Introducing Canada
Sighs alternate with gawps at the white-dipped mountains, mist-cloaked seascapes and epic northern roadways. And with more festivals than you can swing a moose at, you'll even forget it's cold.
Sublime Nature
The globe's second-biggest country has an endless variety of landscapes. Spiky mountains, glinting glaciers, spectral rainforests, wheat-waving prairies – they're all here, spread across six time zones. Expect wave-bashed beaches, too. With the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic Oceans gnashing on three sides, Canada has a coastline that'd reach halfway to the moon, if stretched out.
It's the backdrop for plenty of 'ah'-inspiring moments – and the playground for a big provincial menagerie. We mean big as in polar bears, grizzly bears, whales and everyone's favorite, the ballerina-legged moose. You're pretty much guaranteed to see one of these behemoths when you leave the city behind.
Active Endeavors
Winter or summer, grand adventures lurk throughout Canada. Whether it's snowboarding Whistler's mountains, surfing Nova Scotia's swell, hiking Newfoundland's Appalachian Trail or kayaking the Northwest Territories' white-frothed South Nahanni River, outfitters will help you gear up for it. Gentler adventures abound, too, like strolling Vancouver's Stanley Park seawall, swimming off Prince Edward Island's (PEI) pink-sand beaches, or ice skating Ottawa's Rideau Canal. Before you know it, you'll be zipping up the fleece and heeding the call to action (and maybe having a go at dog-sledding, walleye fishing, snow-kiting…).
Cuisine (& Poutine)
Rarely do you hear people sigh over Canadian food the way they do, say, over Italian or French fare. So let's just call the distinctive seafood, piquant cheeses and off-the-vine fruits and veggies our little secret. Ditto for the bold reds and crisp whites the country's vine-striped valleys grow.
Canada is a local food smorgasbord. If you grazed from east to west across the country, you'd fill your plate like this: lobster with a dab of melted butter in the Atlantic provinces, poutine (golden fries soaked in gravy and cheese curds) in Québec, a bulging slice of berry pie in the Prairies and wild salmon and velvety scallops in British Columbia (BC).
It's best to leave the belt at home.
Cultural Flair
Let's see: Okanagan's icewine festival in January, Quebec City's winter carnival in February, Regina's powwow in March, Whistler's ski and snowboard fest in April, Ottawa's tulip fest in May, Montréal's jazz fest in June, Calgary's stampede in July, New Brunwick's Acadian fest in August, Toronto's film fest in September, Kitchner's Oktoberfest in October, Hamilton's Aboriginal Fest in November, Niagara's winter festival in December – yep, Canada parties all year long. Even places you might not automatically think of – say Edmonton, Winnipeg and St John's – rock with fringe festivals, live music clubs and shiny new art museums.
Sights in Canada
Activities in Canada
British Columbia
Canada’s third-largest province; bigger than any US state except Alaska; more than four times the area of the UK: it’s not hard to find superlatives about the vastness of British Columbia.
Tours in Canada
Ontario
Québec may be bigger, British Columbia may have more mountains, and Alberta is certainly flexing its economic biceps at the moment, but when it comes to culture, cuisine and sophistication, Ontario wins hands down.
Canada destination guides
Québec
Québec is truly the dutiful daughter of its European motherland: a pristine green of pasture and towering forest, sprinkled with bronze church spires and picture perfect sidewalk cafés.
Hotels in Canada
Budget Hotels & Hostels in Canada
Guesthouses and B&Bs in Canada
Apartments in Canada
Montréal
Historically Montréal, the only de facto bilingual city on the continent, has been torn right in half, the ‘Main’ (Blvd St-Laurent) being the dividing line between the eastend Francophones and the west-side Anglos.
Entertainment in Canada
Toronto
Tolerant, multicultural metropolis with great festivals, food, shopping and sports.
Shopping in Canada