Vancouver (and Beyond) for Lovers

Deserted beaches, crashing waves, candle-lit dining, starry skies… you get the picture. If you’re looking for a setting to woo your beloved, Vancouver is the place.

The choices are limited only by your imagination, but here are some personal favourites especially selected for Valentine's Day.

If fine dining, city lights and a sophisticated urban setting work for you, opt for a date in Vancouver. Start the morning with a latte and muffin by the water -- or treat each other to handmade chocolates, fresh strawberries or even some tasty pastry -- at the Granville Island Public Market where dozens of food and craft stalls stimulate every sense. After breakfast, hop onto one of the little foot passenger ferries

Next, head across the graceful sweep of Lions Gate Bridge to North Vancouver and stop for an adrenaline rush at the Capilano Suspension Bridge. You'll want to hold hands on the bridge as it sways 230 feet over the raging waters of Capilano Canyon. While you're there, check out the Treetops Adventure, where more bridges take you to viewing platforms high in the trees. A less-visited suspension bridge at Lynn Canyon Park is just as scenic, and a little more private. Top off the day with a mile-long (1.6 kilometre) ride on the Grouse Mountain

Dinner? In Vancouver, the options are almost overwhelming. You could stay on Grouse Mountain and enjoy the Pacific Northwest fare and stunning views at the Observatory Restaurant or head back to town. A few favourites for candlelight dining and impeccable food are Villa del Lupo, serving Italian fare in a cozy heritage house, and Bacchus in the Wedgewood Hotel, with its sensuous ambience and modern French cuisine.

From Vancouver, you're just two hours from Whistler. Consistently ranked the best place to ski on the continent, this year-round destination is also a top spot to walk hand-in-hand in the snow, cozy up together by the fire, or try one of Whistler's myriad once-in-a-lifetime romantic experiences. You can, like the Bachelor team, race through the trees on a zip line, or take a moonlit walk on snowshoes followed by fondue at a mountainside cabin; you can opt for a dreamy horse-drawn sleigh ride or a thrilling helicopter flight over the area's peaks and glaciers. One call to the Whistler Activity and Information Centre will arrange it.

And here's a local tip: at the top of Blackcomb Mountain, behind Horstman Hut, is a spectacular viewpoint called Proposal Point. that sail every few minutes across False Creek to the city's West End. From there it’s a seaside stroll or quick cab ride to the Stanley Park Seawall, the locals' favourite place to walk hand-in-hand. You don't have to walk (or cycle, or in-line skate) the whole nine kilometre (5.6 mile) circuit -- every part of the route, with its ocean, forest, city, and mountain scenery, is delightful. For a more private walk, take one of the less-trodden paths around Beaver Lake or Lost Lagoon. Skyride and admire the blanket of city lights below.