Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sports & Activities
Vancouver's variety of accessible outdoorsy activities is a huge draw:
you can ski in the morning and hit the beach in the afternoon; hike or
bike through a rainforest; windsurf along the coastline; or kayak to
your heart's content - and indeed it will be content with grand moun-
tain views as your backdrop.
Running
Vancouverites love to jog. For heart-pounding runs (or even just a walk at arm-swinging
speed), the 8.8km Stanley Park Seawall (
Click here
) is the city's number-one circuit. It's
mostly flat, apart from a couple of uphill sections where you might want to hang onto a
passing bike. The University of British Columbia (UBC) is another popular running des-
tination, with tree-lined trails marked through Pacific Spirit Regional Park.
Cycling & Mountain Biking
Vancouver is a cycle-friendly city with a network of designated urban routes. For bike
maps and resources, see
www.vancouver.ca/cycling
. There's a very active mountain-bik-
ing community in North Vancouver, where Mt Seymour (
Click here
)
offers some excel-
lent forested runs. First-timers should consider the 10km Seymour Valley Trailway,
which has only a few uphills and offers great wilderness views - as well as the occasion-
al deer.
Skiing & Snowboarding
You'll find excellent alpine skiing and snowboarding areas, as well as cross-country ski-
ing trails, less than 30 minutes from downtown - it's where you'll find most locals when
the powder arrives. The season typically runs from late November to early April, and the
main ski areas are Grouse Mountain (
Click here
)
, Cypress Mountain (
Click here
)
and Mt
Seymour.
Watersports
It's hard to beat the joy of a sunset kayak around the coastline here; it's a signature out-
door activity that many Vancouverites enjoy. But hitting the water isn't only about pad-
dling: there are also plenty of opportunities to surf, kiteboard and stand-up paddle-board,
