The 9 essential things to do around the most beautiful lakes in Canada

In Banff National Park, Alberta, Lake Louise is one of Canada's most famous lakes: glacier-fed turquoise water framed by peaks and overlooked by the Victoria Glacier. In summer you can canoe, hike up to Lake Agnes and its tea house, and skate on the ice in winter. The iconic Fairmont Château Lake Louise stands at the water's edge.

Neighbouring Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Moraine Lake spreads its intense blue at the foot of the Valley of the Ten Peaks, one of the most photographed landscapes in Canada. From the Rockpile viewpoint, the view takes in the lake and the peaks. The colour comes from suspended glacial flour, especially vivid when the lake fills in early summer.

In Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Emerald Lake lives up to its name: brilliant green-turquoise water, from suspended glacial flour, ringed by forests and mountains. An easy trail loops around the lake, canoes are for rent, and a wooden lodge lines the shore. Quieter than Lake Louise and Moraine, it offers a peaceful atmosphere.

In Jasper National Park, Maligne Lake is the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies. Its cruise heads to Spirit Island, a tiny conifer-covered islet that has become one of the best-known images of the Rockies. All around, hiking trails and wildlife (elk, bears) round out the visit, in a setting of mountains and forest.

A long lake set in a wine valley in southern British Columbia, Okanagan Lake combines beaches, swimming and vineyards, around towns like Kelowna and Penticton. Its mild, sunny climate makes it a popular summer destination, between tastings, water sports and lazing by the water. Legend also places Ogopogo, its lake monster, here.

Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. On its Canadian shore, in Ontario, Lake Superior Provincial Park offers wild coastline, pebble beaches, trails and the Indigenous Agawa pictographs. The water stays cold even in summer, in landscapes of boreal forest and wind-battered cliffs.

At the heart of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, this large Québec lake is the realm of the blueberry and of freshwater beaches. A long cycle path, the Véloroute des Bleuets, loops around it, linking villages, farms and viewpoints. In summer you swim and taste blueberry pie; the lake is also known for its international swimming crossing.

About two hours north of Toronto, Lake Muskoka is at the heart of Ontario's cottage country, the region of waterside cabins. Between forests, Canadian Shield rock and towns like Gravenhurst, people come for canoeing, swimming and relaxation. Autumn is spectacular here, when the maples set the shores ablaze.

A vast Manitoba lake, Lake Winnipeg is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. Its sandy shores, notably Grand Beach on the east coast, draw swimmers in summer in a relaxed seaside atmosphere, about an hour from the city of Winnipeg. Its size feels almost like an inland sea, with sunsets over the open horizon.