Whytecliff Park Tidal Island Explore

Ninety minutes east, a mineral-fed pool town where the lake is sandy, the mountains are misty, and your shoulders finally drop.

Granite railway tunnels over a turquoise gorge, 80-plus chainsaw carvings, and a 90-minute drive most people waste by not stopping.

Whistler's cooler, cheaper neighbour sits 45 minutes up the Sea-to-Sky with a gondola, a giant rock, and brewery rewards at every trailhead.

A 3.8-km granite-bluff hike, followed by the doughnuts Kate Winslet name-dropped at a film festival.

Cross the Duffey Lake Road and land in BC's best-kept secret: a sun-baked canyon, a milky-turquoise lake, and actual gold-rush history.

A 20-minute ferry from Horseshoe Bay, a wood-stove cottage, and the moment the last ferry leaves and Snug Cove is entirely yours.

Forty-plus boutique Okanagan wineries on a 16-km lakeside road, best done by e-bike so nobody has to drive.

Seventy-five free oceanfront acres at Steveston's tip, aimed directly at the best sunset in Richmond.

A 40-minute ferry hop to The Beachcombers harbour and a bohemian beach pier with a hand-painted mandala.

Twenty minutes on the BC Ferry from Horseshoe Bay, and suddenly you've left the city entirely, which is the whole idea.

A historic fishing village where you can buy salmon off the actual boat, then eat it on the boardwalk ten steps later.

Buy a $2 bag of seed, and within minutes black-capped chickadees are landing directly on your hand. Yes, really.

Over 350 Victorian buildings, a 1924 lakeshore streetcar, and the filming location of Roxanne: Nelson earns the seven-hour drive.

Pan for actual gold at the Parks Canada fort where BC was born, then browse Glover Road's antique shops until dinner.