I slept in a bit later than I wanted, but I still wanted to check out the Toronto Islands. Only a short ferry or water taxi ride away, there’s a chain of small islands in Lake Ontario just south of mainland Toronto. Locals and visitors head to the islands where they can enjoy picnics, the beach, bike riding, water sports, sailing, and leisurely walks. It was a gorgeous day, so I was excited to go.
Water Taxi
Since it was a holiday weekend I wasn’t surprised at the big crowd waiting for the next ferry. For around $10, there are also smaller, but faster water taxis nearby as well. Depending on which island you want to go to (Hanlan’s Point, Centre Island, Ward’s Island), they’ll show you where to wait. We decided to try our luck with the water taxi. There was a decent line and we waited for about 15 minutes when a staff member asked if two people were heading to Centre Island and I quickly jumped on the opportunity to skip the line.
Perfect Weather
It only took about 10 minutes to reach Centre Island.
Now there aren’t that many dining options on the island, most people will bring their own food or pack up for a nice picnic. Since I didn’t have time to eat before heading to the islands, we just grabbed a quick bite at the Toronto Island BBQ & Beer Co. right near where the boat dropped us off.
Quick Lunch
I wasn’t expecting the food to be anything special, but it was a nice spot to go outside and enjoy the view of the city.
That View
Cheers
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and sweet potato fries. I wasn’t such a fan of the pulled pork, but the fries were okay. I also enjoyed the cold Coronas since the table was directly in the sunlight.
Pulled Pork Sandwich & Sweet Potato Fries
After a couple more beers and admiring the view, it was time to walk around…and we walked a lot.
Small Lake
SUP and Boats
Fountain
Beach Area
Walkway
Did I mention how nice this day was? Everybody seemed to be out enjoying the beach, sailing on their boats, riding bikes, or various water sports. I was actually invited to go kayaking earlier that morning, but didn’t make it. Hopefully I can do that next time!
We ended up walking along the trail and making it to Ward’s Island. The ferry runs every 30 minutes, so we enjoyed another gorgeous view of the city while waiting.
So glad I made it out to the islands. It was tempting to stay longer, but dinner was coming up soon and I had to get ready for my last night in Toronto!
Toronto Islands
Centre Island
Website
