The third “big thing” we did while in Vancouver (in addition to the Vancouver Aquarium and the Science World) was visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Located in the hills of North Vancouver, there’s a free shuttle bus from the downtown area which makes getting there a breeze. The bus picked us up from a nearby hotel, took a quick jaunt through Stanley Park and across the bridge, and 20 minutes later we were there. Awesome.

Capilano was so incredible I had to dedicate an entire post to it. It was like entering a hidden world tucked away in a rainforest of clouds. Be sure to have good walking shoes, because there is a lot of walking and climbing up wooden steps, and a raincoat is a good idea too. Also, be warned, this is not for people who are afraid of heights!

The park has three distinct areas – the suspension bridge itself, the treetops adventure, and the stomach churning Cliffwalk. Here’s what all three areas look like:

The first part you do is the bridge, spans across a deep, deep canyon. Way down below you can see the rushing Capilano River runs and bald eagles soaring around. It was magical though a bit nerve wracking when the bridge starts to sway!

After crossing the bridge, you head towards the Treetop Adventure course, where a series of wooden bridges, walkways and paths lead you up into the forest to admire the amazing natural beauty. It is a lot of walking so be prepared!

After making your way through the Treetops area, you return and get the bonus of crossing the big suspension bridge again! If you’re lucky there won’t be loads of people on it and you’ll get the bridge all to yourself to take pictures.

After re-crossing the bridge, you go and risk your life on the Cliffwalk area. I’m pretty good with heights, but even this gave me a twinge in my tummy. The Cliffwalk is built along the side of the sheer cliff of the canyon with a narrow walkway. The star of the show is the curved bridge that juts out into the canyon. Impressive, but slightly terrifying.

The whole thing was just awesome. Loved it. It was by far my favourite part of this trip to Vancouver! And this is an attraction I would definitely go to again.