The Vancouver Seawall is the most popular recreation location in the entire city, if not in all of Canada, and it’s for good reason. This stunning 22-km long trail leads from downtown along the shoreline of Stanley Park and offers some of the most spectacular views of the downtown core and of the stunning West Coast rainforest. While running or cycling the entire trail might seem a touch ambitious for vacationers, venturing down to the Seawall for sunrise is an incredible way to begin a day in Vancouver. Photographers tend to gather along the shore beside Dead Man’s Point, hoping to capture first light as it hits Coal Harbour and Canada Place.

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Sunrise along the Vancouver Seawall

The Vancouver Seawall is the most popular recreation location in the entire city, if not in all of Canada, and it’s for good reason. This stunning 22-km long trail leads from downtown along the shoreline of Stanley Park and offers some of the most spectacular views of the downtown core and of the stunning West Coast rainforest. While running or cycling the entire trail might seem a touch ambitious for vacationers, venturing down to the Seawall for sunrise is an incredible way to begin a day in Vancouver. Photographers tend to gather along the shore beside Dead Man’s Point, hoping to capture first light as it hits Coal Harbour and Canada Place.

Walk the Vancouver Seawall

It’s 22km long, but you don’t have to do all of it. We started at the and walked a short section from Cardero Park to Canada Place, and in that time we saw a dozen sea planes take off and land, not to mention a cruise liner head off on its way to the Alaska. It’s hard to believe, looking out onto the peaceful still waters and the mountains in the background, that you’re still standing in one of Canada‘s foremost cities. But maybe that’s because the walk is so calming and surprisingly underpopulated (there were joggers, but not too many). It’s also a great way to learn some local history - plaques along the wall commemorate many important and intriguing moments of Vancouver‘s past, from the gold rush to unionization.

Cycle the Seawall

No experience sums up Vancouver better than a cycle around its 22km-long (13.7 miles) Seawall which winds its way around the Downtown core, from the Convention Centre on Coal Harbour, taking in Stanley Park and False Creek, curving its way past Science World and Granville Island before ending at Kitsilano Beach Park. The paths are divided between bikes and inline skaters, and pedestrians, and the law-abiding locals are very keen on visitors observing the correct direction of traffic and using the right lanes! Don’t forget the city has a helmet law in place and throughout the summer, it’s known for cops to lie in wait to issue tickets to lid-free cyclists.

Explore the Vancouver Seawall

Vancouver is an outdoor city. My favorite thing to do when I get to a new city is go for a solo run to explore. Vancouver’s waterfront is lined with a 22 km (13.7 mi) walking, jogging, cycling and inline skating track. It offers a great tour of the city’s highlights including Stanley Park, Granville Island and Kitsilano Beach.

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