Very Touristy? Yes. But do the locals actually go there? Also yes. Best on a sunny day, Granville Island is a great spot to hang out, eat, window shop, etc... My recommendations: Coffee-> Pedro's, Agro, and the small stand in the Net Loft.; Doughnuts-> Lee's in the Public Market. Shops-> Ten Thousand Villages, Maiwa, Granville Island Organix, The Kids Market, the Crystal Ark; Food-> The Public Fish Sales off the entrance to the "island", the Pierogis in the food court, Agro cafe also has good food. Don't know too much about the restaurants accept that many of them are chains.; Sites-> Granville Island Brewery Tour, Improv; Transportation-> The Aquabus, False Creek Ferries, and Bus #50.

Great place to spend the day. Take the bus as parking is pretty bad. There is a wonderful art gallery run by the Federation of Canadian Artists, a pottery and ceramic shop with unique and original pieces. For art supplies there is Opus, the art supply store and Kroma Acrylics.(they make their own line of paints) A building full of toys stores. a public market, playhouse theatre, Emily Carr School of fine arts, good restaurants, a marina and so much more. To return to downtown , take the water taxi.

Great place to spend the day. There is a art gallery run by the Federation of Canadian Artists. A public market full of great Fresh Produce, Cheese, Meats etc. Emily Carr School of fine arts is also there. Go to the Granville Island Brewing Company, a great microbrewery with 4 kinds of beer on tap. A must see place when in Vancouver!!!

Granville Island is very cool. It's got a big indoor market which sells everything from meats to cheese to fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, etc. There are also plenty of food booths to choose from. There are lots of shops, a brewery/pub, restaurants, and a theatre where you can see live performances.

This speck of land was so FUN! There's delicious restaurants, hip cafes, and a bunch of theatres and performance spaces. It's an artist's paradise. And in the spirit of Vancouver, it's low key and down to earth. I had a blast visiting this place, and it's definitely my favorite spot in the city!