As a Toronto real estate agent, I haven’t seen many cities in the world, offering you island paradise that you can reach within 10 minutes of a ferry ride from downtown.
Toronto Islands, also known as Toronto Island Park, is an area with 15 islands, offering amazing canals in between for kayaking, paddling a canoe, and stand-up paddleboarding.
These islands are great for spending a day with your family and friends. Let’s get more familiar with the Toronto Islands.
However, if you are looking for buying or renting a Toronto home, make sure to check online data in the online Toronto real estate market.
Things to do in Toronto Islands Park
When it comes to things to do in Toronto Islands, there is no limitation. Let’s have a quick review of the top activities in the Toronto Islands.
Get Tanned Under the Sun on The Beaches
Toronto Islands offer four Blue Flag Beaches, which are amazing because of their clear water and their golden sands.
One of the features of these beaches is that they have lifeguards for bathers. These four beaches are spread around this area in the south, east, and southwest directions.
The busiest beach is Centre Island Beach because of its services such as a patio restaurant, bikes for rent, change rooms, wash rooms, etc.
If you are not into busy areas, Gibraltar Point beach or Hanlan’s Point can be a great choice. However, Ward’s Island beach offers the best restaurants in this area and easy access to broadwalk.
Make a Great Time for Your Kids with Centreville Amusement Park
A ferry ride to a fantastic amusement park. Exciting, isn’t it? Centreville Amusement Park is a paradise for children. It has an old western-style with an amazing atmosphere.
For visiting and wandering around, you don’t need to pay anything, but you should buy tickets for rides. This area has 30 rides and amusements, such as log flume, historic carousel, sedate chairlift, etc.
Far Enough Farm: A Place for Visiting Animals
If you enjoy meeting animals, Far Enough Farm will be the ultimate destination for you, with 40 different animals. In fact, it is a free tourist attraction for farm animals and birds. Among the residents of this area, pot-bellied pigs, Huacaya, alpaca, Duke, and the buckskin horse are notable.
Read More: Best Toronto Tourist Attractions
Enjoy Biking in the Lovely Nature
One of the best activities in the Toronto Islands is biking due to its 4.5 kilometers of paved pathways, passing major attractions.
You can also bring bikes to ferries without any extra fee. However, suppose you want to rent one. In that case, there are great rentals available in the concession at Centre Island Beach, offering traditional bikes, quadricycles, and tandem bikes.
Biking along the boardwalk running from Centre Island Beach to Ward’s Island Beach is just unbelievable.
Paddle in the Canals
The spaces between islands in Toronto are amazing canals with narrow waterways. Here, you can bring your own canoe, but you can also rent one.
Besides, single or tandem kayaks are available too. You can rent for one hour, and with discounts for longer.
Most of the canals offer shallow waters, and board rentals are available in Toronto Island SUP, located near the Algonquin bridge. Kayaking and canoeing are fantastic to see amazing wildlife, such as herons, ducks, geese, and even swans.
Enjoy Family Facilities
Toronto Islands is where visitors can enjoy picnicking, playground, and splash pads. Countless picnic tables and BBQs are spread around the park, which you can use without any charge. Pick one and enjoy your day in Toronto Islands. In the back of Centre Island Beach, you can find a playground and a splash.
Enjoy your dish on the patio
You can find a variety of the best Toronto restaurants with patios, offering some of the best food in Toronto. Among these options, Toronto Island BBQ is perfect, located just beside the Centre Island ferry terminal. It offers a breathtaking view of the city, making your time fantastic. Also, The Riviera in Cherry Beach is another great choice for you. However, if you are looking to have a fantastic café, enjoy your coffee in Island Café, just across the lawn from the ferry terminal.
Have an Enjoyable Fishing
Since there are many canals and waterways between the islands, it is a great idea for you to enjoy fishing. There is a wide range of fish in this area, among which are small pinfish, sunfish, pumpkinseed, pike, catfish, etc. Rocky shorelines, docks, boats, and canal edges are locations where you can go fishing.
Conclusion
There are 15 islands in Toronto Islands, separated by narrow waterways. Besides the beauty of the beaches, there is a wide range of activities available on these islands, such as canoeing, kayaking, as well as a range of dining options, making them perfect destinations for a lovely weekend.
You might be wondering how to find a home in Toronto with great access to these islands. In that case, make sure to contact a professional Toronto real estate agent to help you find the home that has the best access to Toronto Islands.