British Columbia

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains

Vancouverites pride themselves on their city's beauty and versatility. No more than an hour either way of cosmopolitan downtown will take you into the heart of the Pacific Coast Mountains, put you in cozy seaside villages or at the mouth of the might Fraser Canyon. It is this same abundance of easily accessible scenery that has made the Vancouver region a favourite setting for TV and movie producers. (more)

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains: Overview

The Thompson Okanagan truly has everything needed of a British Columbian paradise. Warm, sunny valleys, narrow lakes with sandy beaches and lush, fruit laden orchards make it a vacation hot spot. People come to relax by the water, golf championship courses and sip regional wines. When boating, water-skiing and swimming are not in season, the region's mountains become some of the province's best snow-sport resorts. 

Vancouver Island, the largest North American island in the Pacific, is a recreational paradise. It stretches 280 miles (450 km) in a northwesterly direction and is divided into two distinct areas. The rugged west coast, cut by deep fjords and piled high by mountains, is home to busy fishing and logging communities. Its a spectacular place to visit and unwind. The east coast is a peaceful paradise, rich with timber, farmlands and fishing streams, and home to beaches, villages and the provincial capital, Victoria.

The best way to describe the British Columbia Rockies is as Canada's most stunning mountain scenery. Year after year, visitors are dazed by the enormity of the mountains that rise up from the region's valleys. The sensation of gazing up at towering glacial peaks humbles the region's visitors. Even the most hardened travellers are unable to experience the Rockies without being touched by a sense of awe.

The Cariboo Chilcotin Coast is a land of big adventure and wide-open spaces. Visit real working ranches and ride over rolling rangeland. Fish the province's best freshwater lakes and secluded saltwater inlets. British Columbia's wild history comes to life with rodeos, heritage villages and historic First Nations communities.

British Columbia's north is a vast wilderness of grizzly bears and glaciers, ancient totems and raw rugged beauty. Experience firsthand the region's rich aboriginal heritage, witness the mesmerizing spell of the Northern Lights and realize how Northern British Columbia is a land of myths and legends come into reality. (more)

Northern British Columbia: Overview