Canada Guide
Southern British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada's third-largest metropolis, is one of the world's great scenic cities. It stands apart from the rest of British Columbia, but makes an obvious departure point for trips around the province. The so-called Sea to Sky Highway (Hwy 99) to Whistler is a tempting road excursion from Vancouver; there's also the 150-kilometre Sunshine Coast, distinguished by occasional stretches of fine coastal scenery.
It says something about the magnificence of British Columbia's interior that you can enter it from Vancouver or the Rockies and find a clutch of landscapes every bit as spectacular as those you've just left. Unfortunately, whatever your approach, both major routes through the region confine you to some of its least interesting areas. The most obvious and quickest line east or west, the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1) isn't worth considering in its entirety unless you're keen to cross the region in a hurry: little west of Revelstoke compares to what you might find further north or south. Nor does Highway 3, rumbling along just north of the US border, offer a convincing reason for sticking to it religiously.
The best option would be to take a meandering course towards the outstanding Kootenay region in the province's southeastern corner – an idyllic assortment of mountains and lakes and several towns that are fun to stay in – perhaps by way of the Okanagan, located in BC's arid centre, an almost Californian enclave of orchards, vineyards, warm lakes and resort towns, whose beaches and scorching summers suck in hordes of holidaymakers from all over Canada and the western US. From here you could push north to Kamloops, a far from exciting town but transport hub for the region and a jumping-off point for the magnificent Wells Gray Provincial Park or the Yukon. The other major option would be to head south to take in the better parts of Hwy 3 west of Osoyoos, also reasonably easily reached directly from Vancouver, and which includes a corner of desert and the spectacular ridges of the Cascades and Coast Mountains.
Highlights
1 Wells Gray Provincial Park This vast tract of wilderness has scenery that is the equal of the Canadian Rockies.
2 The Kootenays A pristine region of lakes, mountains, forests, hot springs and charming old-world villages.
3 Nelson British Columbia's most compelling town, thanks to over 350 glorious historic buildings and a thriving cultural and alternative lifestyle scene.