The Sweetest Maple Sugar Accommodations Across Canada
With fall upon us, there’s no need to get depressed about the weather getting cooler or the leaves falling. After all, there’s apple and pumpkin picking, Thanksgiving and Halloween to look forward to.
Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travellers with more than one million incredible places to stay, understands your reluctance about the season and wants to provide you with something to feed your needs in the sweetest way possible –the top maple sugar destinations in Canada.
For those who don’t know, maple sugar is a traditional sweetener prepared from the sap of sugar, red and black maple trees in the late winter and early spring. As the supplier for 85% of the world, this sweet, sticky treat has put Canada on the map. The basic process of tapping maple trees to collect the sap and then boiling it down to make maple syrup and sugar is one of the longest Canadian traditions.
With several sugar bushes located across Ontario and Quebec, searching for ‘liquid gold’ has created the perfect Eastern getaway for families and groups of friends. With a short five-hour flight, you will be able to fulfill your sweet tooth in the most unique way.
Here our top accommodations to start your maple sugar adventure.
Situated in beautiful Muskoka, Ontario, Deerhurst Resort’s sugar bush taps over 2,000 maples throughout the resort’s dense forest. Explore the sugar bush and enjoy some delicious dishes from their maple inspired menu. Whether you’re looking for a three-course maple dinner or maple breakfast buffet, be sure to come hungry and with your sweet tooth ready to be satisfied.
This bed and breakfast is located roughly 20 minutes from downtown Matane, Quebec and is surrounded with scenic natural vistas. It features a sugar bush onsite as well as the opportunity for the guided tours of the Matane Reserve. See beavers, moose, and other Canadian wildlife in their natural habitat.
Quebec is the Canada’s largest producer of maple sugar and produces roughly three quarters of the world’s maple sugar. Le Dauphin in Drummondville, Quebec offers a Sugar Shack package including: accommodation, a traditional meal at the Village Quebecois d’antan, and a sleigh ride tour of the village. This is the perfect experience to make some fun family memories that will last a lifetime.
Wheelers Maple Products, Pancake House & Sugar Camp is only a 20-minute drive from this historic accommodation. You’ll find activities for the whole family – from a self-guided tour of its maple sugar production, trails for hiking, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, a museum about the local maple syrup heritage, a playground for the kids and a blacksmith shop. Don’t miss out on this picturesque lodge with its large wood fireplace and pancakes always being served.
This unique, fully renovated home in the friendly town of Almonte is a 45-minute drive from Ottawa’s international airport – but more importantly, it’s only a 15-minute drive from the legendary Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush. Fulton’s, located on a 400-acre farm, is a family-run business that has been around for more than 170 years. Some of the older trees have been tapped every year since the 1800s. Fulton’s has both self-guided and group guided maple tours, as well as various hiking trails. There’s also the Maple Shoppe, where you can buy maple inspired spa products, maple gourmet products and of course, maple syrup!
Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello
With an 18-hole golf course, health club and spa, you may not want to leave this 5-star hotel overlooking the Ottawa River. However, five minutes away lies Parc Omega, a 12-kilometre “safari†nature route with lakes, meadows, forests and rocky hills. In addition to a sugar shack, there are tons of animals to see, such as deer, moose, arctic wolves, black bears and more. Don’t forget your sweet tooth and camera!
Located in the charming town of Brockville, this boutique hotel provides an amazing historical ambience. Drive 30 minutes to the Gibbons Family Farm in Frankville to learn the inner workings of maple sugar and syrup production. With 4500 taps spread over 100 acres of maple bush, there are guided maple tours and the opportunity to even make your own maple taffy. Discover the farm’s modern sugar house to see all the equipment used and displays from the past and present of maple syrup making. Aim to visit at the end of March and beginning of April to experience the famous Pancake breakfasts!
