Georgina Region, Ontario

Nestled in the southern-central region of Ontario, Canada is a treasure named the Georgina Region. Georgina is known historically as Canada’s original cottage country, and nowadays it proudly holds the title of the ice fishing capital of Ontario.

With Toronto within a comfortable 45 minutes driving distance, and Lake Simcoe offering tremendous options for activities, this is a hot destination for  both vacation getaways and picnic weekend trips.  Keswick and Sutton are the most popular communities in Georgina, but there are also other little towns dotting the area, each offering something unique to travelers and locals alike.

The town of Georgina itself, while only incorporated in the mid-1980s, actually has a long history. People were attracted to this location for its natural beauty and incredible fishing opportunities. There is truly something for everyone here – whether you like hiking, a picnic at sprawling parks, a day at the beach, bird watching, the arts or museums you don’t have to go very far to find it all.

Georgina covers about 32 miles of land on the south shores of Lake Simcoe, which is bright and clean. Travelling from one point to another, visitors have an opportunity to view some of Canada’s most beautiful scenery and enjoy various artisan shops, farmer markets, and cottages. You can be as busy as you want, or laid-back and private after a hectic week at work. You’ll find the locals very helpful and respectful of either approach to travel.

If you prefer outdoor activities, then golfing, hiking, boating, swimming, mountain biking, fishing, windsurfing, kite boarding, ice kiting are only some of the endless choices Georgina provides. If that weren’t enough, there are protected forests, a butterfly conservatory, a skating park and numerous walking trails where you can really take your time and see this outdoors paradise.

Georgina hosts annual ice fishing championships, well known in Ontario and beyond.

If you like history and art, visit several churches built in the late 1870s, Canada’s oldest summer theatre at the Red Barn, the Georgina Pioneer Village & Museum and the Briars Golf Club.

Keswick

Keswick is the largest community in Georgina, and offers the best of nature and convenience for travelers and natives alike. This town is situated at the Cook’s Bay, at the southern point of Lake Simcoe, at the closest distance to Toronto and Newmarket, Sutton, Beaverton and Barrie. It offers shopping and dining experience, but still manages to keep this serene cottage country appeal, as it is not yet as developed as Niagara-on-the-Lake or Orillia.

Keswick is part of an area called “cottage country” because cottages and small inns  are so popular here. Depending on the time of year you’ll find people taking advantage of reasonable accommodations so they can ice fish, snow mobile, laze around on a sunny beach, go boating or take in a live concert. And like so much of the glorious Georgina region there are plenty of parks and marinas too.

When in Keswick, visit  the oldest diner in the area, the Riveredge restaurant. You can get there by water. Boat and snowmobile parking is available at Riveredge along with regular car parking. Rent a waterfront cottage for your weekend or weeklong trip.

Sutton

Sutton is a small village in Georgina, originally having been founded on industrial business. By the mid-1800s it sported a town hall, post office and gristmill. Much of this history is still visible in the architecture around town. Locals and visitors alike enjoy the close proximity of Lake Simcoe beaches, and the Sibbald Point Provincial park with literally thousands of miles to explore for camping. Many visitors come to Sutton specifically for the Perch and Bass fishing during the summer, or ice fishing in the winter. There are numerous establishments where you can rent or buy the equipment you need – including boats.

The allure of Sutton doesn’t end there. In particular the Blue Willow Butterflies and Blooms is sure to dazzle you. Literally just minutes from Sutton this Butterfly conservatory offers complete interactive experiences suited for education or just a fun day with your family. There are 100 plus displays of butterflies from around the world. If you’re celebrating a special occasion you may be able to arrange for a butterfly release as part of the observance. You’ll find the Conservatory at 23834 Highway 48 where its open until 6 pm Monday – Saturday and 5pm Sunday.

For business travelers or those who enjoy a good round of golf, the Briars resort is also convenient to Sutton. The grounds of this resort look more like sculpted gardens than lawns. You can get a regular room or enjoy a private lodge right on the lake. The resort also offers spa packages for a little pampering.

From this location you’re well within reach of kayaking, pedal boats, swimming, biking and horseback riding – weather permitting. The only down side is that this resort is pricy – you can often enjoy all Sutton has to offer by staying at one of the more reasonably priced cottages that dot the region.

Sibbald Point

Located to the western part of Sutton, Ontario, the Sibbald Point Provincial Park is a common tourist area that’s also loved by locals because it’s right on Lake Simcoe and only about a 45 minute drive to Toronto. There’s plenty of beach front space here for enjoying picnics. Combine that with a neighboring forest ideal for hiking and well-kept beaches and its easy to see what people come here again and again.

One interesting attraction located in the park is the Sibbald Memorial Museum. The building itself is a converted 1840s cottage that stores all manner of memorabilia from the nineteen century. Just next to the park you’ll find another architectural stop – St. George’s Anglican Church built in 1877.

If you’re planning a trip to Georgina, the Toronto airport is by far the most accessible with the greatest number of inexpensive flights throughout the year. From here you can rent a car or get a shuttle into whatever town you’ve chosen.  There is also bus service with GO Transit and Transit Georgina for inter community travel without needing a car.

If travelling by car, go up to the end of highway 404, and proceed north on either Woodbine or Leslie to get to Keswick. Use highway 404, then highway 48 to get to Sutton and Sibbald point.

Bear in mind that this entire region attracts tourists year round, but the busiest time is during winter when ice fishing competitions begin. You’ll want to book early if that’s on your agenda.

About the authors: Olga and David from www.simcoecottagerentals.ca provide a serene 4 season waterfront cottage for rent in Keswick, ON. They fell in love with Georgina and Lake Simcoe, and enjoy windsurfing, boating and road trips at their spare time.

Grand Bend

Those who are looking out to spend vacations in Canada, finding a cottage rental or other available accommodations in the Grand Bend area can be a real treat. In the Southern Ontario, this beach community is located on the beautiful shores of the Lake Huron. Tourists and visitors of the area access the fantastic beaches, which are among the biggest attractions. Grand Bend is popular for its gorgeous beaches and immaculate night life. The lively ambience all around the area, welcome visitors from different parts of the world.

The best time to enjoy the fun filled activities on the Grand Bend beaches is the summer period. This is the time when the population of the area crosses more than 50,000, in comparison to just 2,000 mark that the area experience in the remaining time of the year. The area has gained a reputation of being Florida North for its excellent summer party atmosphere.

If you are one of the enthusiastic visitors who want to enjoy the best offerings of Grand Bend area, then you must check out the exotic beaches. The other parts of Canada may not be very famous for its beaches because of its weather and the rocky nature. However, Grand Bend is an exception. Here, beaches are the biggest highlights of the area. You can access open beach that covers hundreds of miles and enjoy the superior serenity and vistas of nature. Such a wide beach access is available as the area is a part of the west coast of Ontario.

Many visitors get surprised to view the beauty of the beaches that looks similar to the ones, far south. The combination of azure waters and white sand make a mesmerizing impact upon the senses of the visitors. There is never a boring moment on the beaches of Grand Bend, especially on the weekends and the vacations. The swimmers and sunbathers flock into the beaches in a huge number while other visitors enjoy a wide range of water sports and exciting recreation activities. Beach enhancement project is going on in the area and once the project gets over; there will be more entertainment facilities for the visitors. It will add more natural attraction to the beaches, more cleanliness, and more space for the families.

Apart from the exciting beaches, there are other highlights of the area as well. If you have an interest the motor sports, then you cannot afford to miss the Motorplex of Grand Bend. Here, you can see two motorcross tracks and a popular dragstrip. This is the venue of the most popular, oldest and biggest National Drag race in Canada.

Another popular attraction of the area is the Wexford Shipwreck. When the Big Blow storm of 1913 took place in the Great Lakes, this steel hulled freighter was caught. After 87 years of the storm, the wreck was found in 2000, and it is now a big attraction of Grand Bend.

All these highlights, combined with the best of beach fun, makes Grand Bend a perfect holiday retreat. Look out for the cottage rental accommodation in Grand Bend and have a memorable vacation.

Barrie

The focal point of Barrie Beaches is the city of Barrie, located near throbbing megalopolis of Toronto. Barrie is a member of Georgian Bay area known for white sand and granite rock. The city stands out for its generous activities in the cultural and recreational domain in Toronto region. It has much to feel proud about its location on the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, which is well-known for the gleaming Lake Simcoe. The beaches in Barrie are Johnson's Beach and Centennial Beach, also Minets Point Beach, Tyndale Beach and The Gables in the second tier.

The climate
Usually Barrie has warm and humid summers and icy winter months with a considerable amount of snowfall, as such called the Snowbelt. Mercury touches 78º F in July-August, the warmest summer months. August and September bring the rainfall. Late spring and summer months have the occasional thunderstorms. Winter begins from the month of November when the temperature starts sliding down from 20 ºF. January and February are the coldest months with temperature averaging at 7 ºF.

Magnificence of gleaming Lake Simcoe
Excluding waterfront beaching activities in Kempenfelt Bay, Lake Simcoe has much significance to add to the setting. Lake Simcoe is also called Ice Fishing Capital of Ontario, being one of the biggest fresh water lakes that get frozen in winters. Most of the winter activities are centered around this lake. It offers an obsessive location for enjoyment of the whole family; for lovers Lake Simcoe echoes the inner feeling.

You need to explore a serene beauty of the lake in the fall with the ground laden with fabulous color of maple leaves. The magnetic festivals, events and fairs begin with this season. A drive along the lake will take you through this area’s natural galore of attraction.

In summers, the lake glows with bustling and joyous water sports activities of all sorts. You will like to span across on your personal watercraft as many do. It is also very popular spot for paddle-wheel boating and rowing excursions. The tourists love to get indulged in fishing since the lake has abundance of whitefish, trout, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. Lake Simcoe is demarcated within Zone 16 by the Ministry of Natural Resources for Fisheries Management Plan.

The Beaches in limelight
Both Johnson's Beach and Centennial Beach get prominence under the shade of Barrie. The beaches complement unrestrained economic spurt of the city by supporting all sea front activities like carnivals and shows being grand areas for fun and frolic of the community. The Lakeshore Drive along the bay is an amazing stretch for walking, cycling and ice climbing.

Centennial Beach is the largest beach on the coast of Kempenfelt Bay in Barrie. The expanse offers unrestricted breathing ground for the children. Johnson's Beach is a good location for comfortable relaxation for the families since manned by lifeguard facility. It is situated on the north shoreline of Kempenfelt Bay.

Other activities in the Snowbelt
Snowbelt, as the Barrie area is nicknamed, offers indulgences like snowshoeing, snowmobiling, snow tubing, downhill skiing and even cross country skiing. Snowbelt’s fun filled activities extend to surrounding Blue Mountain, Snow Valley, Horseshoe Valley and St. Louis Moonstone.

The city has a good number of nice shopping and dining spots as well as places for entertainment.

Fort Erie

One can hardly forget sweet memories of the beaches on Canadian side of Fort Erie. Ontario peculiarly shares 2700 kms long common borders with 5 North American States. Fort Erie assumes the prominence due to a number of fine beaches. The area is located above Niagara Escarpment. It is a place of rivers, vast lakes and Carolinian forest to rightly claim its natural attraction and beach other activities.

Beaches of Fort Erie

Practically, this area is dotted with a large number of small beaches; the notable ones are Crystal or Bay Beach, Waverly Beach, Thunder Bay Beach and Crescent Beach. A few more among many more are Bernard Avenue Beach, Bowen Road Beach, Burleigh Avenue Beach, Bertie Bay beach, Buffalo Road, Beach, Windmill Point Beach and Windmill Point Park Quarry Beach. The Crystal Beach situated on the northern shore of Lake Erie, is considered outstanding for its crystal clear water and fine quality of the beach. The Thunder Bay Beach, located at the south end of Bernard and Thunder Bay Roads, is a popular spot for jet skiing. Crescent Beach is located at the south end of Crescent and Edgemere Roads. Waverly Beach is located at the south end of Helena Street and Edgemere Road. This gives a sketchy idea of the teaming number of beaches existing in the area.

All the beaches are visited by tourists due to good anchoring places for kayaking and sailing. For the people interested in Water surfing, this area offers good scope of enjoyment. For the natural reasons, the whole area has turned out to be a fine palace of tourism. Facilities and attractions have grown side by side in their prominence. The growing popularity of Fort Erie, Ontario has is continuously increasing due to changed preference of tourists and leisure seekers. Buffalo, in United States just across the river, once shared same natural attraction. In the present time, it has literally lost the attraction to the urban developmental activities.

Explore things Fort Erie has to offer

The area is developing fast in Canadian side of Niagara Escarpment due to the popular beaches. More justification for the popularity is the distribution of the crowd to several attractive and clean beaches in the area with equal facilities for engaging activities.

As a reminder of the past, one can feel thrilled to know the horrifying days when this area served as a prime route used by the slaves to flee from the clutches of their masters. Friendship Festival is based on the beautiful concept of promotion of friendship between the two countries - Canada and United States of America. It is a weeklong celebration of age old customary Lumberjack shows. This is an Exhilarating show of competition of racing up the poles at an exceedingly fast speed. Besides this, the festival is full of significant display of cultural events that have been in existence for years. July 1st is marked as the day of festival and national holiday is observed on the day in both the countries. The annual event, ‘siege of Fort Erie’ re-enacts battle of 1814. It was a fierce bloodshed in the area.

Red Bay

The world has an unlimited treasure to offer, covering even a small fraction of this is a matter of fortune for a tourist. Ontario is one such destination on the earth with stunning grandeur of fine lakes. It is a perfect destination for several tourist activities, most involving water and the snow. Red Beach is a part of Bruce Peninsula with many hidden secrets of the nature. The surrounding is so beautiful that you won’t be mistaken for getting dissolved in the nature.

A Protected Biosphere
A Georgian Bay beach, the Red Bay Beach forms the shorelines on warm Lake Huron in the eastern side of Bruce Peninsula. The area falls within The Niagara Escarpment, which has been declared as a World Biosphere Protected Area by UNESCO. The scenario is just like a delicately brushed canvas exposing water, snow and sky, a very inviting atmosphere. The tranquilizing air of Red Bay sandy beaches are wrapped up by beauty not tampered by man. Your vacation will be most comfortable and enjoyable in the imposingly splendid environment – the clear waters, clean and less crowded beach, and lovely forests, striking view of the sunset and brilliant night sky.

Communication to the place is easy since it is located less than 2 and 1/2 hours away from Toronto. It offers a perfect ambiance for the whole family, children and adults alike. No qualm and no resentment, but getting immersed in every drop of beauty. You will find inhabitants are friendlier than usually people are under the stress of daily life. Lake Huron is famous for the fantastic view of the sunset. It has a unique atmosphere that is rarely found in other places. It is a paradise for naturalists and photographers.


Eventful Days
There is so much natural about everything that you do not find a problem in deciding your activities. Red Bay area has many things for you to be engaged in. Georgian Bay’s Red Bay Beach in Lake Huron area of Ontario offers cozy beach walking on its salt free sands; go windsurfing or go for trail walking; enjoy snowmobile or ski. Feel the true self of you; your inborn capabilities have the chance of manifestation under catalytic environment of Red Bay area.

More of fun with water is sailing in small boats, waterskiing and canoeing. In the warm waters of Red Bay, other activities open to you are sun bathing, scuba diving and fishing. It is packed with all morning till evening actions to please you in soft sand beaches or rocky sections of beaches in the area. You can do more of fishing both in summer and spring seasons. There is always a plenty of Rainbow and Salmon catch in season.

Additionally, you have options for dog sledging, horse and pony riding or enjoy beautiful lakes – Berford and Bass, much enjoyed by the kids.

Underwater Scuba Rendezvous
Warm shallow waters of Wiarton area is a shallow 20’ deep grassed area, good for night diving. It showcases 3 wrecks. Centennial Park is 20’ deep with rocky undersurface.

Ancient Natural Formation
Famous Bruce's Caves Conservation Area an exceptional formation continuing to exist for nearly 8000 years. It is a significant process of weathering and glacial activities. It has a massive central pillar with supporting arches on two sides.

Huron County

Huron County offer unparallel grounds for camping, which is an added advantage of the place besides usual waterfront activities. You can take it as the common feature of Huron County beaches including Saginaw Bay. These camping grounds, plenty in numbers, have been developed focusing upon the dual attractions of waterfront experience as well as the thrill of camping. To add up a more closeness to the nature, one can choose to walk miles in the offensive silence of wood in the Wagener County Park. In contrast, at the Lighthouse County Park, you can witness the strident sound of crashing waves at lighthouse shoreline.

The place does not go short of offering variety for the tourists. You can surely balloon ride over the county, walk down the forest trails or explore the enchantment of wasters at Port Crescent State Park. It is all going to be a time packed up with fun and frolic. As additional inviting activities in this waterfront location, you can also go for exploring the trails on a bike or go for kayaking.

Huron County appears to have a special concern for the artifacts; most of the museums have rich collection of 19th century artifacts. For example, Bad Axe Museum is known for the local history or check the Allen House Museum for collections from Dutch colonial era. The Elkton Log Cabin Museum offers enough charm of the historic log cabins. There are two Harbor Beach Museums - the Grice House Museum is the place of antique machinery used in the light house and the old prism light; and the Frank Murphy Museum with preserved Victorian style Home Law Office Quarters of the famous statesman from Michigan. Other museums are Port Hope Museums, Huron City Museum, Stafford Park Historical Chimney, St. Mary's Historical Museum, Pigeon Historical Museum and more.
There are a number of natural trails for the pleasure of skiing and hiking through unforgettable picturesque scenario. Some of the prominent trails are Port Austin Nature Trails having two natural trails; these are Port Crescent State Park and Huron County Nature Center. The Harbor Beach Nature Trails is located in Wagener County Park. Caseville Nature Trails composes of two trails- the Sleeper State Park and Sand Point Nature Preserve. The Sleeper State Park offers you both hiking and skiing. At the Sand Point, you can go for around the year hiking.

Huron County Beaches will let you witness the old world charm of lighthouses. Port Austin Reef Light was abandoned in 1953. But, the building was taken up for refurbishing as a museum in 1990. Harbor Beach Breakwater Light is the lighthouse, which is still in actual use. Charity Island Light is located on the big Charity Island and can be accessed by boat, water ski or fishing boats. The island is known for some rare flora and fauna. There is well settled picnic facility and pavilion.

The balloon flights are scheduled at the Sunrise and a couple of hours before the Sunset; in simple words, dawn and the late afternoons. You can imagine the charm of floating over the spectacular scenario of Huron County.


Check out the cottages for rent in the Huron Country area on the map below, or visit Rent Cottage Canada for more Ontario cottage rentals.

Port Stanley

The finest sandy stretch of Port Stanley beach is located on the northern side of Lake Erie, dotted with large number of leisure vessels; the most inviting attraction to a large number of tourists every year. It is a place for boat rides of every sort as well as water recreational facilities in the summer months. It is a place of nice accommodations. You can go for a budget style bed and breakfast accommodations or even lovely cottages; everything is within easy reach from the beach. So, you do not have to waste time reaching the beach wherever you stay. There will not be any sacrifice of time for joining the charter boat or playing the beach volleyball, both are popular engagements in Port Stanley.

The place has plenty of food joints for culinary satisfaction for every type of dishes. So it is an equal situation for you, whether you are a foodie or want to spend happy time on the beach for water recreations, picturesque Port Stanley remains common. Your other half will certainly love evening hopping around the shops and restaurants, before taking a soothing walk on the beach before calling it a day or find a place for some engaging nightlife. The weekends are generally crowded in Port Stanley and you feel getting indulged in celebration to shed off the tiredness of slogging in the whole week. Surf the sea or relax on the clean beach or enjoy the tangy food and have leisurely stroll to see the must see spots, all suits well with your decision.

One thing is certain, the place is quite friendly and the people around are nice with welcoming smile in all the places. You can take a train ride or move down the historical bridges or have an energetic early morning beach walks, there is a pleasure in anything you like. This is a historical place with a large water transport system that was developed in the past for carrying coal and wood, though it is no longer in operation due to advancements in transportation. There is a pleasure ride train service between Port Stanley and St. Thomas.

For every enthusiast, Port Stanley has plenty of shopping, hopping from gallery to gallery and dining to offer. The tourists can otherwise have a busy time with sea shore activities, golfing and hiking in the well-laid trails. The place is flocked by many day trippers for a short relaxation without many hassles about reservations, since there are plenty of things to do or simply taking a stroll along the nice beach. As a day tripper, you will no doubt have an invigorating experience of venturing into the uncharted territories with lovely rustic settings through tall conifer forests for fresh breeze. This will be a lovely and memorable since you will have the freedom to take a route as it appeals to you, the guidance for navigation will be provided by the pleasure providers. You would want to get lost in the unknown and still be sure of getting back to spend a nice evening in the city.


Check out cottages for rent in the Port Stanley beach on the map below, or visit Rent Cottage Canada for more Ontario cottage rentals.