Did you know that Toronto has 10 beaches where you can cool off, hang out, and/or get active?
From the golden sands of Bluffer’s Park Beach to the vibrant atmosphere of Woodbine Beach, each of these beaches offer a great spot to enjoy the refreshing waters of Lake Ontario.
Beaches in Toronto
Bluffer's Beach:
- Location: 1 Brimley Rd, Scarborough, ON M1M 3W3
- About: Originally owned by the Borough of Scarborough, the mainland at the base of the bluffs was transferred to the Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in May 1960 as part of the Waterfront Plan for Metro. The park was developed in two stages by the Authority. The first phase that satisfied a need for public open space, was officially completed and opened in 1975 at a cost of $2.2 million. Phase two, developed for $6.0 million and completed in the early 1980's, provided public launching facilities for recreational boaters and sailors, as well as open space for private yacht clubs. A total of 2.6 million cubic metres of lakefill was used at Bluffer's Park
- Learn more about it here.
Kew-Balmy Beach:
- Location: 1 Beech Ave, Toronto, ON M4E 3H3
- About: The Kew-Balmy Beach is part of the Balmy Beach Park and the Kew Gardens.
The Balmy Beach Park is in the historic Beach neighbourhood south of Queen Street East, a vibrant street with an eclectic mix of shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. Created in 1903, this historic 7.3 hectare park is home to the Balmy Beach Club. The park features a lawn bowling club, a playground and outdoor fitness equipment. The Martin Goodman Trail runs through the park parallel to the boardwalk and beach, along the shore of Lake Ontario.
The Kew Gardens is a 6.5-hectare park stretches from Queen Street East to Lakeshore. At its south end, this park meets up with the boardwalk and beach that run along the Lake Ontario shoreline. This area features a fenced dogs off-leash area, as well as the heritage-designated Leuty boat house. A cenotaph honouring service in the First World War, Second World War and Korean War is located on the park's Queen Street side. The Gardener's Cottage (also known as Kew Williams House), a historic building, is found at the foot of Lee Avenue. Other historical elements include the Italian Renaissance-style Doctor William D. Young Memorial.
- Learn more about it here.
Woodbine Beach:
- Location: 1675 Lake Shore Blvd E, Toronto, ON M4L 3W6
- About: Woodbine Beach is a popular spot for picnics, sunbathing and swimming with wide stretches of sand, summer lifeguards, a bathing station and the Donald D. Summerville Outdoor Olympic Pool nearby. The recently renovated bathing station features upgraded ventilation and lighting, a new roof, an enlarged patio, change rooms, accessible washrooms, water bottle filling stations and a beach shower with a foot wash. The beach is located within the Woodbine Beach Park, a broad and beautiful curve of sand at the foot of Woodbine Avenue, this popular 15.2-hectare park is one of the city's many beaches and the gateway to three kilometres of sandy waterfront stretching eastward along the Lake Ontario shoreline. The Ashbridges Bay and Martin Goodman trails run through this park, which also includes a playground, outdoor fitness equipment, beach volleyball courts, picnic shelters, snack bar, full-service restaurant and parking at Ashbridges Bay Park.
- Learn more about it here.
Cherry/Clarke Beach:
Four of Toronto’s 10 beaches are on Toronto Island Park: Centre Island Beach, Gibraltar Point Beach, Hanlan's Point Beach, and Ward's Island Beach.
Gibraltar Point Beach:
From the golden sands of Bluffer’s Park Beach to the vibrant atmosphere of Woodbine Beach, each of these beaches offer a great spot to enjoy the refreshing waters of Lake Ontario.
Beaches in Toronto
Bluffer's Beach:
- Location: 1 Brimley Rd, Scarborough, ON M1M 3W3
- About: Originally owned by the Borough of Scarborough, the mainland at the base of the bluffs was transferred to the Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in May 1960 as part of the Waterfront Plan for Metro. The park was developed in two stages by the Authority. The first phase that satisfied a need for public open space, was officially completed and opened in 1975 at a cost of $2.2 million. Phase two, developed for $6.0 million and completed in the early 1980's, provided public launching facilities for recreational boaters and sailors, as well as open space for private yacht clubs. A total of 2.6 million cubic metres of lakefill was used at Bluffer's Park
- Learn more about it here.
Kew-Balmy Beach:
- Location: 1 Beech Ave, Toronto, ON M4E 3H3
- About: The Kew-Balmy Beach is part of the Balmy Beach Park and the Kew Gardens.
The Balmy Beach Park is in the historic Beach neighbourhood south of Queen Street East, a vibrant street with an eclectic mix of shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. Created in 1903, this historic 7.3 hectare park is home to the Balmy Beach Club. The park features a lawn bowling club, a playground and outdoor fitness equipment. The Martin Goodman Trail runs through the park parallel to the boardwalk and beach, along the shore of Lake Ontario.
The Kew Gardens is a 6.5-hectare park stretches from Queen Street East to Lakeshore. At its south end, this park meets up with the boardwalk and beach that run along the Lake Ontario shoreline. This area features a fenced dogs off-leash area, as well as the heritage-designated Leuty boat house. A cenotaph honouring service in the First World War, Second World War and Korean War is located on the park's Queen Street side. The Gardener's Cottage (also known as Kew Williams House), a historic building, is found at the foot of Lee Avenue. Other historical elements include the Italian Renaissance-style Doctor William D. Young Memorial.
- Learn more about it here.
Woodbine Beach:
- Location: 1675 Lake Shore Blvd E, Toronto, ON M4L 3W6
- About: Woodbine Beach is a popular spot for picnics, sunbathing and swimming with wide stretches of sand, summer lifeguards, a bathing station and the Donald D. Summerville Outdoor Olympic Pool nearby. The recently renovated bathing station features upgraded ventilation and lighting, a new roof, an enlarged patio, change rooms, accessible washrooms, water bottle filling stations and a beach shower with a foot wash. The beach is located within the Woodbine Beach Park, a broad and beautiful curve of sand at the foot of Woodbine Avenue, this popular 15.2-hectare park is one of the city's many beaches and the gateway to three kilometres of sandy waterfront stretching eastward along the Lake Ontario shoreline. The Ashbridges Bay and Martin Goodman trails run through this park, which also includes a playground, outdoor fitness equipment, beach volleyball courts, picnic shelters, snack bar, full-service restaurant and parking at Ashbridges Bay Park.
- Learn more about it here.
Cherry/Clarke Beach:
- Address: 1 Cherry St., Toronto, ON M5A 0B7
- About: Located at the foot of Cherry Street in the Port Lands, Cherry Beach is one of the city's most remarkable resources. It is known as the cleanest beach in Toronto, which means that swimmers can enjoy the water here for most of the summer. The beach will eventually become the western arm of Lake Ontario Park, the large regional park planned for the waterfront. In 2004, Waterfront Toronto undertook work to improve the beach and enable more people to use the beach and surrounding area. Phase one of the improvements to Cherry Beach included new landscaping and the construction of a trail to Cherry Point, an overall clean-up of the area, installing proper restroom facilities and rebuilding the change houses. The beach is also now accessible by public transit. The second phase of improvements included restoration of the life guard station and improved landscaping and lighting for the western and eastern parking lots.
- Learn more about Cherry/Clarke Beach here.
Four of Toronto’s 10 beaches are on Toronto Island Park: Centre Island Beach, Gibraltar Point Beach, Hanlan's Point Beach, and Ward's Island Beach.
Centre Island Beach:
- Location: 9 Queens Quay W., Toronto, ON M5J 2H3. It is a 10-minute walk south from Centre Island Ferry Dock. Take the ferry or private water taxi to get to Centre Island.
- About: Centre Island is between Hanlan's Point and Ward's Island. A carriage route along the peninsula connecting the mainland to Gibraltar Point Lighthouse later evolved into Lake Shore Avenue, the main east-west axis along Centre Island. By the late 1800's, many of Toronto's wealthiest families built beautiful Victorian summer homes along Lake Shore Avenue, east from Manitou Road to Ward's Island. In 1884, construction of an Anglican church, St. Andrew-by-the-Lake, was directed by Archbishop Sweatman. Four years later Island Park was established on land previously occupied by the Mead Hotel, and has continued to offer an impressive panoramic view of downtown Toronto ever since.
- Learn more about it here.
Gibraltar Point Beach:
- Location: 9 Queens Quay W., Toronto, ON M5J 2H3. It is between Hanlan’s Point Beach and Centre Island Beach, about a 20-minute walk from Centre Island Ferry Dock. Take the ferry or private water taxi to get to Centre Island.
- About: Opened in 2007, Gibraltar Beach is at the furthest point from any ferry terminal so it remains virtually empty on days when Centre and Hanlan's Point beaches are packed with people. The beach designation is recent, but Torontonians have been stomping around Gibraltar Point for years. Back in the 1790s, Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe constructed two military storehouses on Gibraltar Point at the southwest corner of what are now the Toronto Islands. They were part of the very first British settlement in Toronto. By 1808, the Gibraltar Point lighthouse was guiding sailors away from the treacherous, constantly shifting sand dunes formed by the Scarborough Bluffs. The lighthouse still stands today, the oldest in the province.
- Learn more about the Toronto Island Park, where it’s located, here.
- Learn more about the Toronto Island Park, where it’s located, here.
Hanlan’s Point Beach:
- Location: 9 Queens Quay W., Toronto, ON M5J 2H3. It is a 15-minute walk from Hanlan’s Point Ferry Dock. Take the ferry or private water taxi to get there.
- Note that a portion of this beach is… a nude beach (i.e., clothing-optional).
- About: The Hanlan family was among the first year-round inhabitants on Toronto Islands, settling at Gibraltar Point in 1862. After the islands were transferred from the federal government to the City of Toronto in 1867, Plan D-141 divided the land into lots and allowed cottages, amusement areas and resort hotels to be built. The west side of the island, commonly known as West Point, rapidly became a resort destination for the citizens of Toronto. The first summer cottage community was founded here. In 1878, a hotel was built by John Hanlan at the north-west tip of the island and soon after the area became known as Hanlan's Point.
Ward’s Island Beach:
- Location: 9 Queens Quay W., Toronto, ON M5J 2H3. It is a five-minute walk south from Ward’s Island Ferry Dock. Take the ferry or private water taxi to get there.
- About: Ward's Island Beach offers a quieter experience of Toronto Island, part of the small residential neighbourhood east of Centre Island where fewer tourists venture. The sandy beach co-exists with over 250 homes on the island, which is named after one of the earlier residents, a fisherman and his family who settled on Toronto Island in 1830.
- Address: 1755 Lake Shore Blvd. W., Toronto, ON M6S 5A3
- About: Throughout Toronto's history, Sunnyside Beach has been a popular spot to cool off in the summer. The beach is located within Sunnyside Park, in the west end of Toronto on the shore of Lake Ontario. The park was once home to Sunnyside Amusement Park, and it is a popular place for picnics. Sunnyside is one of a series of parks along the waterfront that has a boardwalk for pedestrians and the Martin Goodman Trail for cyclists and multi-use purposes. On the east side of the park you will find Sunnyside Pavilion and Sunnyside Gus Ryder Pool and on the west Sir Casmir Gzowski Park with a great playground. Budapest Park wading pool close by is a favourite spot for visiting children.
- Learn more about it here.
Marie Curtis Park East Beach:
- Address: 2 Forty Second St., Etobicoke, ON M8W 3P2
- About: The beach is part of the Marie Curtis Park, which was named after the Longbranch Reeve (a small village) Mayor Marie Curtis and is one of the few beaches in North America named after a female community leader. The park was created in the late 1950's to help control flooding after Hurricane Hazel nearly swept local homes in the area out into Lake Ontario. Throughout this park, you can find an abundance of wildlife and native plants. There is a playground, wading pool, a public swimming beach, picnic spots and walking trails including a connection to the Waterfront Trail.
- Learn more about it here.
Lifeguards
City of Toronto’s Parks and Recreation Department highlights the following on its website about the lifeguard supervision it provides:
- lifeguards are on duty daily from June to early August, 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and from mid-August to September, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.;
- lifeguards can be spotted by their distinctive red and yellow uniforms, and are stationed in rowboats on the lake or along the shoreline of each beach;
- swimming is only recommended when lifeguards are on duty and within the supervised swimming areas indicated by red-over-yellow flags.
Beach maintenance
That beaches are groomed regularly, and washrooms and bathing stations are cleaned frequently throughout the day.
Now that you know more about Toronto’s 10 beaches… which of them are you planning to explore next?
City of Toronto’s Parks and Recreation Department highlights the following on its website about the lifeguard supervision it provides:
- lifeguards are on duty daily from June to early August, 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and from mid-August to September, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.;
- lifeguards can be spotted by their distinctive red and yellow uniforms, and are stationed in rowboats on the lake or along the shoreline of each beach;
- swimming is only recommended when lifeguards are on duty and within the supervised swimming areas indicated by red-over-yellow flags.
Beach maintenance
That beaches are groomed regularly, and washrooms and bathing stations are cleaned frequently throughout the day.
Now that you know more about Toronto’s 10 beaches… which of them are you planning to explore next?