From Vancouver's most popular beaches, Spanish Banks, Jericho Beach and Kitsilano Beach, are spectacular views across English Bay to downtown Vancouver. 
 

False Creek, an inlet separating downtown Vancouver from the rest of the city, boasts a scenic walkway connecting Science World, Olympic Village, Granville Island and Kitsilano.

The architecture of Vancouver includes a variety of styles from 20th Century Edwardian to sleek modernism. The Public Library is designed to look like the Coliseum.

Yaletown is the trendy downtown neighbourhood where old warehouses have been converted to breweries, pubs and restaurants. "Pop-up plazas" celebrate local events such as the annual Sun Run.
 

The North Shore refers to the cities and districts of North Vancouver and West Vancouver and the North Shore Mountains of Cypress, Grouse and Mount Seymour.
 

Granville Island, home to 300 businesses, studios and galleries, has a large public market of food vendors and outdoor concert spaces.

With its mild climate, Vancouver is reknown for its beautiful foliage which can be viewed in the public gardens at Queen Elizabeth Park, Van Dusen Botanical Garden and UBC Botanical Garden.
 

Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Garden, located in Vancouver's vibrant Chinatown, is modeled after Ying Dynasty scholars' gardens.

The University of British Columbia, located in Point Grey, is noted for its academic programming, its research centers, its literary and arts collection and its attractive campus.

On the UBC campus is the Museum of Anthropology with a world-class collection of global arts and cultural artifacts, particularly works by First Nations bands of the Pacific Northwest. 
 

Canada Place, on the Burrard Inlet waterfront, is the home of the Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver's World Trade Centre, the Pan-Pacific Hotel, and the virtual flight ride, FlyOver Canada.

1000-acre Stanley Park juts into Burrard Inlet near Vancouver's bustling downtown. it is home to the Vancouver Aquarium and has numerous scenic walkways past fresh-water lagoons and along the Seawall with views of the iconic Lions Gate Bridge. (photo courtesy of ArrivalGuides.com)

Vancouver is known for its interesting streets which are a delight to wander and browse: Main Street, Commercial Drive, Pender Street, Lonsdale Avenue and 4th Avenue.

There are many sights if one looks upward to the advertising signs, the artistic wall murals and the mountains beyond.

The Vancouver Art Gallery, adjacent to dynamic Robson Square in downtown Vancouver, houses 12,000 works. Its plaza now showcases a memorial to the children of residential schools.

Public art attests to Vancouver's rich multicultural heritage, with tributes to First Nations, Japanese, Chinese and African-Canadians.
 

In the regions of West and North Vancouver, urban communities lie on the edge of spectacular natural and wilderness areas.
 

Horseshoe Bay marks the western end of the mainland stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway and houses the terminal  for ferries to Gulf Islands and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
 

A pleasant and scenic drive is the Sea to Sky Highway that connects Vancouver to Whistler, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. 
 

15 km from Vancouver in the suburb of Richmond is the village of Steveston, with its active fishing piers and historic Gulf of Georgia Cannery.
 

White Rock is a community in Surrey about 30 km from Vancouver. Its broad beaches and famous pier offer a view of Washington's Mount Baker.