Vancouver for beginners
A settlement and trading center for thousands of years, Vancouver is now the biggest city in western Canada – a vibrant cultural hub where there’s always something happening. It was first visited by Europeans in 1791 and was settled by their descendants in 1862. The Canadian Pacific Railway really put it on the global map. It thrived on a gold rush, survived a great fire, became one of the most important ports in the British Empire and made a fortune smuggling alcohol into the US during Prohibition. In 1953 it launched Canada’s first television station and it went on to become a major movie-making center, attracting international attention.
view of the harbour from the “Lookout” tower in Vancouver, Canada. I was there in September 2012.
Things to see
There are many fascinating places to explore in Vancouver, from the Beaty Biodiversity Museum and the Museum of Anthropology to the H.R. MacMillan Space Center. The city has a large Chinatown with some amazing restaurants and it’s rich in parks and gardens, with the pioneering Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden particularly notable for its beauty. Queen Elizabeth Park contains the Bloedel Conservatory with a unique tropical garden, aviary and koi pool. Totem Park offers a rather different perspective on the world, with swaying treetop bridges to explore in the forest heights. The 450-foot Capilano Suspension Bridge, originally made from wood and hemp rope but now secured with reinforced steel, delivers a particular thrill.
Things to do
The area around Vancouver is a fantastic place for adventure vacations. Trips out to sea are popular, whether for fishing or for watching marine wildlife, including seals and whales. Skiing and other winter sports like snowboarding and tobogganing are enormously popular in season while climbing and caving are good in fine weather. There are lots of good trails for running or mountain biking and parks for rollerblading. For those who like to approach the outdoors more gently, there are some fantastic golf courses with impressive views of the sea and hills.
Getting around
The easiest way to reach Vancouver from most parts of Canada and the US is by air, with airlines like Air Transat flying from most major cities. Once there, reasonably fit adults can walk around the interesting parts of downtown without too much effort, but there’s a great public transit system for backup, and a Daypass is valid on both trains and buses. There are also some ferries linking parts of the city on opposite sides of the bay. Vancouver is very bicycle-friendly and bikes, scooters and cars are easy to hire. A car is recommended for those who want to explore the nature reserves and ski slopes beyond the city.
Because it sits in the Pacific Gulf Stream, Vancouver does get a lot of rain but enjoys a pleasantly mild climate all year round. It rains least in July and August and pleasant temperatures in these months make them a good time to visit, but the city’s appeal to winter sports fans means it’s busy all year round. The locals are friendly, there are lots of great places to eat and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming.
