Stanley Park
Stanley Park is a beautiful 1,000-acre park located near downtown Vancouver. The park is full of towering cedar, hemlock and fir trees that give park-goers a tranquil surrounding. Visitors to Stanley Park can bike, run or rollerblade past the beautiful horticulture gardens, lagoons and various sculptures found throughout the park. Since the park area is so large, guests may even run into the occasional raccoon, skunk or coyote. Bird watchers will be delighted to spy soaring eagles and herons throughout the park's property. Those wishing to play sports can easily pick up a game of cricket, tennis, lawn bowling, soccer or Frisbee. There are also opportunities for boating in the park's Beaver Lake.
Perhaps the most prominent feature of Stanley Park is the Seawall Promenade. Guests can follow the 7-mile walk along the top of the sea wall that encircles the peninsula of Stanley Park. The seawall has lanes for bikers and walkers.
English Bay Beach
Visitors can follow the Seawall Promenade to the English Bay in the West End of Vancouver. Here, guests can engage in a number of water sports, including kayaking, sailing and swimming. In the winter months, English Bay Beach is famous for its annual Polar Bear Swim, where swimmers jump into the beach's freezing waters.
Queen Elizabeth Park
Located on Little Mountain, this historic park was built in 1939 and dedicated to King George VI and his consort, Queen Elizabeth, during their trip to Vancouver. The beautiful gardens are covered with tulips in the springtime. During the warmer months, visitors to the park can enjoy the pitch and putt golf course, tennis courts and lawn bowling area. Guests can also visit the Bloedel Floral Conservatory, which features a large variety of plants and free flying birds.
Cypress Bowl Ski Area
This ski resort is located in West Vancouver. It features runs that are accessible for skiers of all abilities. Though there is no Rope Tow for inexperienced skiers, there is an Easy Rider Chair to get them to the top of the run. The 2010 Winter Olympics will be in Vancouver, and Cypress will host all the freestyle skiing and snowboarding competitions.
