UPTOURIST

If you’ve never visited Surrey, or it’s been a while, it’s time to get acquainted with this absolutely perfect summer time getaway!

Though there’s plenty to do right within the city limits, I’ve listed this as a summertime hotspot because of the variety of outdoors activities it offers. Late spring, summer and well into late fall are all great times to hit this city up.

It’s a hiker and mountain biker mecca. Not to mention the fishing and water sports potential are always primed for fun after the heavy rainfall of early spring fades into the very mild and pleasantly temperate (not too hot) days of summer.

Surrey is a festival mecca during the summer months, though it’s often drown out by Toronto (Pan Am games coming soon!)

Check out their 2015 itinerary and you’ll be sure to find something that catches yours and your family/friend’s interests: http://www.tourismsurrey.com/surrey-events-and-festivals/

As you viewed in the graphic, over half the population is Asian and many more of Middle Eastern decent. This makes Surrey a very family-friendly place, with a low divorce rate and tons of amenities for you and yours. The food choices here are extremely multi-cultural: American, European, French, Asian and Indian restaurants and street vendors abound in this place!

With 210 kilometers (that’s ~ 130.5 miles for you Yanks), it should be obvious this is a very bike-friendly city. It’s also a great place to walk around and you’ll find the locals surprisingly open and friendly compared to stuffier Canuck cities like Toronto and Vancouver, which is only a half hour away via SkyTrain.

If you enjoy a challenge, either on foot or bike, Surrey has some of the longest and most challenging hill climbs you’ll find in North America:

• Headley Common (201m/659ft)
• Box Hill (195m/640ft)
• Ranmore Common (190m/623ft)
• Green Dene (208m/682ft)
• Pitch Hill (244m/800ft)
• Leith Hill (248m/813ft)

Make sure you spend a day or two exploring the Ocean Park area, with many overlooking ocean views and wonderful centuries old forests with endless walkways and trails throughout.

Don’t forget to check out our hotel deal finder to get the very best summer rates, sign up to our mailing list to be updated when new travel posts are released.

Happy and safe travels!

 

Main image by British Columbia Emergency Response