Coquitlam

Coquitlam borders Burnaby, Port Moody and New Westminster. It is easily accessible from the Trans Canada Highway, Lougheed Highway, Barnett Highway and North Road.
Skytrain's Millennium Line connects Coquitlam directly with Vancouver, Burnaby and Port Moody. Public transit from Vancouver to Coquitlam is on weekdays and on weekends and evenings after 6:30PM.

The TransLink public transit system services all of Coquitlam with buses, Skytrain and the West Coast Express. Car access is easy and parking is free most places, although usually restricted close to Skytrain stations to prevent unauthorized park and ride. Park and Ride lots at the Coquitlam Central and Douglas Lafarge stations offer inexpensive all day parking. Taxis are easy to get locally and walking and cycling are options with several designated bike routes in the city.

• Colony Farm Regional Park

  phone: +1 604 520-6442
  address: Colony Farm Rd
  Popular spot with 8.5 km of trails and opportunities for birdwatching. An estimated 150 species of birds are in the park.

• Como Lake Park

  address: Gatensbury St
  A small, man-made lake and park located in the center of residential Coquitlam. Exactly one kilometer in circumference, the lake is a popular attraction for morning walks, joggers, schoolchildren and occasionally fishermen - though the latter will frequently go home empty-handed.
• Mundy Park is a large urban forest which provides dog off-leash use until 10 am every morning. The park is often host to swim meets and soccer, baseball and lacrosse tournaments.
• Lafarge Lake park hosts a large tournament site, public ping pong tables, basket ball and tennis courts, and a band stand. It is also home to the Evergreen Cultural Centre which hosts gallery exhibits and live performances.
• Maillardville is a small community originally inhabited by French migrants sent to work in the local forest industry during the 19th Century. It is recognized as Western Canada's largest French-Canadian community outside of Manitoba, though the French population continues to decline. There is the Place des Arts which hosts exhibitions and performances, and the Makin House Museum

• Minnekhada Regional Park

  address: Quarry Rd
  200+ acre park with 10 km of trails through forests and wetlands. Minnekhada Lodge, a heritage building where Queen Elizabeth once stayed, is open the first Sunday of each month from 1PM-4PM (except Jan).

• Pinecone Burke Provincial Park

  address: at the end of Quarry Rd
  Large park along Pitt Lake and Burke Mountain with hiking, camping, swimming and boating opportunities.
• The Coquitlam Crunch urban outdoor 'stairmaster' is primarily a fitness challenge.

• Coquitlam Aquatic Centre

  address: 1210 Pinetree Way
  A large public, indoor swimming pool. Appealing to both children and adults alike, it houses two distinct pools, one Olympic-sized, the other smaller and decorated with a jungle theme. The smaller pool also features an elaborate water slide that twists outside of the building. Adults can make use of a full gym as well.

• Planet Ice

  address: 2300 Rocket Way
  A large, state-of-the-art skating arena. It is used mostly for amateur hockey teams, but the arena is open for public skating Monday, Fridays, and Sundays.

• Silver City Coquitlam

  address: 170 Schoolhouse St
  The largest movie theatre in Western Canada with over 20 screens. The complex contains a number of fast-food dining options, but as these are quite expensive hungry visitors may be wiser to eat before the show at one of the surrounding restaurants in the area.

• Traboulay PoCo TrailA 25km walking and cycling trail that circles Port Coquitlam. It is mostly flat and has varied scenery: along the river, downtown and residential areas. A guide is available from the city's website.

Coquitlam is home to a variety of shopping options and features two large shopping malls.

• Lougheed Mall is located off of North Road, on the border between Coquitlam and Burnaby. Though located in Burnaby, it is surrounded by Coquitlam residential neighborhoods and remains a popular attraction for residents of both cities.

• Coquitlam Centre is Coquitlam's main mall. Located off the Barnett Highway, it is found in the heart of Coquitlam's commercial district. It has over 200 stores including a Bay, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, London Drugs, and T&T Asian supermarket. There is a large food court and several connected sit-down restaurants including East Side Mario's and Montana's Steakhouse.
• Surrounding the Coquitlam Centre area are a variety of large chain stores in Pinetree Village and Sunwood Square, including Chapters, Save-On-Foods, and Superstore.
• Just off the Lougheed Highway shoppers can visit the largest Ikea in North America.

• Cactus Club Cafe

  address: 110-101 Schoolhouse St
  Trendy casual restaurant with a varied menu.

• Joey Tomato's Mediterrean Grill

  address: 550 Lougheed Highway

• Haan Korean BBQ

  phone: +1 604 944-7188
  address: 3025 Lougheed Highway
  A restaurant offering Korean main courses and barbecue

• Legend House

  phone: +1 604 475-5222
  address: 140-1169 Pacific Street
  A restaurant offering Northern Chinese cuisine

• Pallas Athena

  phone: +1 604 941-4871
  address: 101-1250 Dominion Ave
  Traditional Greek cuisine with some pizza and Italian dishes. The lamb and calamari are local favourites.

• Wah Wing

  phone: +1 604 945-3333
  address: 2748 Lougheed Highway #207
  Popular restaurant that serves a varied menu of traditional Chinese dishes.

• Gillnetter Pub

  phone: +1 604 941-5599
  address: 1864 Argue St
  Pub with a patio that looks over the Pitt River or you can catch the game on one of the TVs. Crowd is more of a mellow middle aged group. The food is average but the daily specials are good value.

• Wings

  address: 345 North Rd
  Has a huge menu of different flavours of chicken wings, with a decent drink menu. It is often quite busy during hockey games.

• Best Western Coquitlam Inn Convention Centre

  phone: +1 604 931-9011
  address: 319 North Rd
  4 1/2 star Canada select rated hotel that offers guestrooms, executive suites and 2 bedroom suites with full-size kitchens. Amenities and services include two restaurants and a lounge, indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, an indoor tropical garden plus complimentary local phone calls, wireless, high-speed Internet access and parking.

• Green Gables Bed and Breakfast

  phone: +1 604 469-7105
  address: 2242 Park Crescent
  Our Coquitlam Bed and Breakfast Inn is the perfect accommodation for a relaxing vacation. After a day of sightseeing and exploring you will enjoy the peaceful atmosphere at our B&B with its creek (Suter Brook) and tranquil pond surrounded by old cedar trees. Within minutes from our Coquitlam B&B location you can walk by the ocean, a lake, a river or the coastal mountains. Free wireless, high-speed Internet access and parking.

• Poco Inn & Suites

  phone: +1 604 941-6216
  address: 1545 Lougheed Highway
  99 guestrooms, including 23 suites and a few rooms with special themes like Romeo & Juliet, Deserted Island and Back to the 50s. Rooms come standard with fridge, microwave and complimentary high-speed internet.

The other cities in the "Tri-Cities" area Port Coquitlam and Port Moody -- are all very accessible. To the west, along Highway 1, is the North Shore with many outdoor recreation options, while to the east, along Highway 1 or Highway 7, is the Fraser Valley, which also offers more outdoor pursuits and some local wineries.