STANLEY PARK

As the green lung of the city of Vancouver, Vancouverites come to take their Sunday stroll, practice their cycling or running, sunbathe on one of the three beaches bordering English Bay or watch the fireworks on Canada Day.

In 1863, the one thousand acres (405 hectares) of the Stanley Park peninsula became a military reserve to prevent a possible invasion by the U.S. Army, which was occupying San Juan Island in the Gulf of Georgia at the time. The famous park is named after Lord Stanley, who was the governor at the time. Today, it is the third largest urban park in the world, 10% larger than Central Park in New York!

Its 405 hectares dominated by large red cedars invite you to take walks and do outdoor sports, and are a real contrast to the city's tall buildings. The park is covered by half a million trees, some of which are real stars because of their size (up to 76 meters high) or their age (over 100 years old). Escorted by grey squirrels, walkers will be surprised to meet, at the bend in the path, vendors of paintings, portrait artists and caricaturists who give the place a Montmartre look. For a horse-drawn carriage tour of the park, Horse-Drawn Tours, at the entrance of the park, after the Rowing Club, allows you to see all the beauties of the park, including Deadman's Island, Coastal Red Cedar Forest and The Girl in a Wet Suit Statue . The shuttle bus allows you to hop on and off whenever you want and tour at your own pace. You can also take your time and visit the park on foot, by its trails (200 kilometers in total). It takes an hour or an hour and a half to cycle around the park on the Seawall (10 kilometers in circumference) and 3 to 5 hours on foot. It doesn't look like it on the map, but the territory is huge. Of course, you won't be alone as the park is used by about 8 million visitors each year. But aside from the beaches and tourist attractions that draw a lot of traffic, it is always possible to find an intimate bench or a deserted path in Stanley Park. Among the countless places within the park, be sure to check out the following must-see sites:

Deadman's Island. Once a Native American burial ground and later a quarantine site for victims of smallpox, an epidemic brought by the settlers. This small island, located southeast of Stanley Park in Coal Harbor, is now the site of the City of Vancouver's Naval Reserve.

9 O'Clock Gun. This gun, brought from England and installed in the park in 1894, was originally intended to warn fishermen of the end of fishing on Sundays at 6 pm. Set later at 9pm, it allowed the boats in the harbor and the whole population to set their watches with precision. Automated since then, it still works today.

Brockton Point lighthouse. This pretty little lighthouse at the eastern end of the park was built in 1914 and marks the entrance to Coal Harbour.

Totem Poles. One of the most visited sites in the park, the Totem Pole Garden is located at Brockton Point in the eastern part of the park (formerly Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations territory). Some of the Totem Poles are real, others are replicas of Native American art found on the beaches of the Haida Gwaii archipelago in northern British Columbia. The most recent totem pole is the work of an artist from the Squamish Nation and was added in 2009.

The Girl in a Wet Suit Statue. A beautiful and imposing modern mermaid standing on its rock along the north shore of the park, this life-size bronze statue dates from 1972 and is a reference to the one in Copenhagen. Unlike the latter, if you look closely, you can see that she is wearing a mask, fins and a wetsuit.

Coastal Red Cedar Forest. Several major storms have damaged the impressive red cedar forest that covers most of the park, including its largest ancient specimen of thirteen meters in circumference. However, there are still several giants to admire from the trails that crisscross the park, a sight that one never tires of.

First, Second and Third Beaches. These three beaches are located in the south of the park, facing English Bay. They are accessible from the Seawall trail and offer beautiful sunsets over the ocean. Great places for a picnic and a swim.

Lost Lagoon. Marked by the Jubilee Fountain, the lagoon supports the biodiversity of the park, bringing many species of birds to the area. Guided tours about biodiversity, including the flora and fauna found here, are available.

Prospect Point. An ideal vantage point for viewing the Lions Gate Bridge, North Shore Mountains and Burrard Inlet.

When biking , be sure to follow the Seawall's traffic rules: it's a one-way street, running north to south. The bike path is well marked for your comfort and safety.

Gardens. Stanley Park has an incredible amount of flower gardens within the site such as the Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden, which has over 4,500 plants in total. You can also explore the Rose Garden, established in 1920, and the Shakespeare Garden.