The stunning architectural curiosity with the billowing 27-meter-high (88-feet) Teflon-coated fiberglass “sails” on Burrard Inlet—the one that looks as if it might weigh anchor and cruise off into the sunset at any moment—is Canada Place, a symbol of Vancouver and a city icon.

Built as the Canada Pavilion for Expo86, this integrated waterfront complex is primarily a convention center and cruise-ship dock. The Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, which makes up the bulk of the complex, is currently being expanded to triple its size at adjacent Burrard Landing, in a half-billion-dollar expansion project that will change the face of the downtown waterfront.

The existing complex at the foot of Burrard Street also houses the luxurious 405-room Pan Pacific Hotel (the glass marvel with domed top), restaurants, shops, and an IMAX theater. Start your self-guided tour at the information booth near the main entrance, then allow at least an hour to wander through the complex.

Don’t miss walking the exterior promenade—three and a half city blocks long—for splendid views of the harbor, the North Shore, the Coast Mountains, and docked Alaska-bound cruise ships.