A sunny trip to Vancouver (Canada): Between the seas and the mountains

Every week, our team chooses a destination where you can escape for a few days. This last week of August, from 26 August to 2 September, we invite you to cross the Atlantic and set down your bags in Canada, more precisely in Vancouver, a port city on the shores of the Pacific.

Canada, perched at the northern tip of North America, is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Vancouver, the country's eighth-largest city, nestles in the British Columbia lowlands and is home to around 600,000 people. Renowned for its exceptional quality of life, Vancouver is regularly ranked among the top five cities in the world. To get there, there are multiple weekly flights from Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport to Vancouver International Airport, with a non-stop flight time of around 10 hours. The time difference is 9 hours less.

A temperate oceanic climate

Vancouver enjoys a temperate oceanic climate, with relatively mild, wet winters and generally dry but moderately hot summers. August is the hottest month of the year, with maximum temperatures regularly above 22°C, and minimums rarely dipping below 12°C. It's also the driest and sunniest month, with only one day in five having rain. However, the waters of the Strait of Georgia, which borders the city, remain cool, fluctuating between 8°C in winter and just 14°C in summer. In these conditions, swimming is not necessarily recommended...

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A Week of Warm Sunshine

To date, 14 million hectares have gone up in smoke as a result of the forest fires that have been affecting Canada since late May and early June. Currently, 41,000 hectares are on fire in British Columbia, and these fires are heading west. They are about 500 km north-east of Vancouver. Smoke has affected the city this week, but with the wind shifting to the south, your journey should not be affected. For the week of August 26 to September 2, expect particularly warm temperatures from this weekend onwards, with lows between 15 and 16°C, and highs between 28 and 31°C. Temperatures will return to seasonal averages next week, from Tuesday to Thursday, with the arrival of a disturbance bringing clouds and rain. The sun will return in force after the passage of this disturbance, becoming summer-like for the following weekend. Temperatures, cool between 13 and 15°C in the morning, will rise generously from Friday to exceed seasonal normals, reaching between 25 and 29°C in the afternoon. The wind will be light all week, tending south/south-west, and the water temperature for swimming will be between 17 and 19°C, which is warm for the period, while it will be rather cool, between 13 and 14°C. Enjoy your holiday.

Relaxed atmosphere, between sea and mountains

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Built on the delta of the Fraser River, Vancouver's lush vegetation is sure to charm you. The city exudes a relaxed, airy atmosphere, thanks to its mountainous and coastal setting, its many parks and wide streets. There are countless sights worth visiting, such as the Marine Building, an imposing skyscraper (featured in the Smallville series); the Vancouver Art Gallery, an art museum housing some 10,000 works of art, and the Yaletown and Gastown districts. Another must-see museum is the Vancouver Museum of Anthropology. Its many works of art trace the history of the first peoples of British Columbia.

Favourite: the Vancouver Aquarium

It's the largest aquarium in Canada and the fifth largest in North America. And believe me, it's well worth the diversions: the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, nestled in the heart of Stanley Park. Open all year round, it covers 9,000 m² and is home to over 70,000 aquatic creatures. You'll be immersed in a magical atmosphere, worthy of a 4D film, with an exceptional variety of flora and fauna! You'll discover different zones: the underwater world of Vancouver Island, the Amazon region and the outdoor pools housing the otters and belugas of the St. Lawrence. Allow at least 4 hours for a relaxing visit, especially during busy periods.