Ferry times, best beaches, bike rentals, what to bring, and how to avoid the crowds — the complete guide to spending a summer day on the Toronto Islands.
The Toronto Islands are three connected islands sitting in Lake Ontario, 1.5km from downtown — a 13-minute ferry ride away. No cars are allowed. In summer, they're a beach, a bike trail, an amusement park, a sailing club, a dog park, and a community of about 700 full-time residents all at once. Most Toronto visitors never go. They're wrong.
Ferries depart from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at the foot of Bay Street (Queens Quay W). The ride is 13 minutes. Ferries run to three docks: Centre Island, Ward's Island, and Hanlan's Point. In summer, ferries run every 15–30 minutes from 6:30am to 11:30pm. The terminal is a 5-minute walk from Union Station.
Ferry lineup tip On summer weekends, the ferry lineup can be 45–90 minutes long. Buy your round-trip ticket (about $9 adult) online the night before, then arrive early. Or take the first ferry at 6:30–8am and have the islands almost to yourself before the crowds arrive.
Centre Island is the most visited and most developed. It has Centreville Amusement Park (small rides, excellent for young kids), paved bike paths through the lagoon system, and the best maintained picnic areas. Algonquin Island Bridge gives you a walking route across the whole system. The views of the skyline from the south shore of Centre Island are the ones on every Toronto postcard.
The western tip of the island system. The beach here is cleaner, quieter, and more scenic than anything on the mainland. The clothing-optional section is at the far south end — clearly marked, very Toronto in its matter-of-fact approach to it. The area around Hanlan's is also popular for kayak launches and SUP rentals in summer.
The eastern island is where the residents live. Small painted houses, gardens, a pub (the Island Café), and a community beach that gets significantly less traffic than Centre Island. Ward's Island feels like a neighbourhood that accidentally ended up in the middle of a lake. The walk from the Ward's dock through the residential area to the beach is one of the most quietly lovely 20 minutes you'll spend in Toronto.
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