Above Lions Bay stand the two granite peaks that gave the village its name, The Lions, visible from much of Vancouver and known to the Squamish people as the Twin Sisters. The village itself clings to steep slopes above Howe Sound, a scatter of houses among cedars and firs, with a small beach and a marina far below. It is a residential community rather than a stop with services, but the setting is spectacular.
The road that brings you here is the Sea-to-Sky Highway, Highway 99, which runs from Horseshoe Bay to Squamish and Whistler. It was rebuilt and widened before the 2010 Winter Olympics, and the result is a fast, flowing road carved into the cliffs, with the fjord glittering on one side and rock walls on the other. The views across Howe Sound to the islands and the Coast Mountains are superb, especially in the morning light. A little further north, Porteau Cove offers a good place to pull over by the water.
The road demands respect. Traffic is heavy on summer weekends and holidays, with impatient drivers and lots of RVs. Rockfall and wet surfaces are a real risk, especially in the rainy months, when water streams across the road from the slopes. Speed enforcement is common, and the corners can tighten unexpectedly. In winter, snow and ice are possible, and the road is best left to cars.
Squamish, under the huge granite face of the Stawamus Chief, is a natural break point before continuing towards Whistler or Mount Baker on the cross-border loop.