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Mini guide to Vancouver

Vancouver one of Canada’s most beautiful and interesting cities, with its finely blended cultural mosaic, and its upbeat, chic style. Gateway to the beautiful British Columbia, this city is a popular summer destination.

The downtown area and major neighbourhoods can be found on a tiny peninsula, surrounded by the English Bay to the west and the Burrard Inlet to the east. To the north of Burrard Inlet lie West and North Vancouver and the coastal mountains. The stunning bays, inlets, river branches and Pacific coastline are part of what makes this fascinating city so picturesque. The peninsula is cut off from the southern section of the city by False Creek. Pacific Centre is a complex of offices, restaurants, shops and theatres, at the corner of Robson and Howe Sts. Stanley Park, the city's largest park, occupies the tip of the peninsula and offers fine views of mountains and coast.

Chinatown, for the most part, is a real Chinese market and business district. You can find peace and quiet from the over-crowded sidewalks and shops at the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, the only full-scale Chinese garden found outside China.

Gastown, along Water Street at the elbow of the peninsula, should not be missed by those interested in history and architecture. Nineteenth-century office buildings now play host to restaurants, bars, boutiques and galleries.

The major suburbs in Vancouver are: Abbotsford, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Langley, New Westminster, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey and White Rock.