Fodor's Expert Review Toronto Island Park
These 14 narrow, tree-lined islands in Lake Ontario provide a gorgeous green retreat with endless outdoor activities. The more than 230 hectares of parkland are hard to resist, especially in the summer, when they're usually a few degrees cooler than the city.
Sandy beaches fringe the islands; the best are on the southeast tip of Ward's Island, the southernmost edge of Centre Island, and the west side of Hanlan's Point. A portion of Hanlan's Beach is officially "clothing-optional"—Ontario's only legal nude beach. In the summer, Centre Island has bike and rowboat rentals. Bring picnic fixings or something to grill in one of the park's barbecue pits, or grab a quick (but expensive) bite at one of the snack bars or cafés. (Note that the consumption of alcohol in a public park is illegal in Toronto.) There are also supervised wading pools, baseball diamonds, volleyball nets, tennis courts, and even a disc-golf course. Winter can be bitterly cold on the islands, but snowshoeing and... READ MORE
These 14 narrow, tree-lined islands in Lake Ontario provide a gorgeous green retreat with endless outdoor activities. The more than 230 hectares of parkland are hard to resist, especially in the summer, when they're usually a few degrees cooler than the city.
Sandy beaches fringe the islands; the best are on the southeast tip of Ward's Island, the southernmost edge of Centre Island, and the west side of Hanlan's Point. A portion of Hanlan's Beach is officially "clothing-optional"—Ontario's only legal nude beach. In the summer, Centre Island has bike and rowboat rentals. Bring picnic fixings or something to grill in one of the park's barbecue pits, or grab a quick (but expensive) bite at one of the snack bars or cafés. (Note that the consumption of alcohol in a public park is illegal in Toronto.) There are also supervised wading pools, baseball diamonds, volleyball nets, tennis courts, and even a disc-golf course. Winter can be bitterly cold on the islands, but snowshoeing and cross-country skiing with downtown Toronto over your shoulder are appealing activities.
All transportation on the islands is self-powered; no private cars are permitted. The boardwalk from Centre Island to Ward's Island is 2½ km (1½ miles) long. Bikes are allowed on all ferries, or you can rent one for an hour or so once you get there. Bike rentals can be found south of the Centre Island ferry docks on the Avenue of the Islands.
You may want to take one of the equally frequent ferries to Ward's Island or Hanlan's Point from Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. Both islands have tennis courts and picnic and sunbathing spots. Late May through early September, the ferries run between the docks at the bottom of Bay Street and the Ward's Island dock between 6:35 am and 11:45 pm; for Centre and Hanlan's islands, they begin at 8 am. Ward's Island Ferries run roughly at half-hour intervals most of the working day and at quarter-hour intervals during peak times such as summer evenings. In winter the ferries run only to Ward's Island on a limited schedule. Savvy travellers can also grab a ride from a water taxi along the waterfront.
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