Land Paddling Around Stanley Park In Vancouver B.C.


Vancouver B.C is a very popular tourist destination, and was also named the Top Destination in Canada in TripAdvisor's 2016 Travellers' Choice awards, and was chosen as the best place to live in North America (and number five in the world) in Mercer's 2016 Quality of Living survey.

The city offers travellers both outstanding opportunities for outdoor adventure, as well as sightseeing. Framed by miles of beaches and rugged mountains, with more than 200 parks in between there is never shortage of things to do and to see.

When I first visited Vancouver in 2009, I did all the "regular touristy activities" : explored it's downtown, took a stroll on the famous Capilano Bridge, skied at Grouse Mountain,  had lunch at Granville Island's market, and got schooled at Telus World of Science.

But my most memorable experience was probably biking and hiking around Stanley Park...
Almost entirely surrounded by waters of Vancouver Harbour and English Bay, this 405-hectare urban park offers amazing outdoor opportunities, as well as many interesting things to see.

This time, we decided to explore the park by going on a land paddling tour, and to learn more about most popular attractions in Stanley Park such as the famous "Girl In Wetsuit" ( often mistaken as a replica of Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid statue, she is actually a skin diver with flippers on her feet and a mask pushed up on her forehead ),  the 32-million-year-old Siwash Rock rising from the water, the beautiful totem poles of Brockton Point, the famous Hollow Tree in Shakespeare Garden, The 9 O'Clock Gun ( that is shot every night at 21:00 ), and had lunch on the shore of Third Beach ( one of Stanley Park’s lesser-visited gems, which offers charming views of West Vancouver and English Bay ).

Biking, hiking, and land paddling are our preferred methods of exploring the park, but you might find a horse-drawn carriage ride around Stanley Park to be a more adventurous or romantic way of seeing this amazing place. 

P.S. : Even though land paddling is relatively unknown in Vancouver B.C., if you're visiting Seattle, check out our new adventure company "Seattle Kite, Surf, Paddle" where we take visitors, and locals on land paddling tours along Seattle waterfront, and at the popular Alki Beach...
 


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