If you’re looking for real peace and quiet, there’s no better place to find it than in Canada. This vast country – the second largest in the world – spans nearly 10m sqkm, including a proportion of the Arctic. As a result, it’s the perfect location for those who want to get away from it all. Whether you need some serious R&R or you just want to ensure your boss can’t possibly text you, here are our top three secluded destinations.
Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador.
This tranquil island off the north coast of Newfoundland’s mainland is a haven of clapboard houses, cliff-top footpaths and dense forest. There are fewer than 12 restaurants and bars there – although you’ll find some of the freshest, locally-sourced seafood and produce in this small collection – and only a handful of guesthouses. Bird and whale watching are popular activities for visitors to the island, while there’s plenty of opportunity for kayaking, fishing or daydreaming besides. Access to Fogo is only by ferry, departing from the town of Farewell, approximately a 90-minute drive from Gander or just under four hours from St John‘s.
Tahsis, British Colombia.
With only 300 permanent residents, this bijou coastal village on the west coast of Vancouver Island is one of the most remote places in Canada. Once home to a thriving forestry industry, today it has reinvented itself as an outdoor recreation destination. Take your pick from hiking, caving, diving and other water sports or find out more about the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation tribes who have lived in the traditional territory of Nootka Sound for more than 4,000 years.
Vancouver Island can be reached by ferry from Seattle and Vancouver among other locations. Once on the island, Tahsis is around a four-hour drive.
Ivvavik National Park, Yukon Territory.
How remote is this national park on the extreme northwestern corner of Yukon? Well, it reportedly received no visitors at all for the duration of 2020. Not entirely surprising; aside from the obvious limitations of a global pandemic, the island is only accessible by charter plane. This means anyone who does visit is on their own until the plane arrives to collect them. But it’s worth the effort. Boasting more than 10,000 sqkm of unspoilt wilderness, the park borders the Arctic Ocean, Vutnut National park and Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Reserve and is home to grizzly bears, polar bears, wolves and muskox.
Escape faster by booking your Canada rental car in advance for the best prices.