| Explorers with Canmore Cave Tours descend into Rat's Nest Cave during the Explorer Tour. (Photo: Madigan Cotterill/Can Geo) |
| I'm holding my hands inches away from my face but can’t see anything. I wiggle my fingers (protected by two layers of gloves), thinking I might be able to distinguish their shapes in the darkness, but still nothing. It doesn’t matter if my eyes are open or closed because pitch black surrounds me without the artificial light of my headlamp. In the distance, I hear a symphony of water droplets falling into a pool below, creating a rhythmic song that evokes a sense of calm. “It’s almost like the cave is playing a concert just for us,” says our guide, Jaimie McMahon. We are 256 metres below the Earth’s surface in Rat’s Nest Cave, Canada’s fourth-largest cave system. It’s cold, damp, dark and musty, but my inner explorer has been unleashed and I am fully embracing the thrill of caving. |
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We launched a travel podcast!
Subscribe to Here & There, our new travel podcast hosted and produced by award-winning feature writer, broadcaster and podcaster, Liz Beatty. You can find these episodes wherever you get your podcasts for more deep-dive documentaries that will change the way you see places in Canada and around the world. |
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| Writer Madigan Cotterill takes off into the sunset with Horizonte Horse Experience. (Photo: Horizonte Horse Experience) |
| Calm your mind, paddle with your chest up and don’t look down. I reflect on my surf instructor Shaka’s wise words as I wait patiently for my next victim: the perfect wave. It’s just after 6:30 a.m., an ideal time to surf as the sun has yet to peak, and only a handful of people are on the beach. My legs dangle in the water as I straddle my bright blue surfboard and take in the moment, enjoying the stillness and admiring the rosy glow of the sunrise. I think about what I plan to do later: yoga, search for shells, maybe a hike through the nearby nature reserve of Cabo Blanco. Then I see it: my wave. |
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| | A small country that packs a giant biodiversity punch, Costa Rica is considered one of the most diverse countries on the planet by land area! Owing to its tropical latitude, varied topography and microclimates, and an enviable amount of protected areas, there is no better place to enjoy a good day’s worth of birding for the level of effort involved. |
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| From the cloud forests of Tapanti Reserve to the sandy shores of Cahuita, up through the canals of Tortuguero, we take in some of the most exciting birdwatching sites this country has to offer. At this time of year, raptor and passerine migration is in full swing and is an underestimated natural phenomenon that can provide hours of entertainment with the restless birds doing all the work! We combine seeing these alongside less familiar tropical resident birds such as macaws, toucans, owls and antbirds to name a few. We will soak in the vistas of the pyramidal Volcan Arenal and stay on the grounds of a top birding site, Arenal Observatory Lodge, where great curassows can be seen from the breakfast table. Along our relatively short route (we only cover one side of the country, after all!), we will have a special opportunity to visit a local farm and explore a wonderful array of tropical orchids. |
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| Cycling across British Columbia's Myra Canyon Trestles with Great Canadian Trails. (Photo: Robin Esrock) |
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“I thought I lived in God’s Country, and then I came here.” These are not my words, but those belonging to an Australian tourist sharing the carriage with me on our way up the Sea to Sky Gondola outside of Squamish, British Columbia. The Howe Sound put on a show that morning: glowing teal waters, snow-capped mountains, a crisp blue sky. Regardless of your relationship with the Almighty, we can all understand the sentiment: God’s Country is a location of such incredible beauty that it surely belongs in a higher realm. Canada is quintessential God’s Country, and yet I’d argue that the dense coastal forests, sweeping Pacific, soaring Rockies and vibrant cities elevate B.C. and Alberta to an even higher plain. Updated, expanded, and beautifully re-designed, the second edition of my Great Western Canada Bucket List explores memorable activities and destinations you won’t find anywhere else. It’s a personal journey – packed with history, trivia and characters – written to inspire visitors, newcomers, retirees, graduates, and the locals too. Nobody needs an excuse to explore the wonders of B.C. and Alta., but I decided to give them one anyway. Below are some of my favourite new entries. |
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