The Informed Traveler
The Informed Traveler
Activities In Canary Islands & River Retreat Kananaskis, AB
Travel Expert Onanta Forbes continues her winter stay in the Canary Islands, so on this week's podcast we'll get an update on the many activities you can do while staying in the Canary Islands. Then we'll head to Southern Alberta and chat with the co-owners of the River Retreat Kananaskis. Self described as where off-grid meets upscale in the Foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Well, hello and welcome to the Informed Traveler Podcast, a weekly travel podcast, where our goal is to help you become a more informed traveler. I'm your host, Randy Sharman. Travel expert Onanta Forbes continues her winter stay in the Canary Islands. So in a few seconds, we'll get an update on the many activities you can do while staying in the Canary Islands. And then we'll head to southern Alberta, much closer to home, and chat with the co-owners of the River Retreat Canadascus, self-described as where Off-Grid meets upscale in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. So I'm excited to hear more about that. But first, let's kick things off chatting with travel expert Onanta Forbes, who joins us each week to discuss some of the travel news and travel trends. You can follow her adventures on Instagram, Facebook, and X at Onanta Forbes. OnantaForbes.com is her website. Hello, Onanta.
SPEAKER_02:Hi, Randy. How are you?
SPEAKER_03:I'm good. Tell me about the island of Lanzarote, where have you where you've been spending the last, is it three weeks now? Something like that.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, it's almost a month. Um it's quite amazing. Time is rolling right along. And, you know, this week I thought I'd share a different kind of um uh angle with with why people come to this island or just the Canary Islands in general. It's actually um the islands have established themselves as one of Europe's like leading destinations for athletes and active travelers. And when you arrive and you're kind of walking around and getting um, you know, settled, you see all these cyclists just whizzing by you and they're in their full lycra, very slim bodies, and um, and then you see people running and and um it's it's quite amazing. And then you realize um just down the road from us where we're staying, there's a Barcello Active Hotel, and all these um active people that are coming here for triathlons or training are staying there. They have like an Olympic-sized swimming pool that they train in and they have meets at. And um, one morning I was just crossing the street, and all of a sudden, these group of bicyclists that all had um or cyclists, um, Canadian logos like the maple leaf on it. And then I Googled it. The 2026 Canadian Forces Triathlon Training Camp is here. And they just got here um about a week ago, and they're focusing on early season base miles cycling and swimming. And so it is like they have these intensive multi-day training sessions for all these athletes, and it's kind of cool because you know, as a Canadian, it's always neat when you're at a destination outside of your country. You see another Canadian, and I saw a whole pack of them. I was excited, excited. Um, so yeah, thousands of amateur athletes choose the Canary Islands for their training, their recovery, and their and actually their sports-focused holidays. They don't just come and and la la, like relax. They actually come here as a holiday as well. And um, the region, I guess, it like with the climate, it offers what effectively is year-round spring. So lots of daylight, minimal rainfall, and the average temperatures are between 19 and 24 degrees Celsius. So it's a it provides like stable and predictable conditions for outdoor training, which is good, right? Because um it doesn't work that way in Canada all the time, right? And especially when you're a cyclist or a triathlete or a swimmer, um, this reliability is a huge advantage. And so beyond the climate, I guess the islands as well, and I say I guess because I haven't actually done this part, um, they're widely recognized for their natural recovery benefits. So, you know, going into the sea, like with the mineral-rich seawater as far as um rejuvenation, um, the great ocean air, um, the constant sunlight, and then it it actually gives you um or contributes to physical recovery and overall well-being. So, even for the everyday person, that helps, right? Even though you're not pounding the pavement, that helps because it's um like the sea breeze, even because we get a lot of sea breeze, it's rich in mineral salts and and negative ions, which I don't exactly know what I just said there, but it promotes um circulation, respiratory health, and detoxification. Um, and then the sun exposure like it supports mental strength, which is huge, again, not just for athletes, but for people, because the world sometimes can get a little wild on you, and you and that's good, right? To to be able to have that inner strength.
SPEAKER_03:Mm-hmm. Well, not to mention the vitamin D aspect of the sunlight and that kind of things, which we always lack here in the northern climates.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, absolutely. And um, so the islands are they also have like lots of natural sea water pools, and it's formed by volcanic rock, and they're filled entirely by the ocean, so it gives a really ideal environment for post-training recovery in a very natural setting. And so we were talking about it. So Lanzarote is the fourth largest island of the seven distinct islands that make up the Canary Islands, and five of them are designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. So that again, it gives you the diversity for training, so volcanic trails, beaches, pine forests, vineyards, dunes, and protected natural landscapes. Um it's it's like 1,500 kilometers of coastline, perfectly suited for triathlon and water sports. Um and I actually learned a new word. It had it's called orography, and that means elevation variation. And that's where the athletes can train at altitudes above 2,500 meters in locations like the national park in Tenerife or in La Palma, and then return to sea level within an hour. So really cool. Um, again, to help with um the strength, endurance, and overall performance adaptation. And you know, again, the the kind of unique way of um promoting this or or creating this theme this week is because this year's the Olympics, right? And I'm sure a lot of people, like a lot of the athletes, have to do all these things to get ready and um be in contention. Um, but also the Canary Islands offer really good sports infrastructure. So they have world-class facilities, they have more than 30 professional training centers across the island. Um, they have really good sports medical medicine facilities, and they're capable of hosting over 3,000 athletes, and that's pretty amazing. And it's elite athletes on a very small island. Um, so it's it's quite neat for the safety, the accessibility, but it's also a very safe, family-friendly destination. So that offers um good opportunity for a wider activities for families to come here, so it's not just elite athletes like me. But you know, um, we'll go with elite travel agent. How's that? And it and actually when you think about it, um the Canary Islands is is um it's got quite good connectivity. So it it offers lots of flights from lots of European destinations, and technically, when you get to Europe from Canada or North America, um, and then you get on a domestic flight to get here, the travel times are short, but and there's lots of frequency as far as flights, and um cost remains competitive. And that's because the island has a tax-free status. And I have to tell you this, I'm just gonna segue a little bit. Having to with some people at a restaurant, they're from the UK and they have a place here, and they were just saying, Oh, yeah, we come back and forth. And then they told me that the price could be as low as nine euros to get here.
SPEAKER_01:Really?
SPEAKER_02:Like, no, no luggage, because you know, they have their stuff here already because they live here. And it's like, well, yeah, I come here too to train if it's only nine euros, but like, you know, it can go up to 20 euros, but compared to thousands of dollars.
SPEAKER_03:20 euros, oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, yes, right. Oh my goodness. And um so yeah, it's a it's a great um place to come um to have as their trading base every year. But they also have really amazing um recognized events like the Ironman Lanzarote, um, and then the Gran Canaria Marathon and others. These are just a two of many. And so it's not just a warm weather destination, like it's it's a proven environment for people that are athletically inclined. Um so kind of different, kind of unique. And I have to say, for the average person like me, along the the uh seafront, there's a promenade that um is varying in length that you can walk, run, or rent bikes and um go around the island. So, you know, when I talk about this, these athletes that come here, um the everyday person will also enjoy out um being outdoor, getting some activity in a normal way. Like walking is the best way for you, and it's easy on your joints, and you could do it, you know, hopefully, um at all times of your life, right? Yeah. So it it's a it's a it's a good destination to come, not just to escape winter, but also um other benefits.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Well, it's interesting you mentioned the health benefits. I think it's stuff you don't even think about, like when you talk about the ocean air and just swimming in the ocean and and the hot springs that you're talking about. Uh uh all those health benefits, I think, are nobody it's not really top of mind. You just do them because you know, it's something to do there.
SPEAKER_02:Right, right. And like the the condo unit or complex we're at has a huge pool. It actually has three pools. So you don't even have to go into the ocean if you really don't want to. Um, I was checking out some of the resorts that are here. They have um uh tennis courts that you can enjoy um and you know, get less lessons if you want. And um um, I don't know if it's uh it's it's like a game that that it you just throw the uh maybe it's bocce ball. I don't know if that's the right word, but there's lots of like um uh informal little places like that that you could just gather or not like or just be by yourself or with your partner and just play little games like that.
SPEAKER_03:Cool.
SPEAKER_02:Yes.
SPEAKER_03:Um I was curious though, you mentioned the connectivity to Europe. How well connect uh how well are the islands themselves connected? Is there like there are ferries that go across between the islands or are they too far? Or how does that work?
SPEAKER_02:No, they aren't like to get um to Tenerife, um, it's only like about 20 minutes. Like people go over there for the day, as you know, if they're st if they're stationed here to go. Um, and then the it's it's it's easy. Like there's lots of ferry opportunities to go. There is also airports and such, but um, you know, go going to an airport goes along with security and getting there quite a bit earlier than you know you may want to schedule time for kind of thing. So the ferry's good too. And you could do walk-on traffic or you could do uh vehicle as well.
SPEAKER_03:Perfect. Yeah, because if you wanted to explore some of the other islands as well for a day or something like that, that's that's cool too.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I would recommend doing that. Um, you know, it gives you an opportunity to see. You can rent a car while you're there, you could, you know, research ahead of time and take local buses, um, or you know, or grab a tour when you get to the other island and have a tour already set up in place to go forward with. Yes.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Nice. Anything else?
SPEAKER_02:Um, no, just enjoying it. Um, again, I do have to say, like, I'm not complaining, but everybody says, oh, yeah, this is the coldest winter we've had in 30 years. And I'm gonna go, really? I'm okay with that. It's probably the warmest winter I've had in 30 years.
SPEAKER_03:People can uh check out your uh images on Facebook, Instagram, and X at Onanta Forbes. OnantoForbes.com uh is your website. Uh always fun to chat, Onanta. Enjoy the nice weather in Lanzarote.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. Thank you.
SPEAKER_03:This is the Informed Traveler Podcast. I'm Randy Sharman. Just want to remind you of our website, the informedtraveler.org. That's where you can find our contact page if you have any questions or comments about the podcast. You can also email me too with any questions you might have. My email address is randy at the informedtraveler.org. And you can check out our social media pages too at facebook.com slash informed traveler, Instagram at informed traveler, or on X at Informed Traveler. That's where you'll find a number of videos and reels from our adventures throughout the year and audio clips from our past shows. Plus, you can sign up for our monthly newsletter too. It's released at the beginning of every month. Our February issue is now available. Just go to our website, theinformedraveler.org, click on the newsletter button, and it'll take you right there. Or better yet, you can subscribe to it and have it arrive in your inbox each month. So let's head to southern Alberta now and chat with the co-owners of the River Retreat Canonasis, self-described as where Off-Grid meets upscale in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. So joining us now to share their story is Todd and Roxy Broadband, co-owners of the River Retreat Canonascus, the website River RetreatCanonascus.com. Hello, Todd and Roxy.
SPEAKER_00:Good morning.
SPEAKER_03:Good morning. So tell me the story. How did this all come about?
SPEAKER_04:Oh, well, thanks. Uh we um how did it all come about? That's a great question. We uh came together a little bit later in life, and um we we we wanted to do something together. We wanted to build something together, and we had this beautiful piece of land that we thought should be shared with the world. We didn't want to be selfish and just uh enjoy it ourselves. So there was a big house here. It was built as a bed and breakfast, but it didn't run down and not no one paid attention to it for a few years. So we picked it up at a pretty good price and and uh we started building. We started with a campsite and and uh started building. We got the boutique lodge and cabins, but it was all uh based on the two of us building a life together and building a life that we could share with um with the world, is is kind of how it all came about. Nice.
SPEAKER_03:Are you the kind of couple that uh hosts a lot of your friends? Like if like if there's a gathering, it's usually at the broadband's home. Is that yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Characteristically, that's how we both are for sure. Yeah, we uh we love to host, we love uh having people around when we can, and and just yeah, that's that's that's part of your right. That's exactly what this business is about for us.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, I think so, yeah. Because you know, you're inviting people, and it is your home, right? You're inviting in like I mean, they're not staying uh, you know, in in the room next to you or anything like that, but it is your home.
SPEAKER_00:That's right, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah. No, we we live down on the main floor. Uh we've put ourselves in kind of the the little corner in the back. Uh we we joke that we live in squalor while everybody else gets to enjoy the beautiful property.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Well, describe uh the area. I know where it is. It's uh it's about an hour's drive south of Calgary, uh, near a town near Longviews. But for someone who's never been, describe uh how do you get there and just the area in general.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's it's we call it God's country out here. We're super blessed to to find this um chunk of property. This this particular highway um is Highway 541, um, which converts into Highway 40, which is the south entrance into Canonaskis. There's only 10 landowners um along this highway. So it's nice and private, it's quiet, it's your authentic uh ranchers. But um we always joke because either you marry into or inherit um the land out here, and Todd and I are the only ones that didn't do that.
SPEAKER_01:And you're the outliers.
SPEAKER_00:We're yeah, and there's a ton of history on this highway. Um, you know, we have uh John Scott, who brought the film industry to Alberta. He owns a big chunk of land right across the highway from us, so we are super blessed to see all the fancy movie horses. Um you know, it's the the authentic Alberta rancher country.
SPEAKER_04:Guy Wedack, the founder of the Stampede, Calgary Stampede, his uh original property is right across the highway from us. And uh yeah, so it's a beautiful spot. Just uh we're just 24 kilometers west of Longview, and Longview's famous for the beef jerky. It's been some of the best beef. Yeah, and we're just 24 kilometers and we're right on the edge of Canonascus. And as Jaxie said, Highway 541 turns into Highway 40, which is one of the most beautiful drives. Uh I've been I've done a lot of traveling. It's one of the most beautiful drives I've ever done. That 40 goes right through Canonascus, which uh we're right on the gate of.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and our our property um borders the Highwood River, uh, which is known for fly fishing. So it's it's absolutely stunning out here.
SPEAKER_03:It really is. Uh like I said, I've driven along that Highway 40. It is, like you say, uh Todd, that uh it is one of the most beautiful drives in the world, I would argue. I I think if people want to get a visual, if they've seen the the show Yellowstone, that would kind of give them sort of the similar kind of uh area, right?
SPEAKER_04:It sure would, yeah. We're we're definitely the Yellowstone of the North right up here.
SPEAKER_00:And you're right, Randy. It's actually um what we've heard, what we've been told, is this highway is um rated the top ten most scenic drives in North America. And you know, when Todd and I have an opportunity to drive down it, like our jaw jaws drop. Like it's just stunning, and we and we're we become the tourist out here and we stop and take pictures because we're like, we can't believe that this is our backyard.
SPEAKER_04:And you know, and you know what's a beautiful thing about it is it's peaceful out here. It's a quiet. We can actually Jacksie puts her feet up on the dash and we can cruise along the highway below the speed limit and just kind of take it all in. It's uh it's peaceful out here. It's not like driving to Banf where you're on, you know, the Indianapolis 500 uh causeway there.
SPEAKER_03:Very true. So describe the accommodations and the experience uh you want your guests to have when they arrive.
SPEAKER_00:For sure. Um, so our boutique lodge, um, we did some high-end finishings in them. Uh we have heated floors in the bathrooms, bidet, toilets. Um, you know, we want to make that international traveler uh super comfortable when they come in here. Um we have uh a lounge so we can you know welcome people with uh with a cocktail when they arrive. We have uh a dining area that we call our conservatory, so you know we can offer breakfast, lunches, and dinners.
SPEAKER_04:Um the the rooms themselves, the uh there's five boutique uh rooms here. They each have their own ensuite. Uh everyone has a beautiful view of the mountains or the river. Um and then we've expanded into guest cabins. We have currently we have three little tourist cabins right along the Highwood River. And what would be better than uh a cabin in the in the woods, looking over the mountains in the river? And that's what we have here is uh really nice little log cabins, three of them right now.
SPEAKER_03:Nice. Uh so describe some of the activities. Um I would imagine a lot of hiking, uh that sort of thing. But like you said, you're you're right off the highway. So if people want to drive into to Canadas country and enjoy that, they can do that for the day. Uh, what are some of the things people like doing when they're staying there?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, for sure. Uh fishing is is number one because we're right on the river, so you can just go out and fish for the for the afternoon, for the day, whatever you need to do. Fly fishing is the most popular sport. Uh hiking, there's so many hikers out here. Uh bicyclers in the spring, uh, because that highway 40 is still closed. We get a lot of bicyclers come out and uh enjoy that nice open highway. Um, we have uh in the fall, hunters. Hunters come and stay with us. So that's sleeping in the woods, they come and skidoers, skidoer sledders, yeah. Um what else? We've had uh we've had a lot of corporate events, uh, we've had some wellness retreats. Um, something that we're doing coming in Valentine's Day, and we do throughout the year is pop-up dinners where we bring in executive chefs and create a dining experience.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. And so what's included? Is uh like do you I'm sure there's probably different packages. That you can you can get if that depending on how long you stay?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, that sure changes all the time based on the season, how busy we are. Um something today we're offering is uh with the rooms, you get a breakfast and a charcuterie board. Is the that's when they get get here, right? Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:So what's your typical guest? Is it couples? Is it people from uh the area? Do you get a lot of international people, or is it just a mix of everybody?
SPEAKER_00:Um, you know, that's that's an interesting question. We because we're an adults-only resort, um we we do obviously have um couples come in, we have friends. Um we the the kind of interesting thing that we found is is in our cabins, we actually have uh single women come out and they elect to be in a cabin um because they want to just peace and quiet and to be on their own and reflect life. And um, you know, international travelers, uh, we've had uh people from Australia, the UK, the Netherlands, uh, Germany, New Zealand, uh, New Zealand, from the States.
SPEAKER_03:So what's the feedback been like? Like and and with that, and I might put you on the spot here, but uh, what's the most surprising thing someone has said to you that you weren't really expecting? I guess I'm I'm sure people say, Oh, it's wonderful, it's great. Like, and I don't mean to just sort of downplay all that, but is there anything that stuck out to you that somebody has said to you?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I think there's there's two that stand out. My my my favorite was um we had the last couple come in and uh they they just spent some time with Jaxie first, and they called her uh like the Chip and Joanne, like she said she was Joanne and the Chip and Joanna, and then the next day they saw me working and doing all this stuff, and she came up, she goes, You're just like Chip. So they called us the Chip and Joanne uh of the north. Joanna, pardon me. And then um, who we like, we like watching their show we've watched over the years, and then what was the last one you just said?
SPEAKER_00:Uh oh yeah the the one um couple that had left, um, you know, really appreciated everything. And I'll never forget she she looked at her husband and she goes, After staying here, I like you again. And I was like, Oh my goodness. So yeah, we we save marriages here, Randy.
SPEAKER_03:You should put that as your uh tagline on your website. We save marriages. We save marriages. Sorry, go ahead.
SPEAKER_00:No, um what we what we're trying to do is um we've kind of gotten with a uh tagline, I don't know what we call it, like disconnect to reconnect. Um, you know, put your phones away and and you know, just take a breath.
SPEAKER_03:Exactly.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Um so so I'm kind of gathering. So people do things during the daytime, they come back, they probably have dinner or something like that. And then there's probably this quiet time. What happens between the hours of say eight or ten o'clock, or just people just kind of go quietly to their rooms and be off on their own?
SPEAKER_04:We've had it depends on um, yeah, I guess it depends on the people. We've had wonderful people that we've sat at the the bar and enjoyed a few beverages and played loud music and they've sang and for like Europeans, they just love to sing and and you know, talk and so forth. We've had some wonderful evenings with people. Uh we've sat down and enjoyed people with dinner and you know, uh throughout the evening. But yeah, a lot of people uh after they have dinner, they retreat to their rooms and you know, go to sleep and get up early and go hiking and whatever they may do. We've had people just drag themselves in, they're so tired and they go straight to bed. So everything.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, the fresh air gets them. Yeah, fresh air for that mountain air, and and we've had um you know you know, we offer someone who wants to sit outside and and have a campfire, you know, experience a real fire versus a propane fire and and look at the stars. Um, Todd's created a lot of beautiful and amazing um parts to the property where it's private. Um he's built what we call a riverside cabana that shelters you from from wind. You can have a fire in there and it's right along the river. Um, you know, we set up all different places, like there's a blanket and heaters out there, and and and of course, uh, you know, sometimes people just sit by the by the river in the evening.
SPEAKER_03:Well, yeah, it's got to be very priestful. Like I said, it's it's just a beautiful area. Um so is it a busier time? Like I'm kind of assuming that right now in the middle of winter, it's not as busy as it would be in the summer for obvious reasons, yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, it's a slower time of the year for sure. And we're hoping to um to build on that, to extend our shoulder seasons. Uh the the guest cabins right along the river with a wood-burning stove. We're hoping people find that a great place to go for the winter where you can just get away for a couple days.
SPEAKER_03:And anything else you want to add I might have missed?
SPEAKER_04:We we do have some uh wellness um treatments that we're uh we're offering and we'd like to expand into. We are currently offering reflexology. We have an infrared sauna. Um Jaxie had mentioned the cabana by the river. We had a a couple celebrating, I think it was our 25th anniversary. And uh they had the reflexology right along the river, just absolutely beautiful. Jaxie served them wine and lunch out there, and they were just they spent the whole day there and they were just elated. They were so happy. Nice. But yeah, we are expecting uh to hopefully include some hydrotherapy treatments here over the next year.
SPEAKER_03:Perfect. Well, people can find out some more information from your website, riveretreatcanascus.com. Todd and Jacksy Broadband, aka uh Chip and Joanna of the North are the uh co-owners of River Retreat Canonaskis. It was a fun chat with you. Thank you. Thank you, Randy. That is our show for this week. If you have comments or questions, we'd love to hear from you. If you have a show idea, send that along as well. My email is Randy at theinformed traveler.org. If you like what you heard, tell a friend. You can check out our website too at theinformed traveler.org. In the meantime, thanks for listening. Travel safe and be an informed traveler.