My top 10 Canada
Updated: Aug 30, 2023
It is not easy to make a top 10 in a country where everything is basically gorgeous. Especially for nature lovers. Therefore, as in Canada everything is beautiful, to put in order the different landscapes, all of them full of forests, rivers, lakes and others, it is almost impossible. This ranking will be very subjective, probably subject to variations such as the beautiful I had in one place or the great people I met in another. I have made two sections, one for the west and one for the east.
WEST
1. Kluane National Park
Home of Dall sheep, mountain goats, moose, caribou, wolves, black bears and Grizzlies, among others, in which you will want to stay forever after seeing its powerful rivers, lakes, mountains, meadows, valleys and forests. Nature at its purest.
2. Port Renfrew and surroundings
In addition to the personal love I have for this place, Port Renfrew is the idyllic place for lovers of outdoor activities. As shown by the surrounding forests, with some of the largest tree species in the world (cedars and fir trees among them), for example, in Avatar Grove; or the beautiful wild beaches, where you can choose to take a walk, lie down to read or even venture to surf. In addition, it is the perfect base for several hiking routes such as the Juan de Fuca Trail or the West Coast Trail (it is part of the Pacific Rim National Park). You can also take a trip to Cowichan Valley.
3. Rocky Mountains (Jasper, Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, Glacier and Mt Revelstoke National Parks)
Extensions and extensions of forests, glacial lakes and rivers, mountains and glaciers ideal for hiking and camping routes. Better off high season (summer). Watch for bears, caribou, goats and other wildlife.
4. Around Prince Rupert and Terrace
Wild and infinite nature in the vicinity of these two towns. Travel the main roads between Prince Rupert and Terrace, towards Kitimat and the mysterious Lava Lake (and its villages). Mountains, lakes and rivers will join you wherever you go, and who knows if some bears as well.
5. Dawson City and sorroundings
The city of the gold rush and the old days, where travelers of all colors gather: on foot, by canoe, motorcycle, caravan… The scenery is incomparable: mountains, the meeting of the Klondike and Yukon rivers, and much more.
6. Stewart Cassiar Road and Alaska Highway
The ascent routes to (or descent from) the north, Yukon and Alaska, mean adventure in a remote and wild nature that seems endless.
7. Dempster Highway and Inuvik
Almost 800 kilometers of remote landscapes that combine forests and tundra, flat lands and mountains, that cross the Arctic Circle to Inuvik - one of the northernmost cities in the world -, and the Arctic Ocean (road extended to Tuktoyaktuk in November 2017).
8. Port Hardy and surroundings
Discover the beautiful (and less known) north Vancouver Island, full of lush forests, lakes and beaches everywhere.
9. Ferry Port Hardy – Prince Rupert
Fifteen hours crossing the wild coast of British Columbia, most of the time sandwiched between the continent and different islands along the way (in some sections the channel is very narrow). Travel through this endless fjord.
10. Vancouver and Victoria
The two cities with the largest population in the province (British Columbia) are also the most beautiful ones. Although very different from each other, both are facing the sea, have a beautiful architecture and feature a lively street life. The surroundings of Vancouver are impressive, with many mountains.
Others that remain outside my top 10: Whistler, Powell River, Wells Gray Provincial Park, others in Vancouver Island (Sooke, French Beach, Nanaimo, Cathedral Grove, Toffino, Ucluelet), Watson Lake, Whitehorse.
Others that I do not know, but I've heard they are wonderful (note: I do not mention those that are practically inaccessible, like many Parks and Nature Reserves):
For British Columbia and Alberta: Garibaldi Provincial Park, Mt Robson Provincial Park (part of the Rocky Mountains), Calgary, Red Deer, Kelowna, Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park, Strathcona Provincial Park, Haida Gwaii, Stewart; For the Yukon: Ross River, Mayo, Keno City, several days kayak trip by lakes or rivers.
EAST
1. Les Monts Groulx
Wild sierra towering over Lac Manicouagan, a circular lake that surrounds an island and that was created from the impact of a giant meteorite. This unknown gem is located in the middle of route 389, in the heart of Quebec.
2. Gros Morne National Park
In addition to forests, lakes, waterfalls and others (common in almost any corner in Canada), this Park contains places as amazing as a freshwater fjord (separated from the sea) and a kind of arid desert whose minerals come from the same mantle of The Earth.
3. Tadoussac and Parc National du Fjord du Saguenay
Beautiful town that rests on the banks of the rivers Saguenay and St Lawrence, on its way to the sea. The waters, half sweet and salty, are the ideal place for different types of whales, belugas, seals and dozens of birds. Wild beaches, dunes and forests await you in this paradise.
4. St John´s and surroundings
The capital, and the only “big” city of Newfoundland mixes the music and art of downtown streets, history (first city in Canadian territory) and the beauty of natural places at the foot of the city itself. Highlights include Signal Hill, Cape Spear and, above all, the spectacular East Coast Trail.
5. Cape St Mary’s Ecological Reserve and Avalon Peninsula
A bird sanctuary, especially gannets, in such a scenario of cliffs and hills that will leave you speechless.
6. Northern Peninsula Newfoundland
The lesser known part of the island is home to great treasures such as the thrombolites, an ancient Viking settlement and thousands of fishing villages that will welcome you with honors.
7. Bonavista (and around), Terranova National Park and Twillingate
Capes, cliffs and viewpoints in which the forces of sea and wind combine creating an unparalleled range of sensations. Maybe you get to see an iceberg?
8. Montreal and Quebec City
Two jewels architecturally and historically speaking in Quebec province.
9. Crossing the country on the Trans-Canada Highway
An amazing experience in which you go across the provinces of BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec that will leave landscapes of all colors in your retina (s): mountains, rivers, forests, lakes... And, above all, the flat lands (the prairies), that will accompany you a large part of the route.
10. Trans-Labrador Highway
Route of endless forests and bodies of water, which is only interrupted by small towns of iron mines.
Others I do not know: Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Mont-Tremblant, Parc National de la Jaques Chartier, Saguenay, L'Île d'Anticosti, Parc National de la Gaspesie, Halifax, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Prince Edward Island.
One day we will have to make another section for the central states and territories: Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Northwest Territories, Nunavut.
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