A host's guide
Staying in North Vancouver
The North Shore is where Vancouver keeps its mountains and its quiet water. Downtown is a bridge or a twelve-minute ferry away, and yet you wake up to trees, inlet and, in winter, ski hills you can see from the kitchen.
Two sides of one district
North Vancouver runs along the north shore of Burrard Inlet with the mountains behind it. For a visitor it splits neatly in two, and each of our homes sits in one half.
What each season is for
Three ski areas within reach: Grouse Mountain straight up from Edgemont, Mount Seymour above Deep Cove, and Cypress in West Vancouver. Night skiing at Grouse, snowshoe trails at Seymour. The homes are warm, the hot tub at the villa earns its keep.
Waterfalls at full volume in Lynn Canyon and Capilano. Trails open from the bottom up. Fewer visitors, good rates, cherry blossom in the streets.
Kayaking and paddleboarding from Deep Cove and Cates Park, swimming at the beaches, the Grouse Grind, long evenings on the deck. The busiest season; book early for July and August.
Salmon returning up the Capilano and Seymour rivers, colour in the canyons, quiet trails. Rain arrives in earnest by November, which is when the theatre room and the fireplace matter.
Getting around
- By car. Both homes have free parking and a car makes the mountains easy. Downtown is 12 to 15 minutes from Edgemont over the Lions Gate Bridge, about 25 from the villa over the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. Bridge traffic peaks weekday afternoons.
- SeaBus. The passenger ferry from Lonsdale Quay reaches downtown Waterfront Station in about 12 minutes and runs every 15 minutes most of the day. Drive or bus to the Quay, then leave the car behind.
- Buses. Frequent routes run along Marine Drive and up Lonsdale; Deep Cove and Edgemont each have direct routes to the Quay and downtown. Transit fares work by tap card or contactless bank card.
- Without a car. Possible from the guest house, which is walkable to the village and on bus routes. Harder from the villa, where the trails and beaches are close but everything else is a drive.
- From the airport. About 40 to 50 minutes by car to either home, longer at rush hour. The Canada Line plus SeaBus is the transit route, roughly 75 minutes.
Things everyone should do once
- Lynn Canyon, a free suspension bridge over a canyon and swimming holes, ten minutes from either home.
- Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, the famous one, with treetop walks and a cliff walk. Paid, and worth booking ahead in summer. Five minutes from the guest house.
- Grouse Mountain, up the Skyride for the view, the grizzly bear refuge and, in summer, the lumberjack show. The Grouse Grind is the 2.9-kilometre stair-climb up the mountain; strong legs required.
- Deep Cove and Quarry Rock, a small waterfront village with a beloved doughnut shop, and a 90-minute round-trip hike to a viewpoint over Indian Arm.
- Lonsdale Quay and the Shipyards, the market, restaurants, a waterfront plaza and the best view of the downtown skyline.
- Cates Park, a short walk from the villa: beach, boat launch, trails, a Coast Salish canoe shed and picnic lawns.
Which home for which trip
