For a Half Day

Lachine Canal: Leading west from the Old Port is the historic Lachine Canal (tel: (514) 283 6054; website: www.pc.gc.ca/lachinecanal). Dating from 1825, it originally allowed boats to bypass the Lachine Rapids and was only re-opened for pleasure craft in 2002. Today, there are also 14km (9 miles) of bicycle paths along the canal (see Bicycle Hire in Getting Around) and a couple of interesting historic sites. The Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic Site (tel: (514) 637 7433; website: www.pc.gc.ca/fur) houses a permanent exhibition on the fur trade and is open from April to mid October (Daily 0930-1230 and 1300-1700) and mid October to November (Wed-Sun 0930-1230 and 1300-1700).

The most popular options, though, are the jet-boat and rafting trips on the Lachine Rapids offered by Saute-Moutons (tel: (514) 284 9607; website: www.jetboatingmontreal.com) and Les Descentes sur le St-Laurent (tel: (514) 767 2230 or 1 800 324 7238/324 RAFT; website: www.raftingmontreal.com). With the re-opening of the canal, it is now possible to discover its history from an Amsterdam-style tour boat run by Parks Canada (tel: (514) 283 6054; website: www.pc.gc.ca/lachinecanal). Departures are from the Atwater Market dock (see Shopping).

For a Whole Day

Cantons de l'Est: The Eastern Townships lie some 80km (50 miles) to the east of Montreal, on the border with New England. Some of the province's most picturesque countryside is here, dotted with 19th-century villages settled by the Loyalists (Americans who refused to rebel against King George III). In the winter, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and downhill skiing are all possible. The town of Magog and nearby Mont Orford make a good base for exploring; the best way to get there is by car along Highway 10. Tourisme Cantons-de-l'Est, at exit 68 off Highway 10 (tel: (819) 820 2020 or 1 800 355 5755; website: www.cantonsdelest.com) can provide more information.

Laurentides: Better known in English as The Laurentians, this region, to the north of Montreal along Highway 15, is one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world and now a major North American skiing centre and popular spot for hiking and cycling. Nonetheless, there is still a huge amount of untouched wilderness to be explored - particularly in the Parc du Mont-Tremblant, about 130km (81 miles) from Montreal. At 935m (3,068ft), Mont-Tremblant (tel: (819) 681 2000 or 1 866 356 2233; website: www.tremblant.ca) is the highest mountain in the region and a major ski and outdoors centre. Trendy Mont St-Sauveur (tel: (450) 227 4671 or (514) 871 0101; website: www.mssi.ca) offers terrific night skiing and is popular for its proximity to Montreal - about 60km (37 miles). The helpful staff at Tourisme Laurentides (tel: (450) 224 7007 or 1 800 561 6673/NORD; website: www.laurentians.com) can provide more information.