Walk Vancouver. The Beauty Never Ends



"It's easier to give than to lend and it costs about the same"

The Gentle Philosopher

Walk Vancouver and you will get to see the worlds most beautiful city from every angle.

No question about it, Vancouver is breathtaking regardless weather you see it from a helicopter tour, the Sky-train, a tour bus or a private automobile. But to really see the city you need to put on those comfortable walking shoes and set out to see the city on foot.

Vancouverites are outdoor enthusiasts par excellence. Wherever and whenever you travel around the city and for many miles outside the boundary’s you will find walkers, hikers, backpackers, campers, kayakers, rock climbers and people enjoying the great outdoors in every manner imaginable.

The great thing the city has done is to force developers to create an amazing network of wide walking trails. If you are staying in any one of the downtown hotels you will be no more than a 15 minute walk from the water.

The walking trails follow the shoreline. If you were to start from Canada Place and walk Vancouver west following the shoreline, you can walk along the Coal Harbor and arrive at the Sea Wall walk at Stanley Park. The distance to the other end of this walk is about 10 kilometers. That will get you to False Creek. As you arrive at the Burrard Street Bridge you might walk the 15 minutes back to Robson Street area. From the Burrard Bridge you may continue past the Granville Bridge along the very up scale condominiums lining False Creek. From this point down the side of the creek until you reach Science World, the huge glass ball situated at the east end of False Creek, you will be walking on the old site of Expo 86, where the Worlds Fair was held. The site was purchased by a developer after this event and all of the beautiful buildings you see before you have been built since that date.

You will pass BC Place just past the Cambie Street Bridge. This huge dome seats 65,000. A short distance away and you will see GM Place the venue of many concerts as well as the home of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL.

Be certain to take the time to visit the BC Science World. There you will enjoy the many static displays and wonderful exhibits. They have an extremely helpful and knowledgeable staff who stand ready to assist you.

The area on the south side of False Creek you will now encounter while you walk Vancouver is the latest area to be developed. You should pay particular attention to the signs since the walkway weaves in and out as the waterfront trail is constructed.

Over time as we walked these areas we loved the walk from Cambie Bridge, along the False Creek seawall to Granville Island. The views of the city are breathtaking from here with the North Shore Mountains in the background. We found it tough to go by the Island as the lure of the amazing foods available in The Market smelled terrific so we usually stopped to partake of some of their culinary delights. It is a treat to dine while a menagerie of boats slowly move in and out from the huge marina nearby.

Granville Island Ferry

From Granville Island the walking choices are many and varied. You might board one of the cute little ferries to the north shore of the Creek. They make many different stops and you are free to go as you please.

You might opt for the noisy route over to the other side of the creek by crossing either the Granville or Burrard bridges. Perhaps not as pleasant as to continue your walk along the walkway to Vanier Park and beyond to Kitsilano Beach.

This then is the real way to see the world’s most beautiful city. Walk Vancouver. It’s the only way to go.

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