Everyone has their own perfect plan to spend a memorable Christmas and welcome the New Year in the best possible way: with family, friends or in a place where they feel calm and comfortable. To spend a warm Christmas, we can choose countries in South America such as Argentina, Chile or Uruguay, where the New Year is welcomed in the middle of summer, or any tropical country. But those who have lived warm Christmases all their lives usually have the fantasy of snow and everything that it implies .
If this is your case and you are one of those who are looking for an impressive setting where you can live an adventure in the snow, there can be no better place to make it a reality than in Canada. And yes, we are talking about Canada as a country because during the winter months any corner of the country is tinged with white and it is possible to enjoy unparalleled natural landscapes : natural ski slopes, snow-covered pine forests, frozen waterfalls… You name it, Canada can certainly offer it to you.
Canada is a country with a very large surface area, which means that it has different climates throughout its territory. It has coasts on the Pacific where the climate is usually cold and foggy and a part of the country that borders the Arctic North, a practically frozen territory, but despite these extremes, the seasons are very marked, with summers of up to 30º (somewhat short, yes), and winters with temperatures below zero.
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That said, if you are one of those who is going to travel to Canada to celebrate Christmas or are planning to do so next year, these places that we are going to mention below should be on your list of destinations and plans to do.
Go to Mont-Tremblant, in the province of Quebec
This small town of just over 9,000 inhabitants is located at the foot of the Laurentians mountain range, and lends its name to the ski resort that sits on one of the spectacular mountains that surround it. What does this mean? Exactly! It is the perfect place to spend a snowy Christmas and welcome the New Year in the tranquility that comes from being away from it all and surrounded only by a few people who, like you, come to Mont-Tremblant looking for that postcard-perfect place to end the year.
The biggest attraction of this small town is the ski resort, which in winter becomes a real amusement park for lovers of snow and winter sports. Mont-Trembant has 96 ski runs, 14 ski lifts, a panoramic gondola and more than 400 instructors available to guide and teach those who are not as experienced on the snow . Ticket prices range from 98 CAD per day to 59 CAD for a multi-day pass.
As for the experience in the village, it is lovely. Being a small place, its inhabitants are very hospitable to visitors, who can enjoy more than 30 restaurants, cafes and bars with a festive atmosphere. The Christmas decorations are especially charming: the lights, the decorated pine trees, the general feeling of gratitude and sharing… A whole experience that we recommend you live if you have the opportunity.
Banff, a town in the middle of a national park
We don’t know if the park gives its name to the town or vice versa, but Banff is the most important town in Banff National Park, which is located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains . If Mont-Tremblant seemed small and sparsely populated to you, Banff is even smaller: due to its geographical nature, the process of urbanization occurs in a controlled manner, but being one of the most important and visited tourist destinations in the country, it has a large number of hotels. It is the oldest national park in Canada and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
As you might imagine, being located in the heart of a natural park, Banff has some amazing scenery to offer, starting with the number of lakes that during the summer have a penetrating aquamarine colour and, with the arrival of winter, freeze completely and become natural ski slopes . For suggestions, visit Lake Louise or Peyto Lake . Banff is an ideal place for lovers of the cold and snow sports. Among the many options offered by the park are ice climbing, sledding, snow slides or snowboarding.
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is considered the most British city in Canada, and one of those places that offer adventure, parties, dreamy winter landscapes, all in one package. It is located in the south of Vancouver Island and is a true gem. Its most famous postcard is that of the Butchart Gardens, probably the most colorful place in the entire country , which throughout the month of December and until January 6 is illuminated with hundreds of Christmas lights, in what is known as the “Twelve Days of Christmas.”
As for the city, it has a characteristic Victorian architecture that contributes to this whole Christmas postcard setting. During the holidays, the most emblematic places in the city are filled with lights and allusive decorations: Bacon Hill Park, Government House, Craigdarroch Castle and the Inner Harbor , among others. In Victoria, it is possible to fulfill the most cliché Christmas fantasies (which there are simply part of their set of traditions), from singing carols in front of a Christmas tree to ice skating under the stars.
