Taking in the view from the sea wall in Stanley Park

Vancouver is the outdoorsy heart and soul of Canada's West Coast. Surrounded by soaring, snow-capped mountains, coastal rainforest and dazzling blue ocean, it's no surprise Vancouver frequently tops 'world's most liveable cities' lists.

With a population of just over two million, Vancouver manages to combine small-city intimacy with a cosmopolitan buzz.

Much like Los Angeles, its West Coast cousin, Vancouver harbours a superficial side. This stems in part from its big budget film industry (many Hollywood films are shot here, earning rainy Vancouver the nickname 'Brollywood') as well as its mild climate which is conducive to getting your gear off. On any given day, the 400-acre Stanley Park in Vancouver's city centre is filled with body beautifuls parading their perfect arses around the sea wall. Within this urban oasis you'll also find the Vancouver Aquarium, the home of beluga whales, sea otters and piranhas.

Although many of its residents live downtown in gleaming high-rise condominiums, Vancouver also harbours an irreverence that has hung around since the hippy era when it gave birth to the whale-saving likes of Greenpeace. The upscale beachside neighbourhood of Kitsilano was once the epicentre of the counterculture movement but is now full of classy restaurants, funky shops and plush organic supermarkets. The bohemian torch has since been passed to the Little Italy-style enclave of Commercial Drive and chic South Main Street.

Among the city's cultural attractions are the Vancouver Art Gallery, Science World and the Museum of Anthropology; the latter houses an outstanding collection of First Nations art and artifacts.

Vancouver is not renown for its nightlife. Perhaps it's all that fresh air and BC bud, but the city is often dead by midnight. In the summer however, beach parties are a nightly ritual along Wreck Beach (a popular nudist hangout), Jericho Beach and the Spanish Banks.

Come winter, the ski slopes of Grouse, Cyprus and Seymour mountains - on Vancouver's north shore and only 30 minutes from the city centre - fill with day-trippers. Meanwhile, 120km to the north lies the enormous Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort - the largest in north America.

Because Vancouver is spared the brunt of the long, white Canadian winters, the city also attracts much of the country's homeless population. In downtown Vancouver, particularly in the touristy areas of Gastown and Chinatown, you'll be constantly asked for spare change.

Vancouver International Airport lies 15km from the city centre.