By Lucy Connors
Photography: Luc Tribolet
Vancouver is a perfectly balanced conjunction of old against new, the metropolitan against the natural, with balanced layers that result in one of the most spectacular cities I have visited.
This magical city is where I started my road trip exploration of British Columbia and where we start this guide.
Canada’s third biggest city and consistently named one the best places to live in the world, the bustling seaport is framed between mountains and the Pacific Ocean and offered me a veritable treasure trove of activities.
As I sat on Kit’s beach and watched ships turn into silhouettes against mountains there was nothing more I wanted to do than bask in the sublimity of this city.
A Guide To Exploring British Columbia
I began my tour of Vancouver in Gastown. The original downtown heart of the city is now a stylish and vibrant neighbourhood, home to independent boutiques and a unique artistic scene, while maintaining the history of the area.
Urban Adventures: Gastown and Granville Island
Granville Island is another one of Vancouver’s most favoured areas, so it was only natural that I head out there next. Home to the city’s Public Market, you are greeted by inviting green spaces, and artists’ studios and galleries. I could have spent all day exploring the market’s florists and food court, letting my senses take in the inviting scents from artisan bakers and confectioners – in particular, Lee’s Donuts.
Visiting in the summer, I saw the island’s beach in its prime; full of people playing volleyball, boating, or, like myself, just taking a slow moment to absorb the best view of the city skyline from across the water.
A must visit is one of the mountains towering behind Vancouver’s skyscrapers: Grouse Mountain or ‘The Peak of Vancouver’. The summit houses a refuge for endangered wildlife and two resident orphaned Grizzly Bears, while signs scattered around the rest of the mountain warned of wild bear presence – although luckily, I didn’t encounter any of those. You also have the chance to refuel with a giant slab of chocolate covered fried dough known as a ‘Beavertail’!
Victoria: A Capital Rich in Heritage and Wildlife
From Vancouver, my road trip continued via a ferry from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay to see Victoria. The capital of British Columbia is equally lively but smaller than Vancouver. The sustainable travel hotspot is on Vancouver Island, making it the perfect destination to see some of Canada’s most famed wildlife.
There are both transient and resident Orca in this area, meaning not only are your viewing chances pretty high, but the guides have an incredible breadth of knowledge about which pods you’re seeing, their habits, and their families.
The city itself has so much to offer, and made it easy to fill my days, visiting the dramatic and grand buildings of British Columbia’s parliament which watch over the harbour, and the Royal BC Museum, which covers the region’s cultural and natural history, and its First Nation heritage. You can buy fish fresh off the boat at Fisherman’s Wharf or enjoy a meal in one of Victoria’s many offerings; a personal favourite was dining at sunset at Steamship.
The glimpse Victoria gave into the untouched natural beauty of Canada inevitably left me desiring more, and there was no better place to continue this exploration than 150 miles north of Vancouver at Knight Inlet.
Knight Inlet: The Heart of the Great Bear Rainforest
This indigenous-owned wildlife destination is in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest – the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world. Knight Inlet Lodge is only accessible by seaplane; specifically, a vintage 1956 floatplane from Campbell River. (Read more about Knight Inlet here)
I strapped in for an intense twenty minutes of turbulent, below-cloud flight, where I had the opportunity to sit in the cockpit and help ‘navigate’ over the immense trees and hills that make up each island dotted around the coastlines. Surrounded by giant cedars more than 1000 years old, watching waterfalls erupt out of the mountainsides, making rainbows dance on the turquoise water that surround the lodge, this was a special place.
There are multiple bear-watching experiences available during your visit and varying depending on the time of year. I was part of the late-August fall season, unique in its shift to upstream viewing to make the most of salmon season and grizzlies fattening up for the upcoming winter.
Four of us spent two hours on this viewing platform and saw seven individual bears, most of whom were females and stayed around us, fishing and circling back between river bends for the entire time. The guides were all incredibly knowledgeable, but also as enthusiastic and grateful to be there as everyone else, despite most of them having done multiple seasons at the lodge.
Tofino and Ucluelet: Surfing and Scenic Trails
I was then back in the car and driving along the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, through Ucluelet and Tofino. This wild and rugged coastline of the PNW is a surfer’s paradise. Long Beach sits between the two towns, and the longest sand beach on West Vancouver Island is a hotspot for the sport, as well as a well-loved hangout spot for everyone else.
For a more invigorating view of the coastline, I ran along the Wild Pacific Trail, an up-and-down footpath that skirts the island. It wasn’t easy and the views practically begged you to take a break to admire the stunning vista. I followed this with a visit to some of Ucluelet’s trendiest restaurants and watering holes; my highlight being the Ucluelet Brewery, where I indulged in the tasting flight of the local spot’s special beers!
Finally, I took the ferry back across from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay and ventured up from the sea to the mountains. Whistler Blackcomb is North America’s largest and one of Canada’s most popular ski resorts, but it is equally magical in the summer.
The Fairmont Chateau Whistler was the place to stay – nestled in a spectacular, fairytale-esque setting at the base of the mountains. It’s also home to one of Whistler’s top restaurants with its Grill Room.
Staying at the Chateau gave my trip a luxury change of pace, and as a I headed into Whistler Village to explore, there were countless locations to sit and relax with a crepe or a beer (or in my case, both) after a day of activities. It is also a shopper’s paradise, with selections of Canada’s most famous ‘home grown’ brands like Lululemon and Roots, to eclectic craft and independent shops, the village offers something for everyone.
So as I rounded off my jaw-dropping adventure through British Columbia, it became difficult to leave. There are few places I have visited that match its spectacular landscapes intertwined with its fascinating cityscapes. Whether it is a trip in the summer or the winter, the Canadian region will leave you in awe of its beauty and clamouring to return!
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