My first visit to Stanley Park was in 2007, and a good portion of the seawall promenade that encircles the park was still closed to visitors due to damage from a severe storm the previous fall. But on the occasion of my second visit, all had been repaired—which meant it was a perfect opportunity for me to take a brisk walk around the entire park.

Stanley Park, of course, is the crown jewel in a city uncommonly blessed with scenic attributes. It’s a hiker’s paradise and a truly delightful retreat that’s all the more special because it’s a stone’s throw from downtown’s closely packed hubbub. I had hiked the trails that wind through the park’s lush stands of Douglas fir, western hemlock and western red cedar; now it was time to take on the seawall. The entire loop is a little over 6 miles (about 9 kilometres for those of you versed in the metric system). One of the coolest things about this walk is that you enjoy an uninterrupted series of water views, which is a distinct contrast from the cool, woodsy deep shade when you’re among the trees.

Starting out, I picked up the paved walking path at Beach Avenue, heading in the direction of the park swimming pool. It follows English Bay, and this section is crowded with casual strollers out enjoying the afternoon sun. During low tide the bay’s rocky beach is exposed, and some Vancouverites are kno wn to venture out and indulge in a little creative therapy using the round, flat stones scattered along the shoreline. Standing at the water’s edge was an amazing sculpture of stones precariously stacked on top of each other. Depending on your point of view, it resembled several penguins gathered on top of a long, narrow log, some sort of alien spaceship or the hippie version of Stonehenge. I tipped my hat to that one.

Once past the swimming pool and concession stands at bustling Second Beach you leave the casual strollers behind and get into the real meat of the walk. To the left are the sparkling waters of English Bay; tree-covered sandstone cliffs rise to the right. The seawall rounds Ferguson Point before reaching Third Beach, a more secluded beach where low tide reveals barnacle-encrusted rocks, logs and pieces of driftwood. Looking north, the expansive view across the water takes in the North Vancouver skyline, with the North Shore Mountains in the distance.

You can’t miss Siwash Rock (left), a classic photo op. This outcropping stands between 50 and 60 feet tall. Created millions of years ago when a section of the sedimentary rock that forms the foundation of Stanley Park broke off due to volcanic action, this geologic feature is known as a sea stack. While there are numerous sea stacks along the Oregon and Washington coasts, this is the only known stack in the Vancouver area. Rising from the water quite close to shore, it’s a distinctive landmark made even more so by the small Douglas fir growing at the summit.

Bikers and bladers outnumber walkers as the seawall curves toward Prospect Point, the park’s northernmost tip. The views are just terrific. Just around the point you pass right under the Lions Gate Bridge, a very cool perspective since most people are in vehicles driving across it rather than on the ground looking up. Ahead of me a small knot of people were gathered, pointing and exclaiming over the edge of the seawall at something below. At this point the wall is pretty high above the beach, preventing you from climbing down. I hustled over to see what the fuss was about.

Peering carefully over the edge and looked down, I saw a mama raccoon and her brood. Their heads poked in and out from cavities in the wall before the young-uns clambered one by one down to the beach and started nosing around in the shallows. I believe mom was teaching them how to fish for their supper.

Past Prospect Point the seawall runs along the shore of Burrard Inlet. The smell of cedar hangs for a moment in the air. Clumps of purple-flowered buddleia give off a sweet, pleasant fragrance. A horse-drawn trolley passes by, and the driver waves and obligingly stops so I can snap a picture. I pass the Empress of Japan Figurehead (right), another photo op. It’s a replica of an ornate dragon that was the figurehead of the RMS Empress of Japan, an ocean liner that once delivered mail between Great Britain and Hong Kong via Canada.

Just beyond the dragon is the life-size “Girl in Wet Suit” statue. She reposes on top of a rock about 30 or so feet offshore. At first glance you might think it’s a mermaid, but look carefully and you’ll see that there’s no tail; this girl is wearing flippers. Sea gulls find the top of her head a convenient perch. Keep going a kilometre or so farther and you’ll come to the park’s totem poles, which stand in a clearing next to a grove of conifers. Interpretive plaques explain the symbolism associated with each totem. This also makes a good pit stop since there are washrooms and a snack stand.

I must admit I cheated a bit at this point; instead of continuing to the lighthouse at Brockton Point and then rounding the point, I cut across the parking lot. What beckoned me—besides the fact that I had finished off both of my water bottles and was getting hungry—was the outstanding view of the city skyline. The final leg of the walk follows the shore of Coal Harbour, and with every bend and curve of the paved path downtown Vancouver presents a shifting face of glittering glass high-rises, complete with an armada of yachts and pleasure craft docked in the harbor. Entrances to Stanley Park are at the foot of Davie Street via Beach Avenue and at the foot of Georgia Street near Lost Lagoon. Following the path around the southern shore of Lost Lagoon will take you back to Second Beach and the end of your Stanley Park adventure. It’s not only good for your legs—it’s soothing to the soul as well. Happy trekking!