Vancouver

Sheltered from the Pacific Ocean by a string of islands and cradled by the Rocky Mountains, Vancouver has wilderness on her doorstep. British Colombia's biggest city squeezes everything she can out of her location: skiing, hiking, sailing, diving, sea-kayaking, white-water rafting, fishing, golf... and all within thirty minutes of the city centre.

But playing hard doesn't just mean the great outdoors; the city's vibrant arts scene, café culture and packed festival calendar means there are plenty of ways to pass the time without breaking sweat.

Described as a 'thousand-acre therapeutic couch' Stanley Park has been Vancouver's playground for over a century. Hemmed in on three sides by the sparkling Pacific, the park corrals together everything from totem poles to tennis courts, and is also home to Vancouver's Aquarium - complete with beluga whales and white-sided dolphins. It's even got its own tropical rainforest.

Following in the footsteps of Marilyn Monroe and the Rolling Stones, it's just a matter of time until you face the walk across the Capilano Suspension Bridge. At 137m in length and strung across a 70m deep gorge, it's the longest and highest suspended footbridge in the world.

Another rewarding, but potentially nerve shredding way to spend the afternoon is to catch the Skyride cable car to travel 1127m up to the summit of Grouse Mountain.

After a spectacular three-hour ferry trip, meandering between the islands that dot the Strait of Georgia, Vancouver Island is a 450km stretch of pristine forests and beaches. But it's really Victoria - the historic capital of British Colombia that draws the visitors.

All that fresh air works wonders for the appetite and Vancouver eats out, and drinks more wine, than any other North American city.

With over half her population of Asian origin, Vancouver's Chinatown serves up some of the best Pacific Rim cuisine on the continent, while those with a more Eurocentric palate should head for the bistros and brasseries that line the cobbled streets of Gastown.