Whether you are looking for jaw-dropping natural spectacles, memorable wildlife encounters, rich indigenous heritage, quaint fishing villages or simply the opportunity to get away from it all, Canada’s magical islands will leave you longing to return.
Here are some of the options…
Baffin Island
Canada’s largest island is an adventurer’s wonderland, even in winter when you can visit giant icebergs trapped by the frozen sea and see the northern lights from Nunavut’s capital, Iqaluit, and other places.
You haven’t truly experienced Baffin Island until you have tasted local Inuit favourite muktuk – raw, frozen whale blubber.
Regional connections to Iqaluit from Canadian gateways like Ottawa, Montréal and Edmonton are offered by Canadian North.
Manitoulin Island
The world’s largest freshwater island lies in Lake Huron in Ontario and is reached by ferry from Tobermory, on the tip of the Bruce Peninsula, or the Little Current Swing Bridge. Visitors come for its blend of native customs and European history.
Contact Wikwemikiong Tourism for a nature-based First Nations tour (May-November) of cultural experiences, walks and discovering the island’s Anishinaabeg heritage, which includes the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi peoples.
Thousand Islands
Enjoy life in the slow lane in this chain of Ontario islands in the St. Lawrence River, which actually numbers more than 1,800 granite islands.
It is popular for its small communities, castles, lighthouses and getaway places to stay. From spring through fall, scenic narrated boat tours meander through channels, between islands and under bridges, past castles, historic lighthouses and stately mansions.
Cape Breton Island
Nova Scotia’s eastern region is a scenic delight, taking in picture-postcard fishing villages, cliff-hugging turns, grand coastlines and forested highlands, all viewable along the 185-mile Cabot Trail.
Infused with Gaelic and Acadian heritage, the trail throws up quaint villages, whale watching and historical sites aplenty – including the 18th century Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, a captivating living history museum.
Sable Island
A tiny, remote crescent of sand 180 miles from Halifax, Nova Scotia, it is known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” for its many shipwrecks and can only be accessed on day visits. Those who make the trip are rewarded by sightings of some of the resident 550 wild horses, seals galore and huge dunes.
Magdalen Islands
Twelve islands, reached by a five-hour ferry crossing from Souris, Prince Edward Island, and the Madelinot archipelago, make up this sparsely-populated archipelago in Québec’s Gulf of St. Lawrence. Brightly-coloured houses contrast with the rolling, green hills – popular among hikers – white-sand beaches and red cliffs, which can be viewed close-up by kayak. Islanders are known for being talented chefs, artists and artisans. Many art studios and galleries welcome drop-in visitors.
Haida Gwaii
Formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, they comprise 450 pristine islands off the northern coast of British Columbia that are rich in wildlife, ancient rainforests and the cultural heritage of the Haida people, who have lived there for thousands of years. Centuries-old totem poles stand in the remains of the Haida Nation village known as SGang Gwaay Llnagaay.
