Walkable neighborhoods, drink-and-dine delights and memorable cultural and outdoor activities framed by dramatic vistas – there’s a glassful of great reasons to love this lotusland metropolis.

With its mountain backdrop and urban beaches, Vancouver has the rightly earned reputation of being one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Downtown Vancouver is superbly situated on a peninsula in the Strait of Georgia, bounded to the south by the delta of the Fraser River and to the north by a deep fiord reaching far inland (Burrard Inlet). Also to the north, gleam the often snow-covered ranges of the Coast Mountains.

With its extensive parks and relatively equable climate keeping temperatures mild throughout the year, Vancouver is a paradise for leisure activities. But it also boasts a busy cultural life, and the modern Downtown is easily explored on foot. The scenic city was showcased to the world when it hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, in conjunction with nearby Whistler.