City of perfect size is surrounded by a stunning array of nature’s gifts
I have travelled to North America many times over the past 30 years but somehow always overlooked Canada while visiting that part of the world. I am still not sure why it took me so long to rectify what was clearly a glaring oversight.
It might be because Vancouver, the natural point of entry, is an hour’s flight longer than San Fran or Los Angeles, and they were already long enough treks. That made the city less visible as a stopover en route to the bright lights of New York or the Latin allure of Mexico and Havana.
I now realise that I was looking at it the wrong way. Vancouver is not a stopover. It’s a destination. Friends told me the city was a lot like Sydney – endowed with a large, scenic harbour, a temperate climate and a vibrant outdoor lifestyle.
But that does not do justice to its stunning array of nature’s gifts (skiing, hiking, whale-watching) and more subtle charms (indigenous culture, historic buildings, fabulous food). More importantly, Vancouver is a perfect size for a city, with just 700,000 in the downtown and adjoining areas, big enough to provide buzz and diversity but with an intimacy that enables everything to feel close, comfortable and easy to enjoy.
In spring, for example, Vancouver offers a peak experience that will take some beating: you can drive up to Grouse Mountain, just 15 minutes from downtown, to see two grizzly bears enjoy breakfast in their eco-friendly sanctuary, then put on your skis for a couple of hours on the slopes before returning to the city in the afternoon for a swim at one of its beaches.
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The secret to this experience is the city’s unique geography. Vancouver sits on the Pacific coast but is enclosed by snowy peaks. This gives it a mild climate while allowing easy access to a range of winter wonderlands. There are three skiable mountains close to the city and another, the iconic Whistler resort, some 90 minutes away.
Along with its love of the outdoors, the city exudes a strong sense of civic and political awareness. Local shops are sprinkled with “Made in Canada” banners and signs, in a sign of defiance at US President Donald Trump’s threat to annex the country. This patriotism will ratchet up to fever pitch next June when Vancouver hosts seven matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
It is one of just two Canadian cities, the other being Toronto, that will share hosting rights with the US and Mexico for the six-week fiesta of football that begins on June 11. The Canadians have always hated being mistaken for their American neighbours, and the city is primed to party hard to cheer on the well-regarded Canadian team. Preparations are well advanced to build a permanent culture centre that will house the fan zone and remain a cultural hub for the city long after the last ball has been kicked.
This civic pride is mirrored by a visible environmental awareness. Along the waterfront stands a tall apartment building with a tree sprouting from the penthouse – the architect wanted people to see where the treeline would have been if humans had not arrived and developed the area. I also see signs telling tourists not to feed the birds because it is considered dangerous to their health, and notices that warn of coyote dens on the foreshore.
While tourists might admire these sensitivities, they come for the exhilaration of adventure experiences, and Vancouver has them by the bucketful. There’s no better place to start than Grouse Mountain, the city’s most visited year-round attraction.
In winter, the skiing is complemented by light installations on the Light Walk, an outdoor skating pond and snowshoeing. When the weather warms up, there’s a lumberjack show, long dramatic zipline over the back valley and a wind turbine, the only one in the world that allows you to catch a lift to the top and stand inside a glass viewing booth, metres from the rotating blades, to enjoy a panorama of the city beneath you.
My highlight, however, is meeting the grizzlies and learning about bear culture and habitat. The pair on Grouse amble around a rambling refuge. They are both males, orphans who were rescued after losing their mothers, and according to the ranger we button-hole, would not have survived in the wild. Their sheer mass and bulk are astonishing, yet I am humbled at hearing how vulnerable these massive animals are.
A few kilometres before Grouse is another jaw-dropper, the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Suspended 70 metres above the Capilano River and forest canopy, the wooden bridge spans 137 metres, and the volume of tourist traffic means it sways significantly as you walk along and admire the view. Once across, you can walk on a series of seven mini-suspension bridges high in the treetops. It’s a magical eco-kingdom, a Tarzan experience without the vines.
Back on the home side there’s a dramatic cliff walk, with a safe, sturdy wooden track perched on the side with great views down to the valley. Our guide regales us with the story of a young man who proposed to his girlfriend on the walk, but when he took out the ring it somehow slipped from his fingers and fell to the bottom of the canyon. Park rangers responded to the ruptured romantic moment by sending a team down to look for the ring and, unbelievably, found it.
From deep canyons to deep water. Half an hour’s boat ride from the foreshore takes you to the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound, where we see humpback and orcas gambolling in large numbers, sea lions on the rocks and bald eagles soaring overhead. The marine naturalists on board add another dimension to what we see: the effort expended by a humpback to throw its whole body out of the water is akin to a human being running a marathon.
After all that physical exertion, fresh air and wind on your face, your body craves replenishment. Vancouver’s reputation for the great outdoors masks its fabulous food scene. The Granville Island Public Market, which sits underneath a giant bridge, offers an array of produce and local delicacies, including smoked salmon jerky, and maple syrup glazed salmon nuggets.
With a diverse ethnic population, including large Chinese and Indian communities (it hosted an Indian film awards event in its main football stadium), Vancouver also boasts a range of restaurants and cuisines to satisfy the most dedicated foodie.
One of the biggest magnets is Tojo’s, run by Michelin-Star chef Hidekazu Tojo, who is credited with inventing the California roll and popularising sushi culture in North America. For modern fine dining, Five Sails on the waterfront is sumptuous. Other great eateries include Vietnamese restaurant Anh and Chi, and L’Abattoir, which offers mouthwatering nouveau French fare in a former abattoir in the historic Gastown precinct.
When the World Cup whirlwind arrives next June, one of the best places to watch matches will be the Como Taperia, a Spanish tapas restaurant with fantastic food and an even better vibe. Their large screens were showing European and other football during our meal. Between the sangria, garlic prawns and goals, the atmosphere is irresistible. Then there are the toilets, each one covered wall-to-wall with playing cards featuring photos of the world’s greatest footballers, going back to the 1970s.
Of course, the place to be next year will be the Vancouver football stadium known as BC Place, designed in the American style as a bowl with four huge TV screens suspended in a box around the centre. The stadium, with a capacity of 52,000, was built in the 1980s and remarkably, is right in the heart of town, even more central than the SCG is to Sydney and MCG is to Melbourne.
Not only is central and easy to navigate, but BC Place is just two streets from the Yaletown bar and restaurant precinct. It’s a geographic cocktail made in football heaven and the locals will be able to party big time when the teams sweep into town.
THE DETAILS
FLY
Air Canada, Qantas and Virgin Australia fly direct from Sydney to Vancouver, and from Melbourne with one stop.
See aircanada.com; qantas.com; virginaustralia.com
SEE + DO
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11- July 19. Vancouver will host seven matches. Tickets on sale from September 10. vancouverfwc26.ca
The Whistler ski and adventure resort is a 90-minute journey from Vancouver, and is serviced by buses. In summer, ski runs become dirt bike tracks, and visitors can also enjoy white-water rafting and grizzly bear tours.
Grouse Mountain, grousemountain.com
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, capbridge.com
STAY
Vancouver boasts some opulent historic hotels, the grand dame is the Fairmont Hotel on West Georgia Street (from $337 a night), and nearby Hotel Georgia (from $630). They retain their 1920s grandeur, though both have been updated with modern comforts. The Opus Hotel is a small boutique hotel in the heart of the Yaletown restaurant area with stylish, colourful rooms and a popular Italian restaurant.
The writer travelled as a guest of Destination Vancouver.
Michael Visontay is the commissioning editor of The Jewish Independent