Ranked number 34 by the The Times Higher Education World University Rankings report, the University of British Columbia has a lot more to offer than a good education. Here are our favourite things to do at or near the University of British Columbia. Click the links to get more details about costs, transportation and special events.
The Spanish Banks
Just west of Jericho Beach, the Spanish Banks are less crowded than Kitsilano beaches. We love to come here to relax, to walk along the beach, to go for a cold dip in the water, to take in the views of English Bay, West Vancouver and the North Shore mountains.
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Jericho Beach
If reading and relaxing are too tame for you, the Jericho Sailing Centre hosts three schools where you can learn skills and rent equipment. Windsure Adventure Watersports for windsurfing, paddleboarding and skimboarding, Eco-Marine Paddlesports for kayaking and Macsailing. After your advenures, you can relax at The Galley Patio and Grill.
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Wreck Beach (including Acadia and Tower Beaches). Wreck Beach (including Acadia and Tower Beaches). Wreck Beach consists of over 7 km of coastline. The beach is big and several trails lead to it from UBC and from the Pacific Spirit Regional Park. Wreck Beach is famous for being 'clothing optional'. Make sure that you take care of the beach, respect other beachgoers and help preserve the delicate ecosystem that makes this place so special. One way you can do that is to stick to the official trails.
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Pacific Spirit Regional Park, at 763 hectares in total, includes beaches and 70 km of forest trails for trail running, walking and cycling. Every time we come here we take a different route and explore the beautiful forests of Douglas Firs and Hemlock trees.
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Museum of Anthropology. With exhibits inside and out, in addition to a wealth of art and research material relating to Canadian First Nations and indigenous cultures around the world, you could spend almost a whole day here, and we have. If you go on a Tuesday, which we did, you get a free guided tour (with the price of admission). We like to combine a visit to the Museum with a visit to the beach, as you can take Trail no. 4 on the north side of the museum down to Tower Beach.
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Nitobe Memorial Garden. We have visited this garden more than once. You have to pay admission to get in garden but you can get a pass that lets you visit the Nitobe and UBC Botanical Gardens for a year, AND visit the Museum of Anthropology and Beaty Biodiversity Museum for six months for one price ($33, not including tax).
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Play a round of 18 holes at the University Golf Club. To be honest, we don’t golf, but our friends do and they rave about the place. The University Golf Club logo reads, “Non-Members Only” and their prices range from $22 - $72 per person per game. They also have a driving range and you can book your tee times online. They are in a beautiful setting, they have been around since 1929 and the original club house is now a BC Golf Museum.
Performance Spaces
So far we have attended three or four events at UBC this year, most of which cost us nothing. Film, cultural and student societies put free presentations, panels, discussions and exhibitions all year round. In addition, the UBC School of Music, The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Frederic Wood Theatre host public performances at various rates with everything from recitals, to operas to art shows to plays.
Coffee and Food
The Boulevard Coffee and Great Dane Coffee We wish these kinds of coffee places had been around when we were going to university. Both places are hubs of activity and both provide great spaces for work/study, conversation or just thinking and relaxing.
The Eatery. This place is crazy and delicious.The Eatery technically isn’t that close to UBC but it is a 20 minute walk from Jericho Beach AND a lot of students go there and people kept telling us how much fun it was so we went. Their sushi is really good and really fun to eat. They have salads, Donburi, Udon and Soba, curry dishes, Okonomiyaki and tons of fusion-y sushi appetizers like Japayam Fries, Sushi Pizza Bites and Bacon Striptease.
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