Stanley Park

A stunning, peaceful refuge right in the city

Noteworthy for: This 1,000-acre site is surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean - unique for a city park.
Talk of the town: A popular film location, Stanley Park has provided an eerie backdrop for cult productions ranging from 'The X-Files' to 'Twilight'.

A fraction larger than New York's Central Park, Stanley Park is Vancouver's summer playground. Dominating the northwestern tip of the downtown peninsula and connected to North Vancouver by the Lions Gate Bridge, Stanley Park is a huge expanse of forest, beaches, gardens and rainforest. An 8.8kilometre seawall rings the perimeter, with numerous trails crisscrossing the interior. The park also features the Vancouver Aquarium, tennis courts, a Pitch & Put, cafes, and several restaurants, including The Teahouse, offering amazing views of the bay.
You can easily walk here from downtown, but the best way to see everything is to hire a bike from Denman Street and spend the day pedaling at your own pace. Highlights include Beaver Lake, Brockton Point Visitor Centre (where you'll find First Nations totem poles), the Lost Lagoon and the public pool at Second Beach. At dusk, the view from Third Beach across the bay to the mountains is quite something.