Pacific Palisades Hotel, Located on Robson Street in the Vibrant City of Vancouver, BC

A sparkling jewel of the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver rightfully lays claim to one of the most beautiful destinations on the map. The Pacific Palisades Hotel happily basks in its central location, surrounded by the buzz of trendy Robson Street, the city of Vancouver's energy and the majestic landscape of the nearby waterways and mountaintops. Find out a little more about the fabulous neighbourhoods that make up this sparkling city.

Downtown Vancouver

  • Stanley Park: No visit to Vancouver would be complete without a ride around the Stanley Park seawall. The flat, paved path is 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) in length and circles the entire park. It offers spectacular views of the North Shore mountains and Lions Gate Bridge. Peddle beneath the giant trees in the park. Ride past the rose garden and the Vancouver Rowing Club. There are many places to stop and enjoy the scenery or to picnic on the beachside. Bikes of all sorts—tandem to mountain—can be rented at the entrance to the park. (Bicycles can't be rented inside the park).
  • False Creek got its name from a British surveyor in 1859 when he discovered that a centuries-old fishing settlement did not, in fact, connect to Vancouver's inner harbour. After much disappointment, he named it False Creek.
  • Gastown is well-known for its history, its world-renowned steam clock and cobble streets. Named for "Gassy Jack" Deighton, a colourful sailor with the gift of gab who was the first settler in 1867 on the site from which the city of Vancouver evolved.
  • Shaughnessy is a must-see for anyone interested in heritage real estate - or just really impressive mansions. One of the older areas of the city, and certainly one of the most affluent, Shaughnessy was originally established for railway moguls and still offers some truly incredible homes on a lovely walk through this posh neighbourhood.
  • Yaletown was an old warehouse district that is now a hip place to shop, eat, live, work and stroll.

Vancouver's West Side

  • Granville Island is popular for its public markets. There is so much to hear, see, smell, taste and touch. Indulge your senses.
  • Point Grey is known for its fabulous homes, yacht clubs, charming stores, parks and incredible views.
  • University of British Columbia is a town within a city. It could take you a full day to stroll across the campus. The campus has incredible views of the ocean, mountains and city.

North Shore

  • West Vancouver Seawall: The West Vancouver Seawall starts at beautiful Ambleside Park in West Vancouver, across the Lions Gate Bridge, about 20 minutes from downtown. The Seawall runs from the Park to the quaint community of Dundarave Village.
  • Capilano River - North Vancouver Trails: Along the river, there are many outstanding walking and hiking paths. The entire trail takes between three to four hours to complete roundtrip and can range in difficulty (some steep areas within the canyon), but make for a memorable adventure.
  • Seymour Conservation Reserve: The Seymour Conservation Reserve provides a fantastic walk or hike no matter what your interest and abilities.
  • Local Mountain Trails: Mostly known for skiing, the three local mountains of Vancouver - Cypress, Grouse and Seymour - all offer excellent walking and hiking trails in the spring and summer months. Varying levels and lengths are available and each mountain provides well-marked trails and information from their customer service centres. (Grouse Mountain is home to the infamous Grouse Grind.)

English Bay - False Creek - UBC
The seaside bicycle route is a 15-kilometre (9.4 mile) trek that begins at English Bay and continues around False Creek to the University of British Columbia. Some of this route follows city streets that are well marked with cycle-path signs. Plenty to see and do along this route, including The Plaza of Nations, Science World, Granville Island, the Pacific Space Centre (formerly known as the H.R. MacMillan Planetarium), the Kitsilano Pool and the Jericho Sailing Centre as well as the University of British Columbia which is home to Nitobe Japanese Gardens, Botanical Gardens and the lush Pacific Spirit Park.

Coast Range Rainforest
For a change of scenery, try the Coast Range rainforest. Meandering mountain biking trails have been cut on the backside of Grouse Mountain, below the Hi-View Lookout at Cypress Bowl and through the woods of Pacific Spirit Park and the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. Farther north, there is exceptional mountain biking behind Alice Lake near Squamish and on abandoned logging roads near Whistler.