “Mr. Granville Island.”
MAP 4: Eastern end of Cartwright and Johnston Sts.; dawn-dusk daily
WHALE-WATCHING
Wild Whales Vancouver
Wild Whales Vancouver offers whale-watching trips leaving from Granville Island from spring through fall. Depending on where the whales are swimming on a particular day, the boats will take you from False Creek, into English Bay, and on the Strait of Georgia, heading either for the Gulf Islands or the San Juan Islands in Washington State, on trips lasting from three to seven hours. The on-board guides will help you spot orcas, Pacific gray whales, humpback whales, and minke whales; you might see seals and various birds along the way, too. While environmental regulations limit how close you can get to the whales, you’ll usually come near enough to see them swimming and spouting. A telephoto lens will help you get the best photos. Boats typically carry up to 23 passengers and have bathroom facilities.
MAP 4: 1806 Mast Tower Rd., 604/699-2011, www.whalesvancouver.com; mid-Apr.-Oct.; adults $135, seniors and students $110, ages 3-12 $85
KAYAKING AND STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING
Ecomarine Paddlesports Centre
From the sheltered waters around Granville Island you get great views of the downtown skyline, making it a good spot to set out in a kayak or on a stand-up paddleboard. Ecomarine Paddlesports Centre rents kayaks and stand-up paddleboards and offers guided kayak and SUP tours. Their last rentals on Granville Island go out three hours before sunset; call to confirm seasonal hours. Be alert for boat traffic.
MAP 4: 1668 Duranleau St., 604/689-7575 or 888/425-2925, www.ecomarine.com; 9am-9pm daily late May-July, 9am-8pm daily Aug.-early Sept., 10am-6pm daily early Sept.-late May; paddleboard rental $19-39 for 1-3 hours, kayak rental $39-85 for 2 hours to full day
Vancouver Water Adventures
Vancouver Water Adventures rents kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, offers tours, rents Jet Skis, and teaches SUP yoga classes. In addition to this branch on Granville Island, they have a seasonal rental location on Kitsilano Beach.
MAP 4: 1812 Boatlift Ln., 604/736-5155, www.vancouverwateradventures.com; May-Sept., hours vary by season; paddleboard rental $20-30/hour; kayak rental $25-35/hour
Kitsilano Map 5
BEACHES
S Kitsilano Beach
Popular Kitsilano Beach, aka Kits Beach, is a good swimming and people-watching spot. In summer, serious beach volleyball players flock here, and you can rent kayaks or stand-up paddleboards. Adjacent to the sandy beach is a children’s playground, along with public tennis courts and a grassy lawn for lounging and picnicking.
Around the start of the 20th century, Kits Beach, then known as Greer’s Beach after one of its first nonnative settlers, was a popular tent camping area, with many holidaymakers making their way across the water from the fashionable West End. While overnight camping is no longer permitted, you can perch on a log or spread your blanket on the sand to watch the beach action.
Bus 2 from Burrard Street downtown stops directly in front of the beach; get off on Cornwall Avenue at Yew Street. From Kits Beach, you can follow the Seawall path east around Vanier Park (popular with kite-flyers and home to the Museum of Vancouver and the Vancouver Maritime Museum) to Granville Island.
MAP 5: Off Cornwall Ave. between Arbutus and Vine Sts.; http://vancouver.ca; 6am-10pm daily; free
SWIMMING
S Kitsilano Pool
Kitsilano Pool, next to Kitsilano Beach, is a 450-foot-long (135-meter) outdoor saltwater swimming pool with three waterslides to entertain the kids. As you lounge on the pool deck, you can take in views of the city skyline, the North Shore mountains, and the sea. The pool gets wildly busy, particularly with families; expect lines on hot-weather weekends. Many people pair a swim in the pool with a picnic at the beach. When the original pool opened here in 1931, it was the first saltwater pool in Canada.
MAP 5: 2305 Cornwall Ave., 604/731-0011, www.vancouver.ca; 7am-8:30pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-8:30pm Sat.-Sun. June-early Aug., 7am-7pm or later Mon.-Fri., 9am-7pm or later early Aug.-early Sept.; adults $7, seniors and ages 13-18 $5, ages 3-12 $4
UBC and Point Grey Map 5
BEACHES
S Jericho Beach
West of Kitsilano, three connected beaches draw families with sandy swimming areas and grassy stretches for picnicking and playing. The easternmost of these Point Grey beaches is Jericho Beach, which is divided into two sections. One section, where Point Grey Road ends just west of Alma Street, has a long crescent of sand, backed by a grass lawn. The other section of the beach is to the west, at the foot of Discovery Street; here there’s a smaller sandy beach, a pier where you can often see fisherman at work, and the Jericho Sailing Centre, a public water-sports facility where you can go kayaking or windsurfing, or enjoy a burger and a beer in the water-view pub.
Jericho Beach
You can also cycle along a waterside path that connects Point Grey’s beaches. The Seaside Cycling Route continues west from Kitsilano Beach along Point Grey Road and onto a flat gravel pathway along Jericho, Locarno, and Spanish Banks Beaches.
To reach Jericho Beach by public transit from downtown, take bus 4 toward UBC. For the eastern section, get off along West 4th Avenue at Alma Street. Walk north on Alma to Point Grey Road and turn west toward the beach. To the Jericho Sailing Centre and the western area, get off the bus at West 4th Avenue and Northwest Marine Drive. Follow Northwest Marine toward the water, and turn right onto Discovery Street, which leads to the center.
There’s a public parking lot ($3.25/hour, $11/day Apr.-Sept., free Oct.-Mar.) adjacent to the Jericho Sailing Centre.
MAP 5: NW Marine Dr. and Discovery St. to Point Grey Rd. and Alma St., http://vancouver.ca; 6am-10pm daily; free
Locarno Beach
A sandy shore with evergreens beyond, Locarno Beach, just west of Jericho, is a city-designated “quiet” beach, which means that amplified music is not allowed. There’s plenty of space for sunning, swimming, and picnicking, and the beach has a snack bar and restrooms. Bus 4 between downtown and UBC stops on West 4th Avenue at Trimble Street; walk north on Trimble down the hill to the beach. There’s a small free parking area adjacent to the beach. Parking is also permitted along Northwest Marine Drive.
MAP 5: Northwest Marine Dr. at Trimble St, http://vancouver.ca; 6am-10pm daily; free
Spanish Banks Beach
Spanish Banks, the westernmost of the three Point Grey beaches, has sandy stretches, an expansive grassy lawn with picnic tables, an off-leash dog park, and a launch site for kiteboarders. Vancouverites heading for Spanish Banks Beach often suggest, “Let’s meet at The Anchor,” a massive concrete sculpture that B.C. artist Christel Fuoss-Moore created in 1986. Designed to mark the 1791 arrival of Spanish explorer Don José Maria Narvaez, who was reportedly the first European to arrive in this harbor, this anchor-shaped artwork is installed toward the beach’s western end. Spanish Banks also has a snack bar, restrooms, and a large free parking area.
Bus 4 between downtown and UBC can drop you on West 4th Avenue at Tolmie Street. It’s a steep walk down the hill on Tolmie to the beach. To avoid the hill, you can walk to or from the bus stop at West 4th Avenue and Northwest Marine Drive; it’s about a third of a mile (0.5 kilometer) longer, but much flatter.
MAP 5: NW Marine Dr. at Tolmie St., http://vancouver.ca; 6am-10pm daily; free
Wreck Beach
Vancouver’s clothing-optional Wreck Beach is located along the shore below the far west end of the UBC campus. Extending nearly five miles (7.8 kilometers), it’s among Canada’s longest naturist beaches. You don’t have to get naked on the sand, but it’s considered poor etiquette to gawk.
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