Toronto's most iconic summer escape — Centre Island is the jewel of the Toronto Islands archipelago, a 15-minute ferry ride from the foot of Bay Street. Sandy beaches, bike rentals, the Centreville Amusement Park, swan boats, picnic lawns, and the most spectacular skyline view in the city looking back at downtown. Car-free, peaceful, and completely unlike anywhere else in the GTA.
Neighbourhood: Toronto Islands · Address: Centre Island, Toronto Islands (ferry from Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, Bay St) · Hours: Ferry: daily from 8am, last return varies seasonally | Island: always open · Price Range: Free · Editorial status: Not yet verified
Centre Island is where Toronto actually feels like summer—sandy beaches, bike paths under willow trees, and skyline views that never get old. It’s the only spot in the city where you can picnic, swim, and hit a mini amusement park all in one car-free day.
Unlike Toronto’s busy waterfront parks, Centre Island is car-free and truly feels separate from the city. The ferry ride feels like a mini adventure, and you’re rewarded with beaches, boardwalks, and old-school rides at Centreville—something you just don’t find on the mainland. The panorama of the skyline across the lake is hands-down the best postcard view of Toronto.
You're 15 minutes by ferry from the foot of Bay Street, but Centre Island feels like a completely different world. No cars. No traffic lights. Just a car-free island archipelago of sandy beaches, bike paths, picnic lawns, and the single most dramatic reverse-angle view of the Toronto skyline you'll find anywhere — the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, and the entire downtown glass-and-steel phalanx reflected in the lake as you look north. Travel photographers fly in for this shot. You can get it for the price of a ferry ticket.
The Toronto Islands are technically a chain of 15 connected islands spread across about 820 acres of lakefront real estate. Centre Island is the most developed and visited, with Centreville Amusement Park for families (rides, swan paddleboats, a century-old carousel, a petting zoo), bike and quadricycle rentals, multiple picnic areas, and a beach that draws serious summer crowds. Ward's Island to the east and Hanlan's Point to the west are quieter — Hanlan's has a clothing-optional beach at its western tip that has existed since 1894.
The pro move: take the Ward's Island or Hanlan's Point ferry instead of Centre Island. Both land at smaller, calmer docks on the same connected island system, and you can walk or bike the full island from either end. You get all the experience with a fraction of the crowd — and the skyline view is identical.
Book your return ferry ticket online, especially on summer weekends when the queues at the terminal stretch long. On a perfect summer day, bring food, a blanket, a frisbee, and plan to stay until golden hour. The CN Tower turns pink. The lake goes glass-smooth. That's Toronto at its best.
The Toronto Islands ferry costs approximately $8.50 for adults, $5 for seniors, $4.25 for youth (ages 15–19), and $2.50 for children (ages 2–14). Round-trip is double the one-way price. Tickets should be purchased in advance online at toronto.ca/parks/island-ferry in summer to avoid long queues at the terminal — the ferry can sell out on hot summer weekends.
The ferry takes approximately 13–15 minutes. Ferries run to three landing points: Centre Island, Ward's Island, and Hanlan's Point. All three are on the same connected island system, so you can take any ferry and walk or bike to any other part of the islands. Ferries run every 15–30 minutes in summer, less frequently in off-season.
Centre Island Beach faces south across Lake Ontario and is the most popular — wide, sandy, and great for swimming in summer. Hanlan's Point Beach (west end) is quieter and includes a clothing-optional section at the far western tip. Ward's Island Beach is the smallest and most serene, popular with locals who live on the island year-round.
Yes — bikes are permitted on all Toronto Islands ferries for a small additional fee (approximately $1.50). The islands have an extensive network of flat, car-free bike paths that make cycling the best way to see all three islands in a day. Bike rentals are also available at Centre Island if you don't bring your own.
WTF Toronto creates guides using independent editorial research, official sources, local knowledge and firsthand experience where available. Commercial relationships are disclosed where applicable.