BEST LAKES IN THE WORLD
Condé Nast Traveller ranks 3 Canadian Lakes in the 48 Most Beautiful Lakes in the world
“We travel to connect with something greater than ourselves.”
-- Condé Nast
Lake Winnipeg, Moraine Lake, and Lake Superior have received top marks in the luxury and lifestyle award winning magazine. Here’s how Canada’s jewels are described.
Lake Winnipeg
This popular local getaway is about an hour outside Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. Its pristine white sand beaches are ideal for sunbathing, and its waters are popular for windsurfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and more. Lake Winnipeg is also a special place for the many First Nation and Métis communities calling the shores their home. Another perk is that its over a thousand miles of beaches and shorelines shelter one of the world's largest freshwater lakes from crowds and overtourism.
Manitoba’s not often ranked among the world’s top beach destinations, but it should be: Lake Winnipeg is one of the planet’s largest freshwater bodies, and Lester Beach’s pristine white sands can compete with Hawaii or the Caribbean.
Moraine Lake, Canada
Banff National Park has no shortage of beautiful lakes (Lake Louise and Lake Minnewanka are standouts), but we opt for the aggressively blue Moraine Lake in the western part of the park. The lake owes its striking color to mineral-rich runoff from the surrounding glaciers, some of which you can spot on the Valley of the Ten Peaks—a row of ten mountains that once appeared on the Canadian $20 bill—in the distance. Visiting Moraine Lake also provides a handy excuse to book a stay at Moraine Lake Lodge, a cozy hotel with stone fireplaces and lake-facing balconies.
Lake Superior
Arguably the greatest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior feels more like an ocean than your typical fresh body of water—it boasts a massive 2,900-mile shoreline and surface area of 31,700 square miles, after all. (It even has shipwrecks, for crying out loud.) The midwestern site boasts a variety of landscapes, ranging from sandstone cliffs and sea caves to towering waterfalls, and you can spend countless vacation days exploring the waters from the seat of a kayak. Sleep atop this body of water on a Viking Great Lakes cruise, which crosses its entirety.
Happy summer exploring from the WT Staff.