This beautiful city by the Pacific Ocean is one of the few places where you can windsurf in the afternoon and ski that evening. Vancouver does not experience the extremes in weather that most of Canada does. A rain jacket is an essential piece of kit however. It rains. A lot.
The city is a happy multicultural mosaic. There are bustling Chinese, East Indian and Italian districts, but the heart of the city beats in the 1,000-acre Stanley Park. It boasts such world-renowned features as the Lost Lagoon, Siwash Rock and the 8.8 km seawall walk. Within 30 minutes of downtown are Cypress Mountain, Grouse Mountain and Mount Seymour, all with night-skiing facilities.
BC Ferries ply the Georgia Strait and connect Vancouver with Vancouver Island (including Victoria, the capital of British Columbia), and the beautiful gulf islands, of which the best known are Galiano and Saltspring. A shorter hop will take you to Bowen, a beautiful little island with a general store, coffee shop, pub and lots of hiking/biking trails.
Flights to Vancouver will touch down at Vancouver International, one of the most beautiful airports, studded with First Nations' art.
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