Toronto Islands

Visiting the islands in Lake Ontario, just off Toronto, was one of the things I was told I must do by almost everyone whilst I was there for the Summer. I finally made a day of it on my last weekend, and amazingly the weather was perfect for it.

Katie, Kylie and I met Rianne, Jay and little Claire at the ferry terminal at the end of Bay Street for the short and affordable ride across to the Center Island.

Once on land, we followed the path inward, and found the space with gardens and pools and fountains, and a place for Claire to roam free. We checked out the beach on the lake side of the island, with proper sand, and then walked the length of the pier.

After Claire had a run through the frog themed fountains, and we all had a lounge around on the grass, it was time for the little one to head back to Toronto for a nap.

The three of us remaining then found the bike rental shed on the island, and took off towards the Ward Island end on 2 wheels each. The old adage that anything is like riding a bike was certainly tested out by me, considering the last time I used a bicycle was back in Venice, with equally shaky results!

The bikes allowed us to cover so much more distance, although we only managed the eastern edge before we needed to get out rentals back. We wove through the paths of the homes there on the island, the little community living out there, as well as stopping along the way to check out the views of the city across the water.

Once we had relinquished the bikes, we made our way back to Snake Island, and found a spot on the edge of the water to watch the sun go down behind the city of Toronto.


Once the sun disappeared, and the mosquitoes got busy, we found our way back to the ferry, which actually runs til just before midnight. This visit was like a country escape from the city, just a 15 minute journey away.