If there’s one Canadian city that’s wildly suited to help you get your outdoor mojo on, it’s Vancouver. Visitors can kayak, hike, mountain scramble, forest-bathe or take a leisurely walk in a verdant canyon just steps from downtown Vancouver.

#1) Stanley Park Seawall

First-time visitors to Vancouver often recount the same tale: “I went for a little walk in a city park and hours later found myself surrounded by ocean and incredible forest greenery that reminded me of an outing in a national park.” That’s the typical Stanley Park Seawall experience: an outdoorsy getaway in the heart of Vancouver. The 8.8-km seawall loops around the 400-hectare Stanley Park and is actually considered part of the 28-km Seaside Greenway that runs from the Vancouver Convention Centre to the Spanish Banks – making it the longest uninterrupted waterfront path in the world. For your first visit, focus on the Stanley Park Seawall section. It’s a rite of passage for first-time visitors to Vancouver. The scenery and smell of the ocean will carry you away.   

Bonus: hop a bike if you don’t want to walk. Cycle Vancouver offers bike rentals and guided tours of the Seawall.  

Visit Cycle Vancouver at either of their downtown locations near Stanley Park (at 648 Hornby Street or 1344 Burrard St.) or visit https://cyclevancouver.com 

KEEP READING: 48 Hours in Vancouver