What places to visit in Canada- the home of ice hockey, the Niagara Falls, Mounties and maple syrup – notto mention Ryan Gosling, Céline Dion, Drake and of course, Justin Bieber –
almost everyone on the planet knows something about Canada.
Yet first-time visitors should expect some surprises, beginning with the immense size of the country, hard to appreciate until you get here.
Canada’s cities – enchanting Québec, trendy Vancouver, cosmopolitan Toronto and stylish Montréal among them – are rich with historical and cultural treasures,
but above all Canada is a land of stunningly beautiful landscapes, from the spectacular fjord-slashed coastlines of Newfoundland and the Maritimes,
to the Rockies’ glittering lakes and majestic peaks, and the rippling prairie expanse with all the sky for a ceiling in between.
Haida Gwaii
Haida Gwaii is the ancestral territory of the Haida Nation.
This storm battered archipelago of 150 rocky islands off British Columbia’s West Coast is tricky to access at times, which only adds to its allure.
With its diverse plant and animal life (the area is nicknamed Canada’s Galapagos), and monumental poles and longhouses, there is something new to learn for everyone.
Nahanni National Park Reserve
Gorgeous hot springs, haunted gorges and gorging grizzlies fill this remote park near the Yukon border, and you’ll have to fly in to reach them.
Only about 1000 visitors per year make the trek, half of them paddlers trying to conquer the South Nahanni River.
Untamed and spectacular, it churns 500km through the Mackenzie Mountains.
Thirty-story waterfalls, towering canyons and legends of giants and lost gold round out the journey north.
Vancouver
Vancouver is the largest city in British Columbia, Canada. It is a coastal city and major seaport on the mainland of southwestern British Columbia.
The city lies between Burrard Inlet (an arm of the Strait of Georgia) to the north and the Fraser River delta to the south, opposite Vancouver Island.
As of January 2020, the population of Vancouver is about 650,000 people.
Metro Vancouver has a population of about 2.5 million people. That makes it the third largest metropolitan area in Canada.
The Rockies
The Canadian Rockies are noted for being the source of several major river systems, and also for the many rivers within the range itself.
The Rockies form the divide between the Pacific Ocean drainage on the west and that of Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean on the east.
Niagara Falls
Crowded? Cheesy? Well, yes. Niagara is short, too – it barely cracks the top 500 worldwide for height.
But come on, when those great muscular bands of water arc over the precipice like liquid glass, roaring into the void below, and when you sail toward it in a mist-shrouded little boat,
Niagara Falls impresses big time. In terms of sheer volume, nowhere in North America beats its thundering cascade,
with more than one million bathtubs of water plummeting over the edge every second.
Cabot Trail
The Cabot Trail is considered one of the world’s most scenic destinations, with stunning ocean vistas,
old-growth forests, prehistoric rock scarred by glaciers, and the mysterious Cape Breton Highlands.
The Cabot Trail is named for explorer John Cabot, who sailed to North America in 1497.
Cabot’s exact landing spot is debatable, but his spirit of discovery lives on in travellers who take the journey along his remote road.
Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway, principal highway of Canada and the world’s longest national road.
The road extends west-east between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts across the breadth of the country for 4,860 miles (7,821 km).
The Trans-Canada Highway is a series of provincial highways which join all ten provinces of Canada.
The Cobequid Pass Toll Highway of Nova Scotia is the tolled section of Trans-Canada Highway. You can pay tolls here using E-Pass tag or cash.
Montréal Jazz Festival
The world’s largest jazz festival is The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal in Québec, Canada, which attracted 1,913,868 people for its 25th anniversary year in July 2004.
Blending European and West-African music styles, its strong and rhymic beat continued to emerge in popular music today.
Jazz artists like Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, and Duke Ellington became famous and, with the help of radio, helped the Jazz Age to spill over into Canada.
Manitoulin Island
There are lots of “firsts” that make Manitoulin unusual and appealing. First, it is the largest freshwater island lake on the planet.
It’s also home to Canada’s first European settlement, the town Manitowaning, and the historic Anishinaabe settlement.
Old Québec City
But what makes it so unique? Notably, its narrow streets that remind us of the old cities of Europe.
Also, the architecture and various styles, influenced by the rich history of Quebec City.
In fact, the Historic District of Old Quebec has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1985.
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy (French: Baie de Fundy) is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine.
Its extremely high tidal range is the highest in the world. The name is likely a corruption of the French word fendu, meaning ‘split’.
The Bay of Fundy is a great family vacation destination. An abundance of national and provincial parks for camping, hiking and picnics,
an array of outdoor adventures including whale watching and tidal bore rafting, quirky attractions like Moncton’s Magnetic Hill or Saint John’s Reversing Rapids.
Calgary Stampede
You can always find a few cowboys kicking up dust in booming, oil-rich Calgary.
But when you look down and everyone is wearing pointy-toe boots, it must be mid-July, time for the Stampede.
Bucking broncos, raging bulls and lasso-wielding guys in Stetsons converge for the
‘Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,’ which highlights western rodeo events and chuckwagon racing. A huge midway of rides and games makes the event a family affair.
When to go
HIGH SEASON
(Jun–Aug)
Sunshine andwarm weather prevail; far northern regions briefly thaw Accommodation prices peak.
December through March is equally busy and expensive in ski resort towns.
LOW SEASON
(Nov–Apr)
Places outside the big cities and ski resorts close.
Darkness and cold take over. April and November are particularly good for bargains.
Aboriginal peoples
The British and French were latecomers to Canada, a country that for thousands of years was home to a vast Aboriginal population (or “First Nations”).
Today, almost a million Canadians claim descent from these first peoples, from the so-called “Indians” of the central and western heartlands,
to the Inuit, inhabitants of the great sweep of Canada’s north.
A third group, the Métis – descendants of mixed unions of white and Aboriginal people – also have a distinct identity,
part of a rich cultural, social and artistic mosaic that provides a beguiling complement to the mainstream.
You’ll find evidence of Canada’s former Aboriginal life in many museums and galleries, and plenty of areas nurturing living Aboriginal cultures,
though there’s no escaping the fact that many Aboriginal people are among the most marginalized of Canadians.
Canada’s climate
Canada’s climate is hugely varied, but it’s a safe generalization to say the areas near the coast have milder winters and cooler summers than the interior.
July and August are reliably warm throughout the country, even in the far north, making these the busiest months to visit,
with September also warm (and busy) in the south (note also that the sun sets much later in the far north in summer).
In Newfoundland, the Maritime Provinces and the North the tourist infrastructure closes down completely from October to May,
though the long autumn can be the best time to visit Ontario and Québec, when there are equable temperatures and few crowds.
November to March is an ordeal of subzero temperatures almost everywhere except on the West Coast, though winter days in many areas are clear and dry,
and all large Canadian towns are geared to the challenge of cold conditions, with covered walkways and indoor malls protecting their inhabitants from the worst of the weather.
Food and Drink
The sheer number of restaurants, bars, cafés and fast-food joints in canada is staggering,
though at first sight there’s little to distinguish mainstream canadian urban cuisine from that of any american metropolis:
the shopping malls, main streets and highways are lined with pan-american food chains, trying to outdo each other with their bargains and special offers.
However, it’s easy to leave the chain restaurants behind for more interesting options, as the standard of Canadian cuisine has improved dramatically in the last few years.
In the big cities there’s a plethora of international and speciality restaurants;
on either seaboard the availability of fresh fish and shellfish enlivens many menus,
and even out in the country there’s a liberal supply of first-rate, family-run cafés and restaurants,
especially in the more touristy areas. Smoking in restaurants (and all indoor public places) is banned throughout Canada.
Accommodation
Given the vast size of the country, it’s no surprise that the price of accommodation in canada varies widely.
The least expensive options are camping and dormitory beds in hostels, where prices start at around $25.
Prices for hotels and motels are less predictable, though you’ll be lucky to get a double room for less than $100 in high season wherever you are.
Niagara falls- all the beauty of water
What places to visit in Canada and not fall in love? None! 🥰😉