Jane Horrocks finds herself in British Columbia

British Columbia (or BC, as it’s called everywhere) was my first experience of Canada and I can’t think of a better place to show off the natural beauty of this amazing place.  We had been looking forward to it for months and it fully lived up to expectations with a combination of cosmopolitan city, wilderness escapes and incredible landscapes.

Visiting Vancouver

Starting in the capital of BC, Vancouver, is a great way to ease yourself into the Canadian way of life and a cycle ride around the perimeter of the enormously spacious and picturesque Stanley Park is a must.

A bike ride through Stanley Park

From Vancouver, head over to Whistler by float plane. It is so much more than a winter sports place and a perfect choice for outdoorsy lovers. There’s white water rafting, off-roading, quad biking, hiking, cycling,  but our favourite was zip lining down a wire the height of the Eiffel Tower and the most incredible tree top canopy walk. Vancouver Island is an absolute must for a true escape into the wilds.

Boarding a Whistler float plane

Zip lining

The forests are dense and beautiful and perfect for hiking and the beaches are a surfers paradise – it would almost be rude not to hire a board while you’re on Cox Beach.  There are lots of opportunities for heading out to sea, too, and the boat tours offer whale watching (we saw several grey whales) and the chance to get up close to the cutest sea otters and sealions.  If you are keen to see Orca’s, though, I would recommend taking a trip from Victoria, which is renowned for its killer whale sightings.

Sunset at Cox Beach

There’s so much to see and do in BC, the challenge is carving out some free time to just sit and take it all in!