With downtown Montreal only a short commute to the east, it is the destination of choice for most people wanting to get out of the West Island. If one has access to a car, there are also some other interesting, albeit quiet, destinations to the west of the West Island:
Visit a Cabane à Sucre maple farm in Rigaud in the spring for some fresh maple syrup-âthere are two primary ones: Auberge de Gallant and Sucrerie de la Montagne.
Also in Rigaud is Mont Rigaud, an unchallenging skihill in the winter. In the summer, there are walking trails, as well as outdoor Catholic religious services at the Sanctuaire de Lourdes. In October, the leaves changing colour on the mountain can make for impressive scenery.
Near Rigaud is Hudson, a leafy lakeside scenic town with many quaint arts-and-crafts shops.
A ferry from Hudson takes you across the Lake of Two Mountains to the village of Oka, featuring a cheese-making monastery, a large water park, and the Kanesatake Mohawk Reserve the site of an infamous standoff in Canadian history known as the "Oka Crisis".
Canada's capital of Ottawa is about a 90 min drive from the West Island.
Some Eastern Ontario towns have an English colonial flavour, such as Maxville 1 h drive from the West Island, Kingston 2 h, and Perth 2.5 h.
