Ontario is our home. We have camped, hiked, biked, and road-tripped all over the province. As travel bloggers, you would think that we would live in one of the digital nomad hot spots like Mexico or Thailand, but Ontario will always be our forever home. We are close to the great lakes, provincial parks, iconic places like Niagara Falls and the CN Tower and, of course, beautiful beaches.
Canadians love the summer season; it’s cottage season when we get out on the water to enjoy the long hot days. The beaches of Ontario will surprise you with their soft white sand, their warm waters (in some places) and their magnificent landscapes. So if you are planning a weekend, here are some of the best beaches in Ontario to plan your vacation.
The best beaches in Ontario
Ontario’s freshwater beaches are fantastic. Don’t worry about sharks or jellyfish here! With dunes and sandbanks, clear waters, and sandy beaches, visiting a beach near you is one of the best things to do in the summer in Ontario.
1. The Beaches-Toronto
My grandmother lived right next to Kew Beach. Their backyard was Kew Gardens, and when we were visiting, we would skate on the outdoor track in the winter and play on the sand in the summer. I wish we had bought this house when she finally moved into a condo! Anyway, I digress.
Toronto has absolutely beautiful beaches. There is a whole area in the city called “the beaches”.”Woodbine Beach and Kew Beach are two popular beaches connected by a long strip of soft sand. Woodbine Beach is the best beach and the gateway to the Toronto beaches that stretch for 3 km along Lake Ontario.
There are several volleyball courts, so you can take part in a match or choose your own beach volleyball court. It has a swimming pavilion, showers and foot washing stations, and even the Donald D. Summerville outdoor Olympic swimming pool with jumping towers from 5 to 10 meters. You can walk from Kew Beach to Silver Kew Beach along the Boardwalk or bike along the Mark Goodman Trail.
If you’re visiting Toronto in the summer, head to the beaches for a day out. There are a lot of restaurants, art galleries, shops and even nightlife. It is also home to the Beaches Jazz Festival for the month of July.
2. 
Wasaga Beach is a very obvious choice for Ontario beaches, but how can you not call it number one? It has a rather spectacular title and is recognized all over the world as the longest freshwater beach in the world. It extends over more than 14 km of white sand coast and is a favorite place of an ecosystem of coastal dunes. We lived in the North (as we like to call Cottage Country in Ontario), and this was our favorite beach.
The warm, shallow water is ideal for swimming and wading, especially for young children. The beach is divided into eight sections and has facilities such as toilets, picnic areas, playgrounds and ample parking.
Wasaga Beach is also a center for outdoor enthusiasts, offering water sports opportunities such as jet skiing, paddleboarding and windsurfing on Lake Huron. The area offers excellent hiking and biking trails, including the Wasaga Beach Provincial Park trail system, which winds through picturesque dunes and forests. In winter, the park turns into a paradise for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
3. Agawa-Lake Superior
One of the most secluded beaches in Ontario, Agawa Beach is the best beach for a secluded getaway. This pristine beach is located in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Stretching for one kilometer along the rugged shores of Lake Superior, Agawa Beach offers crystal clear, albeit cool, waters, sandy beaches and views of the surrounding cliffs and forest landscapes.
It may look like the Caribbean, but be careful, the water is cold, so you might want to dip your toes in before diving in.
Agawa Beach is also a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts who like to kayak or canoe on the north shore of Lake Superior. The nearby Agawa Rock Pictograms are a must. Hiking trails such as the Orphan Lake Trail and the Coastal Path are popular stops. This is not your typical beach; it’s more of a playground for outdoor enthusiasts looking for something different.
This beach is a 9-hour drive from Toronto, so you’ll want to make a weekend of it. Stopover in Sault Sault Ste. Marie for the night to enjoy true Northern hospitality, then travel another 130 kilometers on the Trans-Canada Highway. This is the best road trip in Ontario, so it’s worth it, believe me!
