A seabound skyline

The central core of British Columbia's biggest city is packed onto a small peninsula, squeezing over 60,000 city-slicker Canadians into a skyscraper-covered area of just 1.5 square miles. That's only half the size of this sea-surrounded strip of land. Downtown Vancouver occupies the peninsula's southern portion, while here on the north side you'll find yourself in Stanley Park, the flagship of Vancouver's vast array of green spaces. Attractions like beaches, pavilions, and a miniature railway are found along the park's seawalled edges, and hiking trails allow visitors to venture off the paved path. But don't get lost in the woods: Belying its urban setting, Stanley Park's center is a thick, wild forest, with some of its centuries-old Douglas firs and western redcedars rising over 200 feet tall.