VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C.
A one-and-a-half-hour ferry ride from the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island is by no means a sleepy satellite. Start your tour with a stroll around Victoria’s bustling Inner Harbour, which is rife with fun attractions like the Royal London Wax Museum and Pacific Undersea Gardens. Then hop on a seaplane to Butchart Gardens, dine at the on-site restaurant, meander through floodlit flowers and limo it back to your hotel for a date to remember ($229 per person, excluding hotel). Next up, liven that libido with a visit to Fanny Bay Oysters in Union Bay. As for larger marine life, whale-watching expeditions are easily accessible from Tofino, Ucluelet, Campbell River and other points. If that doesn’t sate the National Geographic photographer in you, take in two daily grizzly bear viewing tours while staying at a floating lodge in the Great Bear Rainforest (from $1,512 per couple per night, including tours, room, meals and the seaplane flight from Port Hardy).
......In need of romantic R & R? Bunk down at Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre in Parksville (from $119 per night). Tucked away in 22 acres of forest above three kilometres of sandy beach, the resort boasts Canada’s largest resort spa, complete with a 2,500-square-foot mineral pool fed by a cascading waterfall. Near Qualicum Beach, Star Wars fans can live out their fantasies by emulating an Ewok for a night. Hoisted among the boughs, you and your beloved can rock to sleep in a Free Spirit Sphere ($175 per couple per night). It may not be Endor, but it’s certainly out of this world.
—Rebecca Stevenson

BADLANDS, ALTA.
About two hours southeast of Calgary, the Canadian badlands seem light years away from the lush, forested mountains of the Rockies. Carved by ancient glaciers and centuries of erosion, it’s the Wild West at its wildest, chock full of sand dunes, hoodoos (rock columns shaped by wind) and true-blue cowboys. At Brown Creek Ranch (from $125 per person) in Claresholm, Alta., hop in the saddle and take part in a cattle drive, then rest your aching butt in a rustic log cabin and chow down like a cowboy on a home-cooked breakfast in the morning. At Dinosaur Provincial Park, spend a couple of hours exploring 75-million-year-old fossil beds. Be sure to bring plenty of water—it’s sizzling in the summer.
......You can also tour towns used in big-time Hollywood productions: Longview hosted the cast and crew of Unforgiven, scenes from Brokeback Mountain were filmed around Fort Macleod, and Brad Pitt hung out at the McKinnon Flats for The Assassination of Jesse James. Swing by Vulcan for giggles: At its main entrance, the town built an enormous replica of Star Trek’s USS Enterprise, featuring three plaques mounted on its base that welcome visitors in English, Vulcan and Klingon. The town also hosts a Star Trek convention each summer.
......Looking for something more authentic? Camp under the stars in a teepee near Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump ($325 for a group of four), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Roast marshmallows by the campfire as you listen to stories about the area’s early Aboriginals from a native Blackfoot guide.
—Michele Sponagle

THIRTY THOUSAND ISLANDS, ONT.
Stretching from the coast of Midland to Parry Sound, just a two-hour drive north of Toronto, the Thirty Thousand Islands make up the largest freshwater archipelago in the world—a raggedly glorious sight to see and explore. Start by taking in the raw beauty that was a frequent muse of the Group of Seven aboard the MS Georgian Queen. Tours start at $18 for a 90-minute boat ride and depart from the port of Penetanguishene. For a more luxurious island sojourn, charter a yacht for a sunset dinner cruise ($160 per person) and knock back some Pinot in the tranquil waters of a secluded anchorage.
......During the day, pack a picnic and take a 15-minute water-taxi ride from Honey Harbour to Beausoleil Island, which is home to more than 27 kilometres of hiking trails and magnificent views of pristine waters. Adventurers will also love exploring the area’s many shipwrecks, which they can do on full-day or half-day dives with Neptune’s Locker.
......Back on the mainland, dine at The Library Restaurant in Midland, which features mouth-watering seasonal fare on its ever-changing yet always tantalizing menu. Also, be sure to take in a show at King’s Wharf Theatre in Penetanguishene (from $30). The summer season includes The Ballad of Stompin’ Tom, a toe-tapping tribute to “the man of the land,” and Legends, a musical revue that features classics by The Beach Boys, Elton John and Sonny & Cher, among others.
......At night, tuck in at A Wymbolwood Beach House Bed & Breakfast (from $95 per night). Or, for a summer camp vibe, check out the Delawana Inn Spa & Conference Resort (from $275 per couple) in Honey Harbour, which offers water sports galore, from paddleboat and Jet Ski rentals to motorboats and sailing. You can also rent a waterfront cottage by the week at Paradise Cottages (from $900).
—Mike Dojc

THE LAURENTIANS, QUÉ.
Spreading north of Montréal, the Laurentians are a storybook landscape of hills, valleys, rivers and lakes. Along the way is Mirabel, home to agro-tourism attractions like Intermiel for maple and honey products and L’Ambroisie for alcoholic maple-based drinks.
......Less than an hour from Montréal, Saint-Sauveur boasts plenty of charming restaurants and boutiques to explore, as well as ski resorts and water parks. After lunching on Sautéed Saint-Laurent Scallops, Tomato Concassé, Fresh Vanilla and Green Lemon Sauce at Ristorante Benevento on Main Street, head over to Val-David, a village known for its many artists and craftspeople. In July and August, the 1001 Pots exposition features potters from around the world. In the evening, dine on the terrace overlooking the Rivière du Nord at Le Creux du Vent, which also offers cooking classes.
......Nearby Morin Heights features a 60-kilometre trail known as the Aerobic Corridor, beloved by cyclists. You can also play on aerial ropeways and ziplines at Acro-Nature. Don’t miss taking the waters (rotating between steam baths, saunas, outdoor whirlpools and the river) at the Zen Ofuro Spa, where you can also have your pick of spa treatments.
......Keep heading north for another hour and you will come to Mont-Tremblant, where ski slopes make for great mountain biking and hiking terrain in summer and the village’s restos and bars offer plenty of nightlife options. Head to Parc national du Mont-Tremblant for canoeing, kayaking, biking and hiking. After a gruelling session, pair up for a couples massage at Spa-sur-le-Lac, where a private spa deck provides the perfect place to lounge around in robes and sip tea while savouring views of the lake and mountain.
—Catalina Margulis

ANNAPOLIS VALLEY, N.S.
Watch out, Okanagan Valley: Your Maritime cousin, Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, is putting the squeeze on your reputation as Canada’s most illustrious wine producer. Visitors here can embark on a self-guided tour of the boutique wineries around Wolfville, just a grape seed’s throw from the Bay of Fundy—home of the world’s highest tides—and an hour’s drive from Halifax. Or, sign up with Valley Wine Tours (from $115) and leave the driving to a non-sipper as you’re led by a sommelier-trained guide on a tour of local wineries. A visit to Domaine de Grand Pré promises a crash course in wine appreciation, where you can train your nose by sniffing through vials containing herbal, mineral and fruit notes found in local faves like L’Acadie Blanc, Maréchal Foch and Léon Millot.
......After a day of tripping through vineyards, stay the night at the quaint Blomidon Inn (from $99), a restored sea captain’s mansion that features a three-acre walk-through garden and nearby hiking trails.
......Back on the road, along highway 359 north, stop off for a perfect view of the Bay of Fundy tides in the fishing village of Hall’s Harbour and grab lunch at Hall’s Harbour Lobster Pound, where you can choose your own lobster for the restaurant to boil up for you. Not a lobster muncher? Nibble on the best fish and chips around or opt for turf-and-no-surf options such as burgers, steak and pasta.
—Michele Sponagle