Maple syrup, ice hockey, and Shania Twain have put Canada on the map, but the country’s stunning landscape is what impressed me most. In a land mass of mammoth proportions, where to start? Well, just off the mainland’s west coast, Vancouver Island is as good a place as any.

Whether you’re yearning for the solitude of a snow-capped peak or a surf-swept beach, you can have it all in a short ferry ride from the heart of Vancouver. The Harbour Links service departs the city regularly and reaches the island in just over an hour (weather permitting). But if you fancy some traditional clam chowder soup along the way then the BC Ferries option is definitely worth the extra journey time.

Victoria, the island’s largest city, is a mix of the quaint and historical with a melange of shopping, dining, and energy. There’s plenty to do here, with the monstrous IMAX cinema and the Royal British Columbia Museum on hand to keep visitors of all ages entertained.

If you head inland by train you can wind your way over the Malahat Mountains to the endless beaches and parks of the north. The views are simply stunning. Nature has blessed the Vancouver Island region with natural beauty, and its residents enjoy a relaxed, earthy, counter-culture lifestyle.

Just off the coast a skull and cross bones stick out of the snow-peaked shanty of number ten Pirates Lane. Bob Marley, nose pressed against pane, keeps watch at ground level in his red, yellow and green entirety.

A customary golf buggy, parked up outside, is ready to manoeuvre the vacant street leading to Captain Morgan’s Boulevard, Smugglers Beach, and eventually Long John Silver Bay.

No this isn’t Reggae Pirates of the North Pacific. This is Protection Island, and it’s a white-out.

The cool season in Canada’s not a time to batten down the hatches and retreat into hibernation. And here, just off the coast of Vancouver Island, golf buggies rule.

This bohemian mosaic of 360 properties, beaches, and greenery interwoven by roadways of a thematic nature remains void of any heavy traffic. Instead the odd bicycle tyre, foot, or paw leaves its impression in the snow blanketing this tranquil hideaway which, with a brisk pace, can be covered on foot in 40 minutes.

Sandwiched between Canada’s mainland and Vancouver Island, Protection Island is located less than a mile from downtown Nanaimo, its nearest city via boat. So close to a major centre, and yet a world apart, this serene island community offers the best of both worlds. It has nine parks, spectacular beaches, and its claim to fame: the first floating pub in Canada which is cluttered with kitsch memorabilia and graffitied bank notes from around the world.

Across the Georgia Straight, surrounded by water on three sides and flanked by abrupt mountain ranges sits Canada’s coolest city: Vancouver.

Vancouver’s LA-esque streets provide the perfect backdrop for the thriving film industry, and it’s not unusual to stumble across an American film crew. A fully computerised light-rail Sky Train system circumnavigates the city every few minutes. You can stop at various stops en route the 28km loop like cultural hot spot Granville Island or hip arts hub Commercial Drive. ‘The Drive’ as it’s affectionately known by locals, is a colourful Italian-influenced stretch with a myriad of bars, restaurants, and cafes and some cosy little organic haunts.

Vibrant shopping district Robson Street has an eclectic mix of chic boutiques and high-end retailers, while a completely different scene can be found in Gas Town, where old traditional architecture is dominant. Different again is Stanley Park, one of more than 180 city parks in Vancouver with an evergreen oasis of 1,000 acres close to the heart of the downtown core.

A mere 20 minutes from central Vancouver via the Lions Gate Bridge and the Skyride gondola towers twinkling Grouse Mountain. A hot spot with a chill factor and a playground for winter sports fanatics, Grouse has wicked summit views of the city with slopes open day and night, all overlooking the urban jungle just below.

But if it’s night life, and mighty peaks you seek Whistler is your winter paradise. Just two hours north of Vancouver along the Sea-to-Sky Highway this world-famous, top ranked ski resort draws adrenaline junkies from around the world. Being there feels like you’ve arrived at some kinda surfer dude convention, surrounded by scruffy 20-something skater/snowboard kids with jeans around their ankles and too much attitude. But it’s a hell of a lot of fun no matter how old you are, on or off the slopes.

Although acclaimed for its winter events, Whistler is a year round destination, with festivals, fun and frolics for every season. It has everything a cosmopolitan city has to offer, while feeling like a true mountain getaway, and as Vancouver's partner city for the 2010 Winter Olympics it’s bound to gain even greater recognition.

By Abbey Stirling/MOLI