This oddity can be found in the heart of British Columbia wine country, near the town of Osoyoos. Aptly named, Spotted Lake is a small lake that develops naturally occurring polka dots during summer, as the lake water evaporates and a high concentration of minerals cause large green, blue and yellow spots to appear on the surface. While the land is privately owned by the Okanagan Nation, visitors can still admire the lake from a viewing point along Highway 3. 

Nahanni National Park surrounds the South Nahanni River, a gorgeous wild waterway that snakes through some truly stunning landscapes. The protected land of the reserve is home to a complex system of limestone caves, deep river canyons, impressive waterfalls and granite peaks. With very few people inhabiting this land, it’s also a paradise for wildlife, with wolves, grizzly bears and caribou roaming freely. 

Located in MacMillan Provincial Park on Vancouver Island, Cathedral Grove is the place to go to see massive Douglas fir trees, many of them up to 800 years old. These majestic trees are as large as 30 feet (9m) in circumference and up to 246 feet (75m) tall, providing a shaded canopy to stroll under as you navigate a network of carefully maintained trails. Along the way, you'll also find 'culturally modified' trees – bark-stripped by Indigenous peoples for traditional and ceremonial purposes. 

This park 20 miles (30km) east of Thunder Bay, gets its name from its unique block-like mesa formations, which resemble a giant lying on its back when viewed from a distance. Visitors can enjoy stunning views of Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, from the park's cliffs or explore the fascinating rock formations near the water. The park offers more than 62 miles (100km) of hiking trails, where wildlife such as deer, wolves and foxes are commonly spotted, making it a prime destination for nature lovers.

The Great Bear Rainforest, located on British Columbia’s coast, is about the size of Ireland, with dramatic landscapes of islands, fjords and temperate rainforest. It is especially famous for its wildlife, including the rare Kermode or 'spirit' bear, a white-coated variant of the black bear found only in this region. Also home to coastal wolves and other unique species, the area has become a global symbol of conservation, with 85% of the rainforest now protected from industrial logging. 

Technically, you can see the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, from various parts of Canada, but the most consistent and spectacular displays are usually found in the northernmost regions. Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories, is considered one of the best places in the world for aurora viewing. With clear skies up to 240 nights a year, it's an ideal spot for catching this natural light show, and many outfitters even offer special heated camps that let you sleep under that famous green and purple glow.

Tofino, located on Vancouver Island, is a truly magical destination, with Chesterman Beach standing out as one of its highlights. This stretch of soft sand, framed by lush rainforest, offers a natural playground for both locals and visitors. Divided into North and South Chesterman, the beach is perfect for activities like surfing, paddleboarding and beachcombing. During low tide, you can even walk out to Frank Island from the southern end. 

At 275 feet (84m) high – significantly taller than Niagara falls – the waterfalls at Parc de la Chute-Montmorency are dazzling to behold any time of year. In the summer the water creates a cooling mist; in the winter that mist freezes to create a mound of ice known as the 'sugarloaf'. The falls are best viewed from above – visitors can take a cable car from the foot of the falls to the top and then walk across a suspension bridge that spans the width of the roaring water. 

Known as one of Canada’s most rewarding hikes, this 47-mile (75km) trail takes visitors along the coast of Vancouver Island, through Pacific Rim National Park. It's challenging terrain: hikers need to register in advance and should be at a high level of fitness. But those who tackle it experience the raw beauty of Canada’s westernmost coast, taking in natural beaches, waterfalls and ancient forests during the near week-long route. 

Canada's incredible abandoned buildings

Lake Louise is the most famous of Banff National Park’s stunning turquoise lakes. While the park has many other beautiful spots to explore, Lake Louise is the easiest to access and offers spectacular photo opportunities. The lake’s striking blue-green colour comes from glacial flour –fine rock particles ground by glaciers – but despite its beauty, those icy waters remain too cold for swimming even in summer. 

The Athabasca Glacier is one of the six primary 'toes' of the Columbia Icefield, located in the Canadian Rockies between Banff and Jasper National Parks. It's also one of the most easily accessible glaciers in the world, allowing visitors to walk onto an ancient glacier – a rare experience. The Columbia Icefield itself is the largest icefield in the Rocky Mountains, and feeds into three major ocean systems: the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic. While the glacier is a popular tourist destination, it is also rapidly receding due to climate change​. 

Niagara Falls is one of Canada’s most tourist-dense destinations, for good reason. As crowded and commercial as the surrounding area may be, the falls themselves are breathtaking. There are three separate cascades, with the particularly picturesque Horseshoe Falls sitting on the Canadian side of the Canada-USA border. The sheer power of the water flowing over the falls every second needs to be seen firsthand to be truly appreciated.

The Three Sisters, a trio of iconic peaks near Canmore, Alberta, are some of the most recognisable mountains in the Canadian Rockies. Named Big Sister, Middle Sister and Little Sister, they are located just east of the gates to Banff National Park, making them one of the first sights visitors spot when driving from Calgary to Banff. A beloved part of Canmore’s landscape, many local hotels and restaurants have actually been designed to maximise the view of the mountains. The Three Sisters are also a favourite for hikers and climbers, providing both challenging scrambles and beautiful trails around their base. 

Churchill, located on the shore of Hudson Bay at the mouth of the Churchill River, is a prime destination for experiencing Arctic wildlife, including polar bears and beluga whales. Known as the 'Polar Bear Capital of the World', Churchill sees hundreds of polar bears gathering in the area during October and November as they wait for the bay to freeze, allowing them to hunt for seals. Numerous outfitters offer guided tours – often using specialised tundra buggies – that provide visitors with close, safe encounters with these majestic creatures.

A favourite site of the famed artist collective known as the Group of Seven, Algonquin Provincial Park has long captured the imagination of Canadian nature lovers. Larger than the American state of Delaware, it is a remarkably well-preserved swathe of nature, full of streams and rivers perfect for canoeing. The park also features a transition between coniferous and deciduous forests, making for an interesting mix of plant and animal life. 

Autumn is a colourful season everywhere in Canada, but no more so than in the province of Quebec, which is rife with maple trees. The trees' leaves turn bright orange or brilliant red in the fall, covering the rolling hills of rural Quebec in a blanket of colour for several weeks in October. The trees also have a sweet season in the early spring, when their sap is tapped and turned into delicious maple syrup.

Sand tends to be a fairly silent substance, but the beige powder on the beach at Basin Head on Prince Edward Island not only makes noise, it also actually sings. As you walk along the beach the otherwise normal-looking sand makes a strange chirping noise that compliments the crashing of the nearby waves. This is because the quartz-rich sand is unusually spherical in shape, which creates a singing sound when the grains rub together. 

The Bay of Fundy, home to the highest tides in the world, is considered a natural wonder. One of its standout attractions is the Hopewell Rocks, also known as 'Flowerpot Rocks'. These unique rock formations, sculpted over thousands of years by the powerful tides, reveal their full beauty at low tide when visitors can walk on the ocean floor to explore them up close. 

Technically speaking, the Cabot Trail itself is not a natural wonder – it’s a scenic highway – but driving along this 185 miles (298km) stretch of road grants access to the intense beauty of the Cape Breton shoreline. Along the way, you won’t just find charming towns and lighthouses, but also dozens of hiking trails that highlight the Cape Breton Highlands. Trail stops like Pleasant Bay are particularly awe-inspiring at sunset.

Most of Canada’s population is concentrated in the southern part of the country, but some of the most striking nature can be found in the northern reaches. Sitting at 80°N in latitude, Ellesmere is the world’s 10th-largest island and is covered by mountains and ice caps. This is true Arctic terrain and an important part of the Earth that most people never get to see. 

On the west coast of Canada’s easternmost province, Gros Morne National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, full of dramatic mountains and craggy fjords. The park’s numerous hiking trails give visitors the chance to explore a staggering diversity of landscape, while also gazing upon the Atlantic Ocean. Gros Morne is also a particularly good place to keep an eye out for wild moose.

Banff Upper Hot Springs, located in Banff National Park is one of Canada’s most popular natural thermal springs. These geothermal waters, heated by the Earth’s crust, bubble up from deep within the Rocky Mountains and offer visitors a soothing, mineral-rich soak year-round. Surrounded by stunning mountain views, the hot springs are a great way to relax after a day of hiking or exploring the park. 

Just off the tip of the Gaspe Peninsula in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence you’ll find Perce Rock, a massive chunk of sheer rock jutting out of the open water. The cliff is 'pierced' by a distinctive arch that's considered to be one of the world's largest arches to sit over water. The area is a popular spot for sea kayakers as well as whale watchers and birders, with a large colony of gannets living on nearby Bonaventure Island. 

A hidden gem of Canada’s prairie ecosystem, Grasslands National Park offers visitors a rare glimpse into undisturbed native grasslands. Home to bison, pronghorn antelope, black-tailed prairie dogs and burrowing owls, the park is known for its sweeping landscapes, with rolling hills, wide-open skies and rugged badlands. It is also a key site for dark-sky viewing, offering some of the clearest night skies in Canada for stargazing. 

Joffre Lakes, located in British Columbia’s Coastal Mountains, is a stunning destination known for its trio of glacier-fed lakes, each showcasing striking turquoise waters. The Joffre Lakes Trail leads visitors through dense forests and rugged terrain, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks, glaciers and waterfalls. Along the trail, hikers are rewarded with views of Lower, Middle and Upper Joffre Lakes, with the Upper Lake sitting at the foot of the Matier Glacier.

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