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West Vancouver:
One of Canada’s most picturesque residential areas. Bordered by Burrard Inlet to the south and Howe Sound to the west, West Vancouver is along the lower slope of Hollyburn Mountain that’s between Capilano River valley and Horseshoe Bay. Here you will find some of Vancouver’s most expensive and stately homes. Sea walls and walkways along the shoreline; marina facilities; golfing; hiking; biking; downhill and cross country skiing; snowshoeing and winter-hiking; snowmobiling; shopping and dining.  West Van incorporates the villages of Ambleside, Dundarave, Caulfield, and Horseshoe Bay. There's an old saying that if you can see the North Shore from Vancouver, it's about to rain, and if you can't, it's raining. Rain is part of the price residents on the steep-sided slopes of West Vancouver pay for living on the wild side of Burrard Inlet. Clouds bump up against the forested mountainside, become ensnared in dense stands of Douglas fir and hemlock, and linger long after skies have opened over Vancouver. This is a moody locale. On a clear day, few skylines can compete with the one composed of the Shores' six peaks - Black, Strachan, Hollyburn, Grouse, Fromme, and Seymour Mountains. After a rainstorm, the brilliant black-green hue of the North Shore shines with freshness. No matter how far up the mountainside neighbourhoods have crept, the wilderness still influences the North Shore. Black bears and cougars prowl backyards on the perimeter of habitation. Hapless hikers, skiers, and snowboarders routinely lose their way and wait (and pray) to be saved by the North Shore Rescue Team, a volunteer group who selflessly put their own lives at risk to track down missing adventurers. Despite the outward appearance of urbanity, the North Shore contains some of the most rugged terrain in the province. The mountainous topography represents the forward perimeter of land pushed out to the coast by the mile-thick glacial ice pan that held sway 12,000 years ago. The Coast Mountains, which begin on the North Shore and sweep north along the British Columbia coast and through Alaska, are the tallest range in North America and among the most heavily glaciated. Due to the North Shore's steep incline, much of the outdoors activity that takes place here will get your heart rate up within minutes of starting out, whether you adventure on foot, by bike, or on skis or snowboard. Pothole lakes are the refreshing reward for those who explore the higher reaches in summer. Along picturesque Marine Drive, on the way to Horseshoe Bay, you'll find Lighthouse Park and its 75 hectares (185 acres) of majestic forest including towering Douglas Fir. The park`s extensive network of trails can take you out to the 1874 lighthouse - Canada's oldest manned lighthouse - and along the rugged coastline where seals can be found basking on the rocks below. An equally impressive road will take you up to Cypress Mountain. Horseshoe Bay is the western most community in West Vancouver and it's also the departure point for ferries to Bowen Island, Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.
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