At 400 hectares (1,000 acres) in size, Stanley Park is a green oasis in the midst of a bustling city.  The park, opened in 1889, is one of the city’s top attractions and easy to reach from the downtown area.  Visitors flock here all-year-long to walk, jog, bike, or skate along the park’s expansive seawall or to simply enjoy some peace and quiet on the park benches that overlook English Bay and the Burrard Inlet.

Stanley Park is also home to a fascinating Visitors’ Centre as well as eight of the most-photographed totem poles in North America, built by several First Nations tribes.  Kids and adults alike also enjoy the park’s Vancouver Aquarium, where guests can peruse huge tanks of fish and laugh at the antics of resident seals, otters, and sea lions.

If you’re looking for a relaxing activity, head to the park’s many fragrant and colourful gardens, including the formal Rose Garden and the beautiful Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden.  Visitors can also take advantage of an 18-hole pitch-and-putt golf course, several tennis courts, and 3 lovely life-guarded beaches.