Our outdoor specialist Amy McPherson takes a look at what’s available for fresh air enthusiasts in her active guide to Montreal.
Admittedly, I am not much of a city break person, preferring active options available in the mountains or by the sea. However, on a recent trip to Montreal, I discovered a city that could provide me with the best of both worlds: a vibrant city community with plenty of outdoor activities to keep moving. Naturally, I got on my feet to investigate! Welcome to my Active Guide to Montreal.
Explore on two wheels
There is no doubt Montreal is a cycling city. All around the city centre and beyond, you can see locals get around their daily lives on their bicycles. Almost every street has a cycle lane and drivers are courteous and friendly, making cycling the best way to explore when you are visiting Montréal.
The BIXI street bike rental are on all corners of the city centre, where you can rent a bike to get around on rates by the minute, which is perfect to get from one museum to the next when you are sightseeing.
For those looking to have a bike for the whole day, there are plenty of bike rental shops around the city, where you can rent a bike for the day or the week. Cycling enthusiasts will find the route along the historic Lachine Canal particularly beautiful or take on a distance challenge and go for a longer ride across the river in the neighbouring Montérégie, where you’ll find charming towns, vast farm fields and gateway to long distance traffic free cycling routes such as La Montérégiade and La Route des Champs.
Get on the water
As an inland settlement, Montréal feels surprisingly more like a harbour city. Surrounded by the waters of St Lawrence River and its distributary the Prairies River, the city and its territory is essentially an island. So naturally, there are plenty of water activities to enjoy.
Kayaking on the Lachine Canal is a slow and pleasant way to see the surrounds of the canal, including repurposed warehouses, breweries, markets and wildlife. The canal was once the most important waterway linking the Atlantic to the inland, which made Montréal an important player in the Canadian manufacturing industry, and going with the flow in a kayak is the best way to experience this history.
The Lachine Canal Nautical Centre runs kayak tours and lessons, as well as SUP courses.
Surf’s Up
Surfing? In Montreal?
Mostly definitely. There are two rapids on the St Lawrence River has been attracting surfers since the 1970s, where the surfers needed a unique technique to ride the stationary waves on the river. Those who like to give it a go can take lessons from KSF , who also offers SUP and kayak tours and rentals.
Running in Montreal
We know all about city walking tours, but how about running? With the increased popularity in running sine the pandemic, running tours are also getting some attention. The aim is to run a course of a city while sightseeing, and in a city as active as Montréal, running is definitely an option.
Go Running Tours has tours that take in the city’s sights at the same time, running some of the iconic routes for views and a big breath of fresh air!
Get Golfing
From driving range to championship courses, those who enjoy a spot of golf on holidays will be delighted to find there are several golf courses on and off the island of Montréal that are open to casual visitors.
The closest is Golf municipal de Montréal, a nine-hole, par-3 course that is close to downtown. Club de Golf de l’Île de Montréal is a beautiful island Championship course on the St Lawrence River, and Golf Exécutif Montréal on Nun’s Island is a public 9-hole course with a great view of the city’s skyline.
Active in Winter
Montréal can get really cold in winter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get active still! Montréal’s open spaces and multi-purpose paths provide great environments for winter sports. There are a number of ice skating rinks around the city and when there are enough snow cover, much of the parks and cycle ways become a spot for snowshoe walking and even a bit of Nordic skiing paradise.
Of course, ice hockey is very popular in Canada and it’s a chance to join in the atmosphere by going along to a game.
Image Credits: Maxime Juneau APMJ, Parks Canada, Groupe Beaudet, Mike Hitelman and Eva Blue.
Tell Me More About this Guide to Active Montreal
Please go to Visit Montreal for more information about this active guide to Montreal, the city and the region.
Getting to Montreal
Air Transat has daily direct flights to Montréal and various other cities in Canada from London Gatwick.
Recommended stay in Montreal
Hôtel Alt Montreal is a modern and stylish hotel on the edge of trendy Griffintown. Rooms are comfortable and those on the higher floors has a great view of the city and surrounds. Although without a restaurant, the hotel has partnered with a nearby bakery for breakfast and also sells snacks and coffee at the lobby. The hotel welcomes cyclists with their own bikes.
