3 Best Sights in West End, Vancouver

The city's best-known beach, English Bay, lies just to the east of Stanley Park's southern entrance. A long stretch of golden sand, a waterslide, volleyball courts, kayak rentals, and food trucks keep things interesting all summer. Known locally for being gay-friendly, it draws a diverse crowd. Special events include summer Celebration of Light fireworks and a New Year's Day "Polar Bear" swim. The oversized A-maze-ing Laughter sculptures will make you smile. Amenities: food and drink, lifeguards, parking (for a fee), toilets, and water sports. Best for: sunset, swimming, and walking.

On a pretty residential street, the Roedde (pronounced roh-dee) House Museum is an 1893 home in the Queen Anne Revival style, set among Victoriana gardens. It was the first Francis Rattenbury-designed house in Canada—he went on to design the Legislative Buildings and Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria. Tours of the restored, antiques-furnished interior take about an hour. On Sunday, tours are followed by tea and cookies. Museum hours are usually 1–4 pm, but can vary. So it's a good idea to phone before visiting. The gardens (free) can be visited anytime. The museum also hosts a concert series (classical music on the second Sunday of the month at 3 pm, and jazz on the second Thursday at 7 pm).

Farther along Beach Avenue toward Burrard Bridge, Sunset Beach, between Thurlow and Broughton Streets, is too close to the Downtown core for clean, safe swimming. But it is a great spot for an evening stroll. It's also a "quiet" beach, which means no amplified music. You can catch a ferry to Granville Island here. Amenities: food and drink, lifeguards, parking (for a fee), and toilets. Best for: sunset and walking.