Vancouver BC - English Bay - West End - Canada Place - Coal Harbour - Stanley Park Bike Tour (Vuelta por Vancouver Downtown)
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 12.95 mi
- Elevation gain
- 584 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 584 ft
- Max elevation
- 194 ft
- TrailRank
- 69
- Min elevation
- -93 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- one hour 44 minutes
- Coordinates
- 751
- Uploaded
- September 13, 2017
- Recorded
- August 2017
near West End, British Columbia (Canada)
Viewed 3139 times, downloaded 35 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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When one visits the city of Vancouver and Stanley Park, one of the most valued outdoor leisure spaces in the world, there are enormous temptations to walk it by bicycle. And already put to it, if we take advantage of and by the way we include in the trip the visit to other neighborhoods of the Downtown (the West End, English Bay, Gastown, Coal Harbor, etc.) the final result will be indelible.
For less than 10 CAD / hour, we can rent a bicycle with front suspension or hybrid, which will allow us to travel comfortably both urban bike lanes and the leafy trails of Stanley Park. If you exceed a certain time, they already charge you the whole day and are about 50 CAD. In addition the price includes padlock and helmet. Highly recommended therefore. We start!
Point of departure : English Bay Bike Rentals
Estimated duration : 2h + stops.
Physical / Technical Level (1-5) : 3/3.
Sources : There are no obvious water points to remember. Nor is it a route that requires hydration. It is short, not demanding and temperatures do not usually tighten.
Time of year : Except in winter, any time is good.
Photos of the route :: Click here ...
The route begins in the West End of Vancouver and specifically in the English Bay Bike Rentals store, at 1754 Davie Street (see waypoint). We leave data from our credit card as a deposit, adjust the bike and leave.
The first thing we do is pull down Davie St until you cross Denman St, Morton Park and get to the bike lane that runs parallel and next to English Bay Beach (see waypoint). This urban beach is very frequented by the residents of Vancouver, to spend the afternoon for example, and draws attention to the pile of huge logs arranged in rows that use them as seats or protection from the air. It is always very lively and with terraces and restaurants on the beach.
We will pull down the lane towards the south, accompanying us to the beach always to our right. Half way we see a ledge with a sculpture of a giant Inushuk between gardens and a little further on, when reaching the aquatic center, where the ferry leaves for Grandville Island for 3 CAD, we turn left leaving the beach and the Seawall Path.
We went up to the Beach Ave and crossed it. We continue ascending Thurlow St until we turn right at the intersection with Pacific St. At the next junction with Burrard St we turn left and walk along a bike path separated from the cars. Even so we will not do it whole and at a certain moment we turn to the left again as we intend to reach the Coal Harbor area and the skyline through quieter streets.
At the height of W Hasting St (see waypoint) and Cordova St we can see the towers and modern buildings that I just mentioned before. Large hotels, consulates, financial zone in short that we cross between traffic always prudent and respectful with the cyclist.
Going down Howe St and our coexistence with cars ends just when we reach Canada Place (see waypoint). This spectacular white immaculate building, shaped like a ship and with its roof in the form of candles, is one of the best known places in Vancouver. From here, the large ocean liners and cruises leave for Alaska.
We continue along a very scenic bike path (see waypoint " Seawall Water Walk ") in which we must be careful with a pedestrian or tourist clueless. In return we have great views of the bay with Vancouver North in the background. We constantly observe seaplanes and if we climbed stairs we will find the famous square that houses the Olympic cauldron of the 2010 Winter Olympics and the pixelated Orca statue, very curious too.
Later we passed the Harbor Green Park and begin the different docks, first with lavish sports boats, after sailing, etc. The Devonian Park will give way to Stanley Park and the traffic of pedestrians and bicycles practically disappears.
The idea was to go around Stanley Park in an anti-clockwise direction but we preferred to make a mixed route that also includes interior paths through forested and wooded areas instead of directly advancing on foot by the paved "Stanley Park Seawall Path"
The first point of interest of the park where we will stop will be the Totem Poles (see waypoint). Each totem is really a unique sculpture representing a different story. A huge and tall trunk of red cedar is the instrument on which it is made and painted .
Once past the statue of the Harry Jerome runner, we will arrive at the Nine O'Clock Gun (see waypoint). It is at 9:00 pm when this cannon shot over Vancouver Bay every day of the year and in its day served to synchronize the watches of the ships of the port.
Following the track and after passing the best point to observe the skyline of Vancouver we will arrive at the Brockton Point Lighthouse (see waypoint). It does not stop being a very beautiful lighthouse, reference in the bay of Vancouver and in which we will find more explanatory panels with all its history.
Before entering the forests of the park, we still have 3 points of interest to see:
The statue of the girl in a bathing suit and diving goggles, which at full tide is seen on a stone and yet at high tide seems to be bathing (see waypoint " Girl In A Wet Suit Statue" ).
The replica of the figure of the dragon head of the RMS Empress of Japan (see waypoint), and here I recommend reading the history of this ship and the voyages that it made during many years by the Pacific Ocean.
And finally, a very curious children's water park (see waypoint " Splash Park ") in which you have to pass disassembled from the bike for a few meters.
The lane continues for a few hundred meters to the sea until we see a junction on the road that accompanies us to our left. There we will have to stop and go up a path so that, after crossing it, we can take another strait that takes us up Beaver Lake. As we had read that the lake could not be surrounded by the corresponding paths, we simply continue forward by another path until some footbridges force us to cross the A99.
At the next junction, we will take the Bridle Trail to the right (indicated by wooden poles) that will take us directly though ascending to the Prospect Point (see waypoint).
This point is a viewpoint that offers magnificent views of the Lion's Gate Bridge, an old bridge but in its day an engineering work that links downtown with Vancouver North. We also have views to the west with dozens of ships and freighters that rest in the vicinity of the bay, safe from the much more aggressive winds and currents offshore. There is a cafe and bathrooms if we want to make a longer stop.
We continue taking another path (the Merilees Trail) that goes downhill to the right of the road once past the Prospect Point. We will descend tirelessly to Third Beach and Tea House (see waypoint). We could have reached this point without having to make the previous circuit. Simply surrounding the Stanley Park on foot of the sea by the bicycle lane that indicated previously.
If you want to shorten, just follow the lane to the second beach or even follow the Seawall to the English Bay. However, we can not do it in the opposite direction since it is unidirectional.
We will however go back a little and we will enter the Lovers Trail (see waypoint). By far, for me, this will be the most beautiful path of the route and more leafy reaching in some places overwhelming the tremendous examples of cedars or the luxuriance of the road. The light filters with great difficulty and silence and tranquility flood everything.
We will join down to the right again with the Bridle Trail until we reach the Second Beach (see waypoint). Unlike the previous one, it also has a beautiful fitted pool at sea level.
Bordering it on the right as we descended we could continue along the Seawall again glued to the sea almost to the end of the route. We nevertheless leave it to our right and continue along the bicycle path until, later, reach a playground. The asphalted lane will take us to border the golf course and immediately afterwards we will reach the Lost Lagoon (see waypoint).
From here we end up entering again in urban environment. We will arrive at Denman St turning to the right and we will cross it this time until the end. At the junction with Davie St, we only have to climb a few meters and we have arrived at the store. In 2 hours we have traveled a good part of Vancouver full of places of interest and in an affordable and different way. I hope you like it!
For less than 10 CAD / hour, we can rent a bicycle with front suspension or hybrid, which will allow us to travel comfortably both urban bike lanes and the leafy trails of Stanley Park. If you exceed a certain time, they already charge you the whole day and are about 50 CAD. In addition the price includes padlock and helmet. Highly recommended therefore. We start!
Point of departure : English Bay Bike Rentals
Estimated duration : 2h + stops.
Physical / Technical Level (1-5) : 3/3.
Sources : There are no obvious water points to remember. Nor is it a route that requires hydration. It is short, not demanding and temperatures do not usually tighten.
Time of year : Except in winter, any time is good.
Photos of the route :: Click here ...
The route begins in the West End of Vancouver and specifically in the English Bay Bike Rentals store, at 1754 Davie Street (see waypoint). We leave data from our credit card as a deposit, adjust the bike and leave.
The first thing we do is pull down Davie St until you cross Denman St, Morton Park and get to the bike lane that runs parallel and next to English Bay Beach (see waypoint). This urban beach is very frequented by the residents of Vancouver, to spend the afternoon for example, and draws attention to the pile of huge logs arranged in rows that use them as seats or protection from the air. It is always very lively and with terraces and restaurants on the beach.
We will pull down the lane towards the south, accompanying us to the beach always to our right. Half way we see a ledge with a sculpture of a giant Inushuk between gardens and a little further on, when reaching the aquatic center, where the ferry leaves for Grandville Island for 3 CAD, we turn left leaving the beach and the Seawall Path.
We went up to the Beach Ave and crossed it. We continue ascending Thurlow St until we turn right at the intersection with Pacific St. At the next junction with Burrard St we turn left and walk along a bike path separated from the cars. Even so we will not do it whole and at a certain moment we turn to the left again as we intend to reach the Coal Harbor area and the skyline through quieter streets.
At the height of W Hasting St (see waypoint) and Cordova St we can see the towers and modern buildings that I just mentioned before. Large hotels, consulates, financial zone in short that we cross between traffic always prudent and respectful with the cyclist.
Going down Howe St and our coexistence with cars ends just when we reach Canada Place (see waypoint). This spectacular white immaculate building, shaped like a ship and with its roof in the form of candles, is one of the best known places in Vancouver. From here, the large ocean liners and cruises leave for Alaska.
We continue along a very scenic bike path (see waypoint " Seawall Water Walk ") in which we must be careful with a pedestrian or tourist clueless. In return we have great views of the bay with Vancouver North in the background. We constantly observe seaplanes and if we climbed stairs we will find the famous square that houses the Olympic cauldron of the 2010 Winter Olympics and the pixelated Orca statue, very curious too.
Later we passed the Harbor Green Park and begin the different docks, first with lavish sports boats, after sailing, etc. The Devonian Park will give way to Stanley Park and the traffic of pedestrians and bicycles practically disappears.
The idea was to go around Stanley Park in an anti-clockwise direction but we preferred to make a mixed route that also includes interior paths through forested and wooded areas instead of directly advancing on foot by the paved "Stanley Park Seawall Path"
The first point of interest of the park where we will stop will be the Totem Poles (see waypoint). Each totem is really a unique sculpture representing a different story. A huge and tall trunk of red cedar is the instrument on which it is made and painted .
Once past the statue of the Harry Jerome runner, we will arrive at the Nine O'Clock Gun (see waypoint). It is at 9:00 pm when this cannon shot over Vancouver Bay every day of the year and in its day served to synchronize the watches of the ships of the port.
Following the track and after passing the best point to observe the skyline of Vancouver we will arrive at the Brockton Point Lighthouse (see waypoint). It does not stop being a very beautiful lighthouse, reference in the bay of Vancouver and in which we will find more explanatory panels with all its history.
Before entering the forests of the park, we still have 3 points of interest to see:
The statue of the girl in a bathing suit and diving goggles, which at full tide is seen on a stone and yet at high tide seems to be bathing (see waypoint " Girl In A Wet Suit Statue" ).
The replica of the figure of the dragon head of the RMS Empress of Japan (see waypoint), and here I recommend reading the history of this ship and the voyages that it made during many years by the Pacific Ocean.
And finally, a very curious children's water park (see waypoint " Splash Park ") in which you have to pass disassembled from the bike for a few meters.
The lane continues for a few hundred meters to the sea until we see a junction on the road that accompanies us to our left. There we will have to stop and go up a path so that, after crossing it, we can take another strait that takes us up Beaver Lake. As we had read that the lake could not be surrounded by the corresponding paths, we simply continue forward by another path until some footbridges force us to cross the A99.
At the next junction, we will take the Bridle Trail to the right (indicated by wooden poles) that will take us directly though ascending to the Prospect Point (see waypoint).
This point is a viewpoint that offers magnificent views of the Lion's Gate Bridge, an old bridge but in its day an engineering work that links downtown with Vancouver North. We also have views to the west with dozens of ships and freighters that rest in the vicinity of the bay, safe from the much more aggressive winds and currents offshore. There is a cafe and bathrooms if we want to make a longer stop.
We continue taking another path (the Merilees Trail) that goes downhill to the right of the road once past the Prospect Point. We will descend tirelessly to Third Beach and Tea House (see waypoint). We could have reached this point without having to make the previous circuit. Simply surrounding the Stanley Park on foot of the sea by the bicycle lane that indicated previously.
If you want to shorten, just follow the lane to the second beach or even follow the Seawall to the English Bay. However, we can not do it in the opposite direction since it is unidirectional.
We will however go back a little and we will enter the Lovers Trail (see waypoint). By far, for me, this will be the most beautiful path of the route and more leafy reaching in some places overwhelming the tremendous examples of cedars or the luxuriance of the road. The light filters with great difficulty and silence and tranquility flood everything.
We will join down to the right again with the Bridle Trail until we reach the Second Beach (see waypoint). Unlike the previous one, it also has a beautiful fitted pool at sea level.
Bordering it on the right as we descended we could continue along the Seawall again glued to the sea almost to the end of the route. We nevertheless leave it to our right and continue along the bicycle path until, later, reach a playground. The asphalted lane will take us to border the golf course and immediately afterwards we will reach the Lost Lagoon (see waypoint).
From here we end up entering again in urban environment. We will arrive at Denman St turning to the right and we will cross it this time until the end. At the junction with Davie St, we only have to climb a few meters and we have arrived at the store. In 2 hours we have traveled a good part of Vancouver full of places of interest and in an affordable and different way. I hope you like it!
Waypoints
Waypoint
0 ft
Beaver Lake
Comments (3)
You can add a comment or review this trail
Al final te escapaste eh cabroncete.... jajajaja. Qué envidia!!!!
Ya estamos organizando algo y me cuentas
Un abrazo
Me escapé, si. Pero esta no es la buena... Es la siguiente que voy a publicar en breve, jejeje!!!
Por supuesto... tenemos que hacer una buena, que ya toca! Un abrazo
Voy... envidia!