University of British Columbia

The giant University of British Columbia is more than just your average college campus. Its 402-hectare grounds are part of an area called the University Endowment Lands and are set amid rugged forest. Three of the city’s most treasured and wild beaches – Locarno, Spanish Banks and Wreck – are located around this area. The tranquil Nitobe Memorial Garden and sweeping UBC Botanical Garden flourish nearby. And one of the world’s foremost First Nations museums nestles along the clifftop: the Museum of Anthropology, with its amazing indigenous artifacts and wealth of totem poles. There’s also a modern art gallery and a brand new natural history museum. As if that wasn’t enough to keep the 45,000 students from ever doing any work, the campus is studded with intriguing public artworks and is home to the Chan Centre, one of the city’s best concert halls.