The Empress of Japan figurehead replica in Stanley Park.

A visit to Stanley Park is essential during your stay in Vancouver. Although there are attractions in Stanley Park that will cost you money (restaurants, the Vancouver Aquarium), a budget traveller can easily have an enjoyable afternoon without spending a penny.

Pack a lunch and start off walking or biking on the pathway from Coal Harbour, which is located just behind the Vancouver Convention Centre. Bikers must approach the park in a counter-clockwise direction from Coal Harbour.

If you disembark at the first rest stop, it’s a short walk to the Rose Garden and the Painter’s Circle where artists sell their wares during the summer. Keep going and you’ll see the lighthouse at Brockton Point, the Empress of Japan Statue, the Bathing Girl and finally the totem poles.

Stop for some refreshment at Prospect Point, you’re more than half way through your journey. Continue on and you’ll find two beaches: the first (Third Beach) will be less crowded than the second (Second Beach). However, Second Beach has a large outdoor pool which you can enjoy if you find the ocean too rough or cold for your taste.

You’ll exit at English Bay. Either browse the West End shops or keep following the path which will take you to Downtown Vancouver.