Ontario is our house. We have camped, hiked, biked, and road-tripped your complete province. As journey bloggers, you’ll assume we’d be dwelling in one of many digital nomad sizzling spots like Mexico or Thailand, however Ontario will at all times be our endlessly house. We are near the Great Lakes, provincial parks, iconic locations like Niagara Falls and the CN Tower, and, after all, superb seashores.
Canadians love the summer time season; it’s cottage season, once we get out on the water to benefit from the lengthy, sizzling days. Ontario seashores will shock you with their mushy white sand, heat water (in some locations), and delightful surroundings. So, if you’re planning a weekend getaway, listed here are a few of the finest seashores in Ontario to plan your trip.
Best Ontario Beaches
Ontario’s freshwater seashores are superior. No worries about sharks or jellyfish right here! With sand dunes and sand bars, clear waters, and sandy shores, visiting a seashore space close to you is likely one of the finest issues to do in Ontario in summer time.
1. The Beaches – Toronto
My grandmother used to reside instantly on Kew Beach. Her yard was Kew Gardens, and once we used to go to, we went skating on the outside rink in the winter and performed in the sand in the summer time. I want we purchased that home when she lastly moved right into a apartment! Anyway, I digress.
Toronto has completely lovely seashores. There is a complete neighborhood in the town referred to as “The Beaches.” Woodbine Beach and Kew Beach are two widespread seashores linked by an extended stretch of soppy sand. Woodbine Beach is the perfect seashore and gateway to Toronto’s seashores, which stretch 3 km alongside Lake Ontario.
There are a number of volleyball courts, so you’ll be able to be part of a sport or select a seashore volleyball court docket of your individual. It has a washing pavilion, showers, and foot wash stations, and even Donald D. Summerville Outdoor Olympic Pool, full with 5 to 10-meter diving platforms. You can stroll throughout Kew Beach to Silver Kew Beach alongside the boardwalk or trip you bike alongside the Mark Goodman Trail.
If you’re visiting Toronto in {the summertime}, make your approach out to The Beaches for a day. There’s loads of eating, artwork galleries, boutique purchasing and even nightlife. It’s additionally house to the Beaches Jazz Festival for the month of July.
Where to remain close to the seashores
There aren’t many resort decisions close to the Beaches, however they’re simply accessed by streetcar from downtown. If you desire a waterfront really feel, the Westin Harbour Castle is a good selection.
2. Wasaga Beach – Georgian Bay
Wasaga Beach is a really apparent selection for seashores in Ontario, however how are you going to not put it as primary? It holds a fairly spectacular title and is globally acknowledged because the world’s longest freshwater seashore. It stretches over greater than 14km of white sand shoreline and is a beloved website of a coastal dune ecosystem. We used to reside up north (as we prefer to name cottage nation in Ontario), and this was our go-to seashore.
The heat, shallow waters are perfect for swimming and wading, particularly for younger kids. The seashore is split into eight sections and has facilities equivalent to washrooms, picnic areas, playgrounds, and ample parking.
Wasaga Beach can be a hub for outside lovers, offering alternatives for water sports activities equivalent to jet snowboarding, paddleboarding, and windsurfing on Lake Huron. The surrounding space affords glorious mountaineering and biking trails, together with the Wasaga Beach Provincial Park path system, which meanders by means of scenic dunes and forests. In the winter, the park transforms right into a haven for cross-country snowboarding and snowshoeing.
Where to Stay Near Wasaga Beach
Located about two hours north of Toronto, Wasaga Beach is definitely accessible for a day journey or weekend getaway. Wasaga Beach is simply 25 minutes from Blue Mountain / Collingwood. We recommend staying in Blue Mountain Village at Westin Trillium House for the proper weekend getaway.
3. Agawa – Lake Superior
One of the extra distant seashores in Ontario, Agawa Beach is the perfect seashore for a distant escape. This pristine seashore is positioned in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Stretching over a kilometer alongside the rugged shores of Lake Superior, Agawa Beach has crystal-clear waters, albeit chilly waters, mushy sandy shores, and views of the encompassing cliffs and forested landscapes. Check out The Wild Coastal Trail of Pukaskwa National Park
It could appear to be the Caribbean, however be warned, the waters are chilly, so chances are you’ll need to dip your toes in earlier than diving in.
Agawa Beach can be a haven for outside lovers who take pleasure in kayaking or canoeing alongside Lake Superior’s north shore. The close by Agawa Rock Pictographs are a must-stop. Hiking trails just like the Orphan Lake Trail and the Coastal Trail are widespread stops. This is just not your typical seashore; it’s extra of an out of doors lover’s playground looking for one thing totally different.
This seashore is positioned a whopping 9 hours drive from Toronto, so you’ll want to make a weekend out of it. Stop in Sault Sault Ste. Marie for the evening to take pleasure in some true northern hospitality after which proceed driving alongside the Trans-Canada Highway for one more 130 kilometers. This is the perfect street journey in Ontario, so it’s value it, belief me!
Where to Stay close to Agawa Beach
Naturally Superior Adventures is the place to guide your weekend getaway on Lake Superior. Located close to the city of Wawa, you’ll be able to guide kayaking excursions, mountaineering journeys, do some stand-up paddle boarding, or participate in a really Canadian Canoe Trip.
4. Pancake Bay Provincial Park – Lake Superior
I’ll always remember stopping at Pancake Bay Beach whereas driving the Circle Tour from Sault Ste. Marie by means of the USA. Lake Superior has a surprisingly sandy shore that may look rather a lot like a Caribbean Island—that’s till you’re feeling the water temperature. Read extra: 12 Amazing issues to see on the Slate Islands – Ontario
Stretching over 3 kilometers, it affords guests a pristine and expansive sandy shoreline that’s excellent for sunbathing, swimming, and beachcombing. Pancake Bay Beach offers a protected and fulfilling setting for households and swimmers of all ages. Although, it’s chilly.
The seashore has numerous facilities, together with clear washrooms, picnic areas with tables, and handy parking amenities.
Pancake Bay Provincial Park is a haven for outside fans, providing quite a few leisure actions equivalent to mountaineering, birdwatching, and canoeing. The park’s scenic mountaineering trails are just like the Edmund Fitzgerald Lookout Trail. Check out: 21 Most Beautiful Canadian National Parks
Where to Stay
Located roughly 75 kilometers north of Sault Ste. Marie is definitely accessible by way of the Trans-Canada Highway. You can keep in Sault Ste. Marie however we recommend Naturally Superior Adventures to mix a stick with journey. The park affords a well-maintained campground, permitting for prolonged stays.
5. Sauble Beach – South Bruce Peninsula
Ontario homes not one however two of the longest freshwater seashores in the world. Sauble Beach is the second-longest freshwater seashore on earth, spanning 11km (7 miles) alongside the shores of Lake Huron. I’ll always remember Mom and Dad taking us on a street journey to this seashore, which has a sandbar alongside its shores, so we may stroll out for what felt like miles.
Its mushy white sand is ideal for sunbathing and swimming in its clear, recent water. With its shallow waters, Sauble Beach is widespread for kiteboarding and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). Pack a picnic, play some seashore volleyball at one of many seashore volleyball courts, or just construct a sandcastle.
Where to Stay close to Sauble Beach
Located 3 hours from Toronto, you’ll want to make a weekend out of visiting Sauble Beach. The Sands Hotel is the one upscale resort in the world with a rooftop terrace overlooking the seashore. However, Wiarton is just 20 minutes away, so chances are you’ll need to make a base right here, and you may discover Tobermory on a day journey as properly. Read extra: The Best Things to Do in Tobermory, Ontario
6. Grand Bend Beach – Grand Bend
I spent many summers at Grand Bend Beach as a result of my dad and mom had their cottage there. Grand Bend was positively considered one of Ontario’s authentic seashore cities, and through school and highschool, everybody at all times made a street journey to seashore locations, with this being the highest! I even carried out at Huron Country Playhouse for a season.
There are two areas: the Main Beach and the quieter South Beach. Grand Bend is a small however mighty seashore with about 1km of golden mushy sand positioned on Lake Huron.
What makes it such a preferred vacation spot is the seashore city in which it’s positioned. Grand Bend has loads of retailers, eating places, ice cream parlors, and outside patios lining the streets.
Amenities embrace shaded picnic areas, outside showers, paid parking, and even a lifeguard on responsibility throughout peak season. Water sports activities embrace jet snowboarding, paddleboarding, and windsurfing, and campers can take pleasure in staying at Pinery Provincial Park.
Where to Stay in Grand Bend
Oakwood Resort is a superb selection for a weekend getaway positioned on an expansive parcel of land with a personal seashore. It has a wellness middle, golf course and restaurant, so you’ll be able to have a quiet retreat away from all of it.
7. Sandbanks Dunes Beach – Prince Edward County
Sandbanks Dunes Beach, positioned in Sandbanks Provincial Park on the shores of Lake Ontario, is likely one of the finest seashores in Ontario, with its fundamental seashore stretching greater than two kilometers with golden sand and majestic sand dunes that create a rolling pure panorama. Read extra: Things to do in Prince Edward County, Ontario
The seashore is understood for its heat, shallow waters which is right for swimming and family-friendly water actions. Amenities embrace washrooms, picnic areas, and ample parking.
The seashore additionally options designated areas for barbecuing and shaded spots excellent for stress-free with a picnic. Lifeguards are on responsibility throughout peak seasons to make sure a protected setting for all.
The surrounding Sandbanks Provincial Park has quite a few mountaineering and biking trails, there’s chicken watching or you’ll be able to go canoeing.
The close by Outlet Beach affords much more alternatives for swimming and sunbathing, whereas West Lake offers a great spot for fishing and boating.
North Beach Provincial Park can be close by. With its ribbon of sand slicing by means of Lake Ontario, it appears extra like a seashore from Mexico or Thailand. This was as soon as a quiet seashore, however now that you must guide your day allow in advance. However, it’s value it to take pleasure in a day on the Beach. Visit Ontario Parks to plan your go to.
Where to Stay close to Sandbanks Provincial Park
Located in Prince Edward County, Sandbanks Dunes Beach is roughly a two-hour drive from Toronto and simply over an hour from Kingston. The Birch is simply 8km from Sandbanks Provincial Park and has trendy vacation houses for lease with fridges and low makers
8. Port Dover Beach – Port Dover
Port Dover is a small seashore overlooking an extended pier with and white-and-red-painted lighthouse but it surely is likely one of the hottest seashores in Ontario, due to its vigorous downtown, well-known sizzling tog stand and Friday thirteenth gatherings.
The waters are shallow, heat and calm due to being positioned in the bay sheltered by Long Point Provincial Park. You’ll discover ice cream retailers, eating places, and purchasing promoting native handcrafts. We love this seashore, we will cycle to it from our home!
Where to Stay in Port Dover
Port Dover sits on the north shore of Lake Erie and is just below two hours drive from Toronto. The Erie Beach Hotel is positioned proper in the center of all of the motion beside the Arbor and only one block from the seashore and lighthouse.
9. Cobourg Beach
Located simply an hour’s drive east of Toronto and simply accessible by way of Highway 401, Cobourg Beach is a handy and widespread vacation spot for a day journey or weekend getaway making it one of many extra widespread seashore locations in Ontario.
Visitors to Cobourg Beach can take pleasure in a variety of facilities, together with washrooms, outside showers, and picnic areas. IF you’ve got youngsters, the seashore can be geared up with playgrounds and splash pads. It can be house to a picturesque boardwalk and entry to numerous retailers, cafes, and eating places. The close by Cobourg Marina is a good spot for boating and crusing, whereas Victoria Park has inexperienced areas for picnicking, concert events, and seasonal occasions just like the annual Sandcastle Festival.
Cobourg is a good city for vacationers, with loads of its personal sights. You can go to the Northumberland County Archives and Museum, Sifton-Cook Heritage Centre, and the East Pierhead Lighthouse. It’s a enjoyable place to wander round for a day, with sufficient to see to maintain you occupied however sufficiently small to do justice in just some hours.
Where to Stay in Cobourg
The King George Inn is. positioned in the historic downtown, steps away from boutique retailers and eating places.
10. Port Stanley
My sister lived in Port Stanley all her life, and we watched it develop from a sleeping fishing village to considered one of Ontario’s sizzling spots positioned on the shores of Lake Erie. The golden sand stretches for about half a kilometer. Have you observed a pattern that a variety of the perfect seashores in Ontario are positioned alongside the Great Lakes?
The city of Port Stanley is break up in half by a river, joined by the long-lasting King George VI Lift Bridge (which it is best to intention to attempt to see in motion though it drove me loopy once I visited her). And, as an additional tip, in case you discover the primary seashore too busy, head to Little Beach. This tiny seashore is hidden away and far much less well-known.
Port Stanley is a fantastic harbour village with fishing boats and a laid again ambiance. It is a pleasant place to spend a day, and it has loads of facilities, equivalent to cafes and eating places. And there’s even a prepare that the entire household can hop aboard to take pleasure in a trip!
Where to Stay in Port Stanley
Inn on the Harbour is positioned on the Lake Erie waterfront with views of the lake and the village. Visitors can sit on the outside deck to take in the views at evening and the air-conditioned rooms have a romantic fire.
11. Centre Island Beach
If you need to escape the town, Centre Island Beach in the Toronto Islands is only a brief ferry trip from downtown Toronto to the Toronto Islands of Lake Ontario. It is gorgeous for sunbathing or planning a pleasant picnic. Dave and I had considered one of our first dates on Centre Island, the place we loved a picnic. There are a number of seashores on the Toronto Islands together with a nude seashore. Ooooh.
The mushy sands are backed by greenery and mountaineering trails by means of woodland, which might give it a secluded really feel if it wasn’t positioned in such a preferred space. Instead, Centre Island Beach is a nook of solace in the whirlwind of pleasure that’s Centre Island.
You’ll discover the Centreville Amusement Park, a hedge maze, and bike leases. It’s the place to move for a break from the town with out truly having to speculate a lot journey time. You simply catch a scenic ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal in central Toronto, which takes actually quarter-hour to succeed in Centre Island. From there, it’s a 15-minute stroll high to Centre Island Beach.
Where to Stay
Chances are if you’re making your strategy to Centre Island, you need to take pleasure in the perfect of Toronto. So, we recommend staying in the Entertainment district. The Ritz Carlton is our go to luxurious resort. Or you’ll be able to strive the extra reasonably priced Strathcona Hotel positioned near Union Station.
12. Sugar Beach
We couldn’t go with out mentioning Sugar Beach in a information on the perfect seashores in Ontario. This city Ontario seashore is proper in Toronto. Named after the close by Redpath Sugar Factory, this once-industrial setting has became one of many trendiest seashores in the province. Read extra: 50 Best Things to do in Toronto Canada
Sugar Beach is a white sand seashore backed by glitzy glass skyscrapers and pink umbrellas. It comes with one caveat; no swimming. Of course, this does put the extra lively beachgoers off, preferring to journey additional and luxuriate in a swim or two. However, if you would like a seashore day purely to high up your tan, then Sugar Beach is nice for you. It has seashore chairs and loungers galore. It’s someplace in the inside metropolis the place it’s socially acceptable to don swimwear and stretch out on a lounger to catch some vitamin D.
Where to Stay Near Sugar Beach
Located on Toronto’s Waterfront, you’ll be able to actually keep anyplace you want, however our best choice to be closest to it’s Westin Harbour Castle. You can stroll to the seashore from right here, and it’s considered one of our favourite motels in the town.
13. Crystal Beach – Fort Erie
As chances are you’ll guess, it coined its title from its “crystal clear” waters, and the seashore is a best choice for anybody wanting a soothing seashore day. Crystal Beach’s shallow waters are dreamy for swimming and water sports activities, and the truth that it backs onto a pleasant lakefront township is simply an added bonus for a beautiful day trip.
Crystal Bay Beach, also known as simply Bay Beach, is a slim slither of white sand that opens straight out onto lovely waters of a wealthy emerald inexperienced. The sand is mushy and there are washroom amenities onsite. The solely factor to notice is that the seashore prices an entry charge throughout peak occasions.
The city of Crystal Beach sits on Lake Erie, identified for its hotter and shallow waters, and has some nice cafes the place you will get refreshments.
Where to Stay
Fort Erie is near Niagara Falls and though you’ll be able to keep in Fort Erie, We’d extremely suggest combining a visit with Niagara and staying there. Our favourite motels in Niagara embrace The Marriott Fallsview Hote, top-of-the-line motels for {couples}. Sheraton Fallsview Hotel has undergone a 50 million-dollar renovation and if in case you have youngsters it’s an excellent place to stick with its shut proximity to Hershey’s, Clifton Hill, and the Waterpark
Best Beaches in Ontario
Ontario seashores are spectacular; there’s no doubting that. Before you head off to your sandy seashore of selection although, take a look at these fast FAQs. We’ll summarize the whole lot we’ve lined and clear up any indecision you’ve got.
What is the nicest seashore in Ontario?
Sandbank Dunes Beach is a extremely gorgeous addition to the seashores in Ontario. The sand dunes aesthetic makes it stand out that further bit extra, successful it our vote because the nicest of the Ontario seashores.
What seashore in Ontario has the clearest water?
Sauble Beach has a fantastic, clear waterfront and is a good selection if you wish to swim in clear water.
Which seashores have the warmest water in Ontario?
As the shallowest of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie sometimes has the warmest waters. For this motive, we recommend selecting considered one of this lake’s seashores, like Port Stanley Beach.
What seashore has white sand in Ontario?
Wasaga and Sauble Beach have attractive white sands, and there are fairly a number of white-sand seashores round Ontario.
As you’ll be able to see, Ontario is de facto blessed with seashores. The province is exclusive for seashore lovers as a result of it has predominantly freshwater seashores. The pristine nature offers strategy to seashores that might actually rival Caribbean locations.
Ontario is an unbelievable place for pure magnificence. You’ve obtained all of the provincial parks, together with Sandbanks Provincial Park, Pancake Bay Provincial Park, Lake Superior Provincial Park, and North Beach Provincial Park. And that’s with out together with Bruce Peninsula National Park. Bruce Peninsula National Park is ready in Georgian Bay with black bears and historic cedar timber and is ideally mixed with a go to to Toronto and Niagara Falls.
If you fancy extra inspiration about visiting this attractive province, sit tight for a second. We’ve obtained guides on the finest glamping experiences, wellness resorts, and weekend getaways. If you’re actually organized, you can plan your Ontario winter itinerary – when these seashores change into much less interesting.
Whichever of those finest seashores in Ontario you select, we hope you’ve got an unbelievable Ontario seashore day. Have a unbelievable keep.
Plan Your Ontario Vacation