Vancouver: Activities

• watersports

  Long Beach in Vancouver Island's Pacific Rim National Park reputedly has the best waves in BC, though the water's very cold. You can swim at 11 beaches around Vancouver or at one of the city's aquatic centres.

• diving

  The rich and varied marine life in the local waters make scuba diving very rewarding. The top dive spots are the waters off the Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island's western coast; in Georgia Strait between Vancouver Island's eastern coast and the mainland's Sunshine Coast, north of Vancouver; and in Queen Charlotte Strait off Vancouver's northeastern coast. If you're planning on spending more time underwater, the best time to go is in the winter (the water's cold anyway) when the plankton has decreased and visibility often exceeds 20m (66ft).

• boating

  Rivers close to Vancouver offering whitewater rafting include the Fraser, Thompson and Chilliwack.

• fishing

  If fishing is your thing, several spots around Vancouver Island vie for the title 'Salmon Capital of the World'. The Queen Charlotte Islands and the Fraser and Thompson Rivers are also prime casting sites. The waters off the western coast of Vancouver Island offer excellent whale-watching. Killer (orca) whales and Pacific gray whales run north in spring and south in autumn.

• snow sports

  Just minutes away from downtown, the mountains north of Vancouver have some great downhill and cross-country skiing and snowboarding. Grouse Mountain is the closest to downtown and is known for night skiing. Other nearby resorts include Cypress Mountain (also featuring night skiing) and Mt Seymour. A little farther afield is the glossier Whistler, located 100km (62mi) north of Vancouver, where you can ski year-round.

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