Chilling in Vancouver
Clare Allison
Six years after her first visit to English Bay, Clare is still in love with the location, activities and lifestyle.
Six years ago, after backpacking across North America, my boyfriend, Jonathan and I discovered English Bay in western Vancouver, Canada. After adventures in Seattle, catch-up with family in Toronto, and time in New York we were ready to kick-back and indulge in the laid-back vibe of Vancouver. And being an old sea dog, places near the sea are always high on my must-visit list, thus our stop-over in English Bay.
Location, Location, Location
English Bay sits on the West side of Vancouver; it is horse shoe shaped, with soft sand and the Pacific Ocean lapping its shore. The location of English Bay is perfect, not only a short drive from the airport, but also a few miles from downtown Vancouver.
The streets around the Bay, particularly Denman Street, would satisfy almost any type of shopper and any palate. Start with breakfast at Teresa's 1006 Denman Street, I recommend the buttermilk blueberry pancakes. For lunch and / or dinner stay on Denman Street we found cheap, most dishes under CAD$10, and very tasty Vietnamese cuisine at Number One, speciality take-away salads at chic Pod (sadly no longer there), and for dessert Cupcakes for, you guessed it, nothing but cupcakes.
Picture: Denman Street, Vancouver. Copyright: Author.
Our visit to Denman street was not complete without a yummy late night ice treat from an ice cream parlour, which is sadly now a Starbuks. After, exploring Denman Street, we hopped on to one of the many street cars and head downtown.
Fun to be beside the sea and park
English Bay doesn't start and finish with Denman Street, there's also Stanley Park. Stanley Park, Vancouver's first park and National park, is less than a mile from downtown Vancouver, covering one thousand acres. To put that in perspective, it is bigger than Central Park in New York. The best way to really see the park, in all its magnificence, is to hop on to one of the Stanley Park shuttle buses. For CAD$2 we bought a ticket that lasted all day, allowing us to get on and off the bus.
Jonathan and I rode on the shuttle bus, and got a grand overview of the park. But an afternoon stroll from the hotel along the coastal path, which stretches for miles along the perimeter of Stanley Park, gave us the greatest pleasure. The intense emotion I felt while strolling with Jonathan, along the Pacific Ocean, Stanley Park on the other side is somthing I haven't felt since, a perfect stroll.
More than just a bay
English Bay has a lot to offer, from bustling Denman Street, a National Park, kayaks for hire and secluded barbecue areas, and logs, perfect for sunbathing and relaxing on, scattered along the beach,
As I breathed in the salty sea air, licked dripping soft ice cream and dug my toes into the damp, warm yellow sand I knew why Vancouver was voted the best place to live in the world.
Picture: English Bay, Vancouver. Copyright: Author.
Travel information:
- The Winter Olympics is taking place in Vancouver this week. To find out more visit Vancouver 2010 -
You tube video: Beaches to Remember - English Bay - Vancouver, Canada