Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
FERRY-HOPPING
If you don't arrive or depart from Granville Island via one of the tiny miniferries
operated by Aquabus Ferries (
Click here
)
or False Creek Ferries (
Click here
), you
haven't really conducted your visit correctly. But these signature little boats (the
Aquabus vessels tend to be rainbow-hued while the False Creek Ferries are blue)
don't only transport passengers from the north side of False Creek to the market
on the south side. Both have several additional ports of call around the shoreline;
if you have time, a 'cruise' of the area is a great way to see the city from the water.
An all-day pass on each service costs $10 to $15 (unfortunately tickets are not in-
terchangeable between the operators, who remain cutthroat rivals). There are
several highlight stop-offs to consider along the way.
Aquabus can get you to Yaletown's David Lam Park (
Click here
)
, a waterfront
space that's ideal for watching the gently lapping waters of False Creek from a
grassy promontory (preferably with a picnic). On the opposite shoreline, you can
also step off at
Stamps Landing
, one of Vancouver's first urban waterfront hous-
ing developments: there's a pub here in the delightfully medieval-sounding
Leg-
in-Boot Sq
. Back on the northern shoreline, there's a stop at the bottom of Davie
St, which is a short stroll into the heart of Yaletown. You'll find the fascinating
Engine 374 Pavilion (
Click here
)
here, home of the locomotive that pulled the first
passenger train into Vancouver in 1887.
You can see how things have transformed around False Creek in recent years at
one final stop. The south shoreline here used to be crammed with grungy in-
dustry but in 2010 the Olympic Village (
Click here
)
opened. Providing housing for
the athletes at the 2010 Winter Games, this development is now a slick new city
neighborhood. It's also just a short stroll from here to Science World (
Click here
)
,
one of Vancouver's most popular family-friendly attractions.
False Creek Ferries covers many of the same locations but also includes a
unique stop at another popular - and appropriate - Vancouver attraction. From
Granville Island, via a stop at the Aquatic Centre in the West End, it's a 25-minute
voyage to the Vancouver Maritime Museum (
Click here
)
. On the shoreline of verd-
ant Vanier Park, it's a great spot to dive into the region's seafaring past, from his-
toric vessels to scale models . And since you're now a veteran sea salt, you'll fit
right in.
BRIDGES
WEST COAST, SEAFOOD
$$
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