Things to Do in Vancouver in April

April gives you Vancouver's rainforest trails without the crush. Air stays cool, humid, good for exertion. Ferns glow emerald, moss drips from ancient hemlocks, creeks echo with snowmelt. Summer dust hasn't arrived; every breath tastes clean and damp. Lynn Canyon and Baden-Powell trails are clear yet uncrowded. Bring a rain shell. The canopy can drip even when the sky holds back.

For three weeks Vancouver erupts in cherry blossoms. The city owns one of the largest collections of cherry trees outside Japan, and April is when they pop. The show is free and gloriously random. One West End street becomes a pale pink Akebono tunnel, pavement slick with almond-scented petals, while around the corner Kanzan buds stay tight. Light rain intensifies color and keeps selfie sticks away. Quiet beauty beats spectacle here.

The Salish Sea wakes in April. Gray whales migrate north, sea lions bark near Point Atkinson, bald eagles nest. Out on a 50-foot boat the air is salty, cold, unmistakably North Pacific. Sails snap, the hull hisses through steel-gray water. From deck you see glass towers backed by snow-dusted peaks. Cabins are heated. Yet the wind on your face is the point.

Vancouver's brewery scene hides in Mount Pleasant and East Vancouver warehouses, perfect when April showers hit. Malt and hops steam into the street. When sun slants through garage doors, the light feels cinematic. A hazy IPA or rich stout tastes seasonally right: hearty, comforting. Inside, locals dodge drizzle and argue over the latest sour.

Rain drives Vancouver indoors to its markets. Granville Island Public Market roars with fishmongers, sizzling doughnuts, ripe fruit, and fresh flowers. April brings the first local rhubarb and greenhouse tomatoes. For fewer tourists, try the PNE food hall or Richmond's new Asian complexes, steamy with clacking soup spoons and roasting duck aroma.