Active Pursuits

After such long winters, locals pour outdoors to get sun and warm air at every possible opportunity (though there's also lots to do when there's snow on the ground). Even if you come to Montréal without your regular outdoor gear, it's easy to join in.

Bicycling & In-Line Skating

Bicycling and rollerblading are hugely popular in Montréal, and the city helps people indulge these passions: It boasts an expanding network of more than 350km (217 miles) of cycling paths and year-round bike lanes. In warm months, car lanes in heavily biked areas are blocked off with concrete barriers, effectively turning them into two-way lanes for bikers.

If you're serious about cycling, get in touch with the nonprofit biking organization Vélo Québec (tel. 800/567-8356, or 514/521-8356 in Montréal; www.velo.qc.ca). Vélo (which means bicycle) was behind the development of a 4,000km (2,485-mile) bike network called Route Verte (Green Route) that stretches from one end of Québec province to the other. The route was officially inaugurated in summer 2007. The Vélo website has the most up-to-date information on the state of the paths, the Montréal Bike Fest, road races, new bike lanes, and more. It also offers guided tours throughout the province. (Tip: Several taxi companies provide bike racks and charge C$3/£1.50 extra for each bike.)

If you're looking to rent a bike or pair of skates for an afternoon, you've got several options, depending on where you're based. In Vieux-Montréal, the shop ÇaRoule/Montréal on Wheels (tel. 514/866-0633; www.caroulemontreal.com) at 27 rue de la Commune est, the waterfront road bordering Vieux-Port, rents bikes and skates from April to October (and by appointment in Mar and Nov). Bikes cost C$9 (£4.50) per hour and C$30 (£15) per day on the weekend, rollerblades a little less. Helmets are included and a deposit is required. The staff will set you up with a map (also downloadable from their website) and likely point you toward the peaceful Lachine Canal, a nearly flat 11km (6.8-mile) bicycle path, open year-round (but only maintained by Parks Canada from mid-Apr to the end of Oct), that travels alongside locks and over small bridges. The canal starts just a few blocks away.

Other options for short bike tours from Vieux-Port are Ile Notre-Dame, less than 20 minutes away, where the Grand Prix auto-racing track is a biker's dream, or simply out to the 2.5km (1.5-mile) promenade that runs along the piers.

Also for rent at Vieux-Port in spring and summer are Quadricycles, or "Q-cycles" -- 4-wheeled roofed bike-buggies that can hold three to six people. You can only ride them along Vieux-Port, and the rental booth is in the heart of the waterfront area, next to the Pavillian Jacques-Cartier. Rentals are by the half-hour and cost C$15 (£7.50) for a three-seater, C$20 (£10) for a three-seater with spots for two small children, and C$30 (£15) for a six-seater.

Hiking

The most popular hike is to the top of Mont-Royal. They call it a mountain, but it's more of a large hill. There are a web of options for trekking it, from using the broad and handsome pedestrian-only chemin Olmsted (a bridle path named for Frederick Law Olmsted, the park's landscape architect), to following smaller paths and sets of stairs. The park is well-marked and small enough that you can wander without fear of getting too lost.

Jogging

There are many possibilities for running. In addition to the areas described above for biking and hiking, consider heading to either of the city's most prominent parks: Parc La Fontaine in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood, or Parc Maisonneuve in the city's east side, adjacent to the Jardin Botanique and across the street from Olympic Park. Both parks are formally landscaped and well used for recreation and relaxation.

Kayaking & Electric Boating

It's fun to rent kayaks, large Rabaska canoes, pedal boats, or small eco-friendly electric boats on the quiet Lachine Canal, just to the west of Vieux-Port. H2O Adventures (tel. 514/842-1306; www.h2oadventures.com) won a 2007 Grand Prix du tourisme Québécois award for being a standout operation. Their rentals start at C$10 (£5) per hour. Two-hour introductory kayak lessons go for C$39 (£20) on weekdays, C$45 (£23) on weekends. The shop is open daily. Find it at the Marché Atwater, where you can also pick up lunch from the inside boulangerie and fromagerie, adjacent to the canal. Métro: Lionel-Groulx.

Cross-Country Skiing

Parc Mont-Royal has an extensive cross-country course, as do many of the other city parks, though skiers have to supply their own equipment. Just an hour from the city, north in the Laurentides and east in the Cantons de l'Est, there are numerous options for skiing and rentals.

Ice-Skating

In the winter, outdoor skating rinks are set up in Vieux-Port, Lac des Castors (Beaver Lake), and other spots around the city; check tourist offices for your best options. One of the most agreeable venues for skating any time of the year is Atrium Le 1000 in the downtown skyscraper at that address. For one thing, it's indoors and warm. For another, it's surrounded by cafes at which to relax after twirling around the big rink. And yes, it's even open in the summer.