Things to do in Seattle

Food · Downtown waterfront

A working public market since 1907, over several levels, with produce stalls, fishmongers and a warren of shops underneath.

Local tip: The fish-throwing is a show for visitors. Go on a weekday morning, use the lower levels where the crowds don't reach, and buy from the farm tables at the north end where the actual growers are.

Nature · Magnolia

534 acres of forest, meadow and sea cliff on Puget Sound, with a lighthouse and views to the Olympic Mountains.

Local tip: The largest park in the city and far less used than Green Lake. The loop trail down to the beach at West Point is the best two hours in Seattle on a clear day.

Landmark · Ballard

The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, where boats move between salt and fresh water — with a fish ladder and a viewing window for migrating salmon.

Local tip: Come in summer to watch sockeye climbing the ladder through the underwater glass. Free, and one of the genuinely distinctive things this city has.

Nature · Two hours south-east

A 4,392-metre active volcano with wildflower meadows, glaciers and the most dramatic day trip from any US city.

Local tip: Paradise is the famous approach; Sunrise on the north-east side has better views of the mountain itself and fewer people. Timed entry reservations now apply in peak season — book ahead.

Neighborhood · North of the ship canal

A self-declared 'centre of the universe' with a troll under the bridge, a rocket on a wall, and a Sunday market.

Local tip: The Fremont Troll is fine but the neighbourhood's real pleasure is the Burke-Gilman Trail running along the canal — walk or cycle it east to the university and west to Ballard.

Nature · Madison Park

230 acres of collections along Lake Washington, with a canoe route through the marsh at the north end.

Local tip: Rent a canoe from the UW Waterfront Activities Center and paddle the Arboretum Waterfront Trail through the wetlands — you go under the freeway and into a marsh full of herons, ten minutes from downtown, and almost nobody does it.