Beach in Ontario named best in Canada for swimming

Apr 9 2021, 10:32 pm

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A beach in Ontario has been named the best in Canada for swimming, and it’s only a two hour drive from Toronto.

Travel publisher Lonely Planet has released its list of the top 10 beaches in the country, and Ontario has come up swimmingly.

Instead of ranking each beach from one to 10, though, each sandy spot has been given its own “best of” title.

Wasaga Beach, near Collingwood, has been crowned the best in the country for swimming.

The longest freshwater beach in the world, Wasaga is a 14 kilometre stretch of paradise that hugs the warm, shallow waters of Georgian Bay.

Located in its namesake town, Wasaga Beach makes the perfect day trip from the city.

“This is the closest full-fledged beach resort to Toronto and thousands of visitors pile in every summer,” Lonely Planet writes.

The publisher advises that the “well-used sand” is split into six zones. Every section draws a different crowd, from families to small groups, but each offers ideal swimming conditions.

Wasaga Beach is also part of a provincial park, and features hiking trails, park naturalists, and ample birdwatching opportunities.

Although British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces take up most of Lonely Planet’s list of the best beaches, a second Ontario spot is also featured.

The aptly-named Dunes Beach, located within Sandbanks Provincial Park, has been named the best beach in Canada for sand dunes.

“Here, giant dunes dotted with trees and bushes rise steeply out of the lake,” Lonely Planet writes.

“While most beaches invite sloth, Dunes tempts you to indulge in short sharp hill climbs before tumbling full pelt back down into the lake.”

The other beaches on the list are:

  • San Josef Bay, British Columbia – Best wilderness beach
  • Stanhope Beach, Prince Edward Island – Best beach for avoiding the crowds
  • Chesterman Beach, British Columbia – Best beach for surfing
  • Parlee Beach, New Brunswick – Best beach for families
  • Kitsilano, British Columbia – Best urban beach
  • Shallow Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador – Best beach for kayaking
  • Annette Lake, Alberta – Best beach for wildlife
  • Plage de la Grande Échouerie, Québec – Best beach for kitesurfing

Zoe DemarcoZoe Demarco

+ Curated
+ Outdoors
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