1. Hanlan's Point

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    Toronto, ON

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    Hanlan's Point

    3.9 (34 reviews)

    Hanlan's Point Photos

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    Black,purple,red  I am devil,witch,lover...
    Kshafi S.

    Nice place to chill...but not alone like me lol.this is the place you !!! Better don't forget your weed and speaker

    Jackie P.

    Nice clean beach, I have always had a good time when I have gone to this beach. The vibe is good and the people are respectful. The water is always nice and clean too. Possibly my favourite beach in all of toronto. Clothing optional is always nice too, if you dont wanna get tan lines

    Toronto Island beach at Hanlan's Point
    Ian K.

    Best beach in Toronto for relaxing on hot summer days, just a short ferry ride from downtown.

    OMGWTFBBQ!
    Elaine K.

    Quite possibly the best beach in Toronto. The good: - Almost zero kids - No one cares if you are having a tasty beverage of the non-non-alcoholic variety - Quiet, no annoying teenagers - Since this place is mostly frequented by gay men, most of the men here are pretty nice to look at The bad: - This is clothing optional, which is in and of itself not the bad part. For the first 15 minutes, you're not quite sure where to direct your eyes, which is awkward. - Many naked, middle-aged men walking around aimlessly. We dubbed one "Crazy Jesus." - The sand wasn't so great in a lot of spots, really muddy even though it hasn't rained in about a week or so. - Getting through the crazy lineup to buy ferry tickets absolutely sucks. Note: There are two lines: a huge line that goes to the automated machines, and a much shorter line (past this line) that goes to the cash only ticket booths. - Getting there through the TTC is also a nightmare, the streetcars are packed to the gills on the weekends. Not sure what the best way to get there is, seeing as it might be difficult to maneuver your bike around the throngs. The hubster and I decided to spend a nice day at the beach and we did just that. It was an incredibly pleasant day and we were left alone for the most part (later on in the afternoon, a nice young man kept coming over and giving us food, which in terms of intrusion, is possibly the least annoying type). Both of us were amazed by how quiet and civilized it was. All you could hear were the waves and the quiet murmurs of other beach goers. No loud radios, nobody carelessly throwing footballs or frisbees around. It's great for people watching (re: wandering middle-aged men, and weird lonely posing guy) as long as you're not (caught) staring. I found it nice that ogling in my direction was at a minimum, possibly due to the high concentration of gay men. The hubster didn't feel overly ogled either. I think that most of the crowd was there to enjoy the beach and leave everyone else the hell alone. We'll definitely be back, though we might consider biking there next time to avoid the craziness of the TTC.

    Anna V.

    When you go to the island, you can take one of three ferries: Wards, Centre and Hanlan's Point. Hanlan's point is the only ferry that takes cars to the island, which are mostly school busses and Toronto park's vans. This is also the ferry the V-fest and other festivals have to use. There is also a great beach at Hanlan's Point that is both clothing optional and open to the public. What does that mean? Well first off, that means there aren't a lot of people there and that there are almost no kids, but it also means fat hairy guys will cruise you and your friends.

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    Review Highlights - Hanlan's Point

    “Hanlan's point is the only ferry that takes cars to the island, which are mostly school busses and Toronto park's vans.”

    Mentioned in 13 reviews

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    Sugar Beach

    Sugar Beach

    3.6(42 reviews)
    2.4 km•Waterfront Communities-The Island

    on my way to st lawrence market, i decided to make a little detour to sugar beach, and honestly, it…read morefelt like stepping into a quieter little corner of toronto. sugar beach was beautiful and incredibly relaxing. the coarse, gritty sand stretched along part of the water, with lake ontario opening up in front of me. there was something wonderfully inviting and peaceful about standing there with a warm summer breeze rolling in, the water shimmering in the distance and the city somehow feeling a little farther away. this whimsical little urban beach opened in 2010 as part of toronto's waterfront revitalization, transforming what had once been a surface parking lot in a former industrial area into a public space right on the lake. it sits beside the redpath sugar factory, which is where the "sugar" in sugar beach comes from. the beach may look inviting, but there's one small catch: you can't actually swim here. still, it's a lovely place to slow down, settle into a muskoka chair, relax and take in the scenery. the weeping willows swayed softly in the breeze, their branches moving almost like they were keeping time with the water. birds were everywhere, and not just one or two familiar faces. all kinds were wandering along the shoreline and flying overhead, while out on the lake, boats of all shapes and sizes drifted by, adding little moving pieces to the scene. and then there were those tall pink structures hovering over white muskoka chairs, like oversized umbrellas. there was something wonderfully toronto about sitting beside lake ontario while boats moved across the horizon and the city quietly carried on behind me. and with a name like sugar beach, i have to admit, i was kinda hoping for something a little sweeter. perhaps a street lined with bakeries, mochi donuts, gelato shops and enough desserts to put me into a full blown sugar high. sadly, no dessert district materialized. business opportunity? perhaps. still, sugar beach doesn't really need much else. it's clean, peaceful, scenic and a lovely little escape from the bustle of downtown. sometimes the best detours are the ones that give you nowhere particular to be for a few minutes.

    So the walk up to the beach was amazing - the lined up trees and the sunset were absolutely…read morebeautiful. But the actual sugar beach was a little bit of a let down since it's just a little area with sand and some umbrellas like a fake beach. I don't really know what I was expecting but it was kind of comedic when we got to it at the end of the walkway.

    Photos
    Sugar Beach - Party people doing what party people do at Sugar Beach at 6AM on a Tuesday... have a BBQ!

    Party people doing what party people do at Sugar Beach at 6AM on a Tuesday... have a BBQ!

    Sugar Beach
    Sugar Beach

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    Kew-Balmy Beach - World Photography Day - August 19.2022 - 
 Sunset - Kew-Balmy Beach

    Kew-Balmy Beach

    4.3(7 reviews)
    9.8 km•The Beach

    I grew up in the Beaches. I already have an issue with the name of this listing well before I begin…read moremy review. The Beaches is what I'll always call my old neighbourhood. I grew up here until I graduated from high school and moved to Markham for my first stint of two. I have always known the Beaches to have more than one beach. This listing narrows it down to the area between Silver Birch and Lee Avenues. In this span, there are two beaches: Kew and Balmy. You still see these references scattered around the area. I went to Kew Beach Junior Public School. I walked past Balmy Beach Community School that was close to my high school. Balmy Beach Canoe Club has been there for at least a century. The name change to the Beach is still controversial. Sure, hyphenate Kew and Balmy, and you get a single beach. Um, no. For those who decided to focus on this ridiculous nonsense, how about focusing on something far more meaningful in the Beaches, like trying to solve the high volume of car accidents at Woodbine and Queen? How about dealing with the empty stores, including Ends, that used to be Tony's Variety, which still stands vacant after nearly two decades? I'm done letting off some steam. Now, back to business. I grew up a five-minute walk from the boardwalk and Lake Ontario. I grew up playing with the sand with my littlenpail and shovel set. I have walked countless times along the boardwalk. I did so to see the Victoria Day fireworks from the foot of Leuty Avenue (best view). I still remember walking with my friends as teenagers one summer and annoying people by blasting Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up" from my dinky Radio Shack pocket radio. I was recently back in my old neighbourhood. I took a chance to see if I could find a parking spot at around 4 pm on a warm Saturday. I ended up parking on Silver Birch Avenue. It's east of where I lived, but I wanted a change of pace. IYou can get away with street parking during the day. It does get busy, though. At night, you do need a parking permit to avoid a fine. I grew up seeing my dad renew and stick a new parking permit on his windshield. I also was forced to parallel-park the family car, which has served me well as an adult. Coming down to admire the sand, water, and boardwalk feels like home. There was a bench with a dedication plaque that I sat on, taking in the sun and breeze. I was sucking back a shake, and watching people cycle, walk, and jog along the path parallel to the boardwalk. Over the years, the boardwalk has gone through some restorative improvements. The wooden boards are in much better shape with no sign of rotting or feeling like you're about to fall through the cracks. Yay! It's a well-established neighbourhood. You get to enjoy the tall trees that have been there for decades and admiring how beautiful the surroundings are. It does look nicer these days. There are more receptacles for garbage and recycling. The Leuty Lifesaving Station, affectionately known as the Leuty, still endures. The water fountains have been upgraded. It's a cheerful, inviting place to hang out. It was nice soaking up everything while I was there. I managed to see an ice cream truck. The cheesy music signalling its arrival still reminds me of growing up here and wanting a treat. Some things never change. I should visit more often. I am glad that I did a couple of Saturdays ago. (179)

    I loved this beach! Sand was nice and soft too!…read more I can't believe I haven't discovered this beach before, but I will definitely visit again!

    Photos
    Kew-Balmy Beach - World Photography Day - August 19.2022 - 
 Sunset - Kew-Balmy Beach

    World Photography Day - August 19.2022 - Sunset - Kew-Balmy Beach

    Kew-Balmy Beach - Lifeguard On Duty

    Lifeguard On Duty

    Kew-Balmy Beach - World Photography Day - August 19.2022 - 
 Sunset - Kew-Balmy Beach

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    World Photography Day - August 19.2022 - Sunset - Kew-Balmy Beach

    Hanlan's Point - parks - Updated October 2026

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