Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately 125 km (78 mi) north of Vancouver and 36 km (22 mi) south of the town of Pemberton. Named for the furry marmots that populate the area and whistle like deflating balloons, this gabled alpine village and 2010 Olympics venue is one of the world's most popular ski resorts. Nestled in the formidable shadow of the Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, the village has a frosted Christmas-card look in winter. But summer visitors now outnumber their ski-season equivalents, with many lured by the area's scenic hiking, biking and thrill-popping outdoor adventures. It's surprisingly easy to get lost walking around the labyrinthine little village but you're unlikely to find yourself too far from your destination once you turn around the next corner.

It's not hard to find a place to eat in Whistler but you don't have to stick to the well-worn tourist spots. Stroll a little off-the-beaten-path and you'll be dining with the locals. There are plenty of party-hard après-ski joints and a couple of clubs to dance away your aching ski muscles in Whistler. There are also some traditional style pubs for quieter quaffing.

The Whistler resort area, north of Vancouver in British Columbia, exists because of skiing. With more than 8,000 acres over 2 mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb, it’s the largest skiable area in North America. This is British Columbia's activity central, with a huge array of winter and summer options for those who like to work up a sweat or surf a few spine-tingling thrills. That distinction – and its roughly 12m of yearly snowfall – helped it earn co-hosting duties at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Its hub is a compact, chalet-style pedestrian village. Over two million people visit Whistler annually, primarily for alpine skiing and snowboarding and, in summer, mountain biking at Whistler Blackcomb. Its pedestrian village has won numerous design awards and Whistler has been voted among the top destinations in North America by major ski magazines since the mid-1990s.