SUN AND SUMMER IN CANADA

Sun and summer in Canada - Luxury Travel Magazine

Sun and summer in Canada

Winter’s nearly over in Canada, and the soon the snow will melt, giving way to green and flowering landscapes and parklands, sunny days and a mountain of things to see and do. So we’ve picked out some must-see and must-do places, activities and experiences for your Canadian summer itinerary.

WESTERN CANADA
British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba

The Western Canadian provinces are the sunniest (in particular Alberta and Saskatchewan) and there’s no shortage of outdoor activities. Canada’s Rocky Mountains in Alberta get up to 18 hours of sunlight a day, and are a great place for hikes, fishing, rock climbing and white water rafting. Saskatchewan is home to around 100,000 lakes and is another great place for boating, kayaking and fishing. Manitoba’s freshwater Lake Winnipeg is dotted with holiday hotspots including Grand Beach, three kilometres of white sand beach that’s very popular with sun-seeking holidaymakers. And of course you can’t look past Vancouver in British Columbia - a hub for Australian travellers due to daily flights from Sydney and connections to almost every major Canadian city, it’s also a city you’ll want to explore in summer, whether you’re jetting across the harbour, relaxing on the beach, immersing yourself in one of the many festivals and or feasting at one of the great restaurants and bars.

CENTRAL CANADA
Ontario and Quebec

Ontario is home to North America’s most visited and famous falls, Niagara Falls. Visitors can experience the falls from the top, walk through tunnels behind them, book a helicopter flight over the falls or get a spray-filled close up look aboard a boat. The province also has distinct wine regions to visit like Niagara, Prince Edward County and Lake Erie’s North Shore. And then there’s Toronto, the biggest city in Canada, home to more than 2.7 million people – you won’t be short on entertainment in this bustling metropolis, with many concerts and events in summer including the Toronto Jazz Festival. Head further east and brush up on your French in Quebec – visit historical Quebec City and explore its narrow cobblestone streets and spend a few nights in Montreal, often called Canada’s cultural capital – there’s always somewhere to find live music, fine arts are on show in the city’s museums and there’s also fantastic places to wine and dine throughout the city.

ATLANTIC CANADA
New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador

Atlantic Canada is made up of the three Maritime provinces and Newfoundland and Labrador to their north. Visit Prince Edward Island to satisfy your summer seafood cravings with freshly caught lobsters (a specialty here) and clams, oysters and mussels. Head to Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island for a summer bike ride on the 300 kilometre Cabot Trail, considered one of the world’s great coastal drives, which rings the island. New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy has miles of untouched coastline to be explored - the bay has the highest tidal range in the world – when the tide is out you can walk along the ocean floor and see how the powerful force has shaped coastal rock formations. Newfoundland and Labrador is a great spot for viewing whales as they migrate north. Look out for humpback, minke, blue and orca whales.

NORTHERN CANADA
Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut

Canada’s wild northern territories offer unsurpassed wilderness experiences and sometimes 24-hour summer days. Paddle, kayak and raft along the famous Yukon River, and explore Yukon’s gold rush history at Dawson City – it’s great fun for the kids – you can pan for gold and keep it! Northwest Territories is even larger and less populated, and is home to the two largest lakes in Canada – fish for Arctic Char, Lake Trout and Arctic Grayling. And Nunavut, Canada’s newest territory, is where an Arctic safari waits. In 24-hour daylight watch out for the Big Five – walrus, caribou, muskoxen, whales and the world’s largest land-based carnivore, the mighty polar bear.

Want to know more about the best things to do and the best places to stay in Canada? Look out for Luxury Travel Magazine's Destination Series Canada book which will be on sale in news agencies and bookstores in April 2012.