Things for Women to Do in Squamish
Explore the Shops and Eateries on Cleveland Avenue
Cleveland Avenue is Squamish’s front street and the heart of shopping and dining. The little boutiques and specialty shops, dining and coffee options, and two parks, have made the strip a favourite place for women to enjoy a few delightful hours during their stay.
Are you due for a bit of pampering? One of the unique shops is Be Clean Naturally: Soap Shoppe & Herbal Aroma Therapy uses only 100% pure essential oils when scenting their natural soaps, candles, skincare, haircare, shaving, dental, roll-ons and other natural products. Yoga Love & Meditation Boutique offers guided meditations, kirtan, workshops and book studies; and their retail store has a selection of metaphysical and health books, oracle and tarot cards, musical instruments, crystals, clothing and yoga/meditation props. Mountain View Nails & Spa provides nail services, waxing, spa pedicures and manicures, eyelash extensions and more. Located in Chieftain Centre Mall, T&A Nails Salon offers manicures, pedicures, nail repairs facials, waxing and more, a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
Skin Focus offers a unique medical spa experience with the most qualified and experienced team and medical aesthetics. As a naturopathic doctor, Dr. Dawn Gareau’s passion for helping people achieve healthier and natural-looking skin comes from treating the body as a whole. If you’d like to fit in a workout, Breathe Fitness & Yoga has fitness and yoga classes, as well as a selection of bras, jackets, leggings and shorts. Club Flex 24 Hr Fitness includes 24-hour access to their facilities, with exercise classes, locker room amenities, state of the art strength and cardio equipment in their newly renovated gym.
Are you looking for a unique gift or décor piece for your home? Billies House is Squamish’s florist, and they offer a selection of gifts. Lucas Teas provides a selection of fine loose teas and teaware. And Xoco Chocolate brings you evolved, contemporary west coast chocolate, cakes and pastries. At The Eclectic Circle, you’ll find a wide selection of unique gifts: decorative items, unique jewelry, cards and stationery, clothing items from around the world, books on spirituality, tarot, cards, incense, crystals and much more.
For kids’ clothing, shoes, toys, baby gear and dance, Kaos Kids is the place to shop. For fashion, Whistle Stop Boutique, The Funky Monkey Boutique and Fetish for Shoes are conveniently grouped together on the west side of Cleveland. Stylezone Fashions, located in Chieftain Centre Mall, is a modern clothing boutique, with on-trend big city brands at small-town prices. Wild and Heart is a thoughtfully curated west-coast lifestyle boutique. They have curated a mix of women’s clothing, objects, apothecary and vintage.
If you’re looking for a kitchen tool or gadget, Karin’s Kitchen Corner has a great selection. For entire ‘roomscapes’, to interesting decor items, Anna’s Interiors has the latest in home furnishings and accessories. Next door, Empire of Dirt provides refurbished treasures, jewelry, watches, art, antiques, vintage and custom made furniture; shabby chic style and funky flare for your home décor. The Hive showcases a mix of home accessories, wall decor, bedding, shower curtains, and other bathroom items. They also offer a collection of wallets, bags, and jewelry and one of a kind gifts.
Sea to Sky Art House is a gallery that focuses on showcasing and supporting local British Columbia artists. The gallery sells prints, originals, tote bags, pins, photographs and wood carvings. Squamish Native Art Store sells carvings and artwork from BC native artists. Don’t let the frontage fool you: the small shop carries several hundred carvings, masks, paintings, sculptures, drums, and talking sticks.
Outdoor enthusiasts have three great stores to choose from, right off Cleveland. Corsa Cycles offers a full range of road bikes, commuter/hybrid bikes, kids bikes, and full-suspension mountain bikes; with parts, accessories, clothing and service. Shop Valhalla Pure for premium outdoor clothing from around the world. They have a great selection of outdoor gear from Icebreaker, prAna, Rab, Black Diamond, Ortovox, Patagonia, LaSportiva and more. Climb On is a rock climbing specialty store, featuring gear for bouldering, sport climbing, trad climbing, climbing, work and rescue, camping and kids. Rentals are available.
If you’re ready to take a shopping break or enjoy a picnic, there are two parks to choose from. Stan Clarke Park is a small rest area, with lovely landscaping and several large shade trees, a memorial mosaic and monument to remember the Squamish soldiers who lost their lives in World War conflict. There are 23 birch trees planted, one for each soldier. The park was named after G.S. Clarke (Stanbrook), a prominent railwayman who arrived in Squamish in 1927. Across the street, Junction Park & O`Siyam Pavilion is a popular spot with locals and tourists who grab some take-out from one of the Downtown Squamish eateries and have a picnic. The Stawamus Chief mountain is in the backdrop, making it a popular place for family pictures. O`Siyam Pavilion is a popular venue for summer outdoor concerts. The Squamish Yacht Club is just across Logger’s Lane.
In addition to several fast-food chains, the Cleveland Avenue strip offers several quick spots to grab a bite. There’s the popular Carte Diem food truck, that sets up at the corner of Winnipeg St. shortly before noon. Their tagline is “Seize the Souvlaki”, and they offer lamb, chicken, and pork souvlaki dishes and gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. Parkside Cafe serves up curry and rice/naan dishes, wraps and rolls, sandwiches, patties, samosa and kulcha. Sunflower Bakery & Cafe is another popular stop for breakfast or lunch; with soups and sandwiches, and fresh baked goods. All made from scratch and using the finest ingredients available. And right next door, Zephyr Cafe offers creative and tasty vegan, raw and gluten-free dishes. Zephyr has a warm community feel, healthy eating and local art.
Everything at The Ledge Community Coffee House is fresh sourced, wholesome and homemade. The coffee is fresh-roasted weekly, all of the pastries are baked fresh daily in-house, and their soups, sandwiches and share-plates are hearty and made from scratch. The Green Moustache is a 100% organic, whole food café. They serve plant-based, whole food meals, desserts, cold-pressed juices and smoothies, made from scratch. Samurai Sushi Downtown‘s takeout and delivery menu includes sushi, house rolls, nigiri, agedashi, teriyaki and karaage.
If you’re ready for dinner or something a little more substantial the Cleveland Ave. shopping strip has several great options. Inspired by the flavours of Louisiana, The Copper Coil Still and Grill menu utilizes fresh Pacific Northwest and seasonal ingredients to create unique, delicious dishes that are handcrafted to satisfy. There’s something to satisfy everyone, with salads, burgers, po’boys, smoked ribs, cajun fare, pasta and desserts. Howe Sound Inn & Brewing Company offers a menu full of house-made favourites, and their chefs focus on freshness and unique flavours, cooking with their own beer, seasonal produce and local seafood. Be sure to taste their wide selection of craft ales, lagers and stouts available on draft in the brewpub, made on the premises. Oryzae Japanese Cuisine serves Japanese Izakaya appetizers, a selection of basic and signature rolls, donburis and noodles, sashimi and tataki, and nigiris.
Enjoy a Guided Kayak Tour of the Squamish Harbour and Estuary
Join Sea to Sky Adventure Company’s experienced and certified guides on a tour through the Squamish harbour and estuary. Guided tours and lessons are available with kayaks or stand-up paddleboards. Wildlife sightings are common, and you’ll enjoy spectacular views of Shannon Falls, Howe Sound and the Stawamus Chief. Beginners are welcome, and gear rental and shuttle are included.
Take an Intro to Mountain Biking Lesson
Squamish is known as one of the world’s best mountain biking destinations. If taking a guided bike tour in the Sea To Sky Corridor represents an adventure bucket list checkmark for you, be sure to book one-on-one mountain bike coaching from RideHub. They offer tailored riding lessons and video analysis with a certified, expert mountain bike instructor. RideHub Private Instruction is suitable for beginner to expert riders with varying endurance abilities.
Examples of course content could be terrain awareness, line selection, slabs, technical steeps, skinnies and ttfs, drop progression, jump progression, cornering techniques, pumptracks and flow, and more. Before the lesson, one of the principal coaches will contact you by phone to better understand what your goals are. Trails are then chosen based on the curriculum for the half-day or full-day lesson.
Head out for a Half-Day Guided Mountain Bike Tour
Your certified PMBI guide at Sea to Sky Adventure Company will design a fully customized 3.5 hour trip based upon your skill level and what you want to get out of this day. Sea to Sky’s guides are experts of Squamish’s local trails (over 200kms of single track) and know exactly where to take you. Beginner to advanced, there’s always somewhere to go. Shuttle is included and bike rental is discounted with a tour.
Ride the Sea to Sky Gondola
The ride up to the summit usually provides spectacular views of Howe Sound, Shannon Falls, the lush coastal forest, the Stawamus Chief climbing area and other surrounding mountains. At the top there are two different interpretive loop walking trails featuring cantilevered viewing platforms. Other attractions include the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge and numerous hiking trails. Over 100 events are hosted at the summit each year. We hope to have good news about the gondola’s reopening in the near future.
The Basecamp Cafe is open, and is serving hot coffee, sandwiches and soups. The Sea to Sky Gondola Gift Shop offers a selection of outerwear, customs prints, gift items, and many items.
Due to an act of vandalism on September 14th, 2020, the gondola is currently closed.
Enjoy a Canadian Signature Experience at the Britannia Mine Museum
Britannia Mine Museum delivers an immersive historical experience. The 10-acre site includes guided underground tours and self-led exploration of the social history of Britannia Beach. The underground train takes you into an early haulage tunnel, to discover what it was like to be a copper miner, with demonstrations of actual working drills. The museum’s new Disney-like attraction BOOM! will introduce your family to the story, sights and sounds behind the architectural marvel, Mill No. 3. You’ll discover first-hand the historic Mill’s purpose, the giant machines that made it work, and the thunderous roar of a working mill.
Other attractions include a mineral gallery, gold panning pavilion, foundations exhibit, giant haul truck, the Beaty Lundin Visitor Centre, heritage building, the award-winning “Groundbreaking” film, historical buildings and artefacts and a gift shop.
Experience the ‘Sea to Skypilot’ Flightseeing Tour
With Sea to Sky Air’s ‘Sea to Skypilot’ scenic flight pack you’ll get an eagle’s-eye-view of Skypilot Mountain, Goat Ridge, the Howe Sound Fjord and, on a really clear day, Vancouver Island and Mt Baker, Washington. The flight is 25 minutes in length and covers more than 80 square kilometres. Sea to Sky Air’s pilots love sharing what they know about the area’s geology and history, and they’ve outfitted every seat with a two-way headset and microphone. This very affordable package is excellent for first-time flightseers.
Enjoy a Leisurely Afternoon Sailing
Spend 3 glorious hours enjoying the breathtaking views of Howe Sound and the Coastal and Tantalus mountain ranges with Canadian Coastal Sailing. The sails of the 40′ sailboat are raised as you pass beneath the famous Stawamus Chief granite monolith and cascading Shannon Falls. Regardless of expertise or ability, you will learn about sailing and be able to take your turn at the helm, or grind a winch to trim sails. Most days you can see colourful kites as the craft tacks offshore in the afternoon’s inflow winds. The same topographic conditions that makes the Howe Sound fjord perfect for sailing also attracts kiteboarders from around the world. And with a bit of luck, you may spot a pod of dolphins or Orcas.