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Ward's Island
Categories: Active Life Beaches Active Life Parks Beaches, Parks [Edit]
Toronto IslandToronto, ON M5J 2H3
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
7 reviews for Ward's Island
7 reviews in English
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Review from Kevin S.
Oakville, ON
5/8/2012
great park away from it all. good for pictures of torontos skyline.
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Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
7/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ward's Island is one of the many things that makes Toronto unique. The only problem being is that many native Torontonians have never been.
To access, visit the Toronto Island ferry docks, and pick the "Wards" ferry, not overun with strollers, you are more likely to sit with locals that inhabit any of the number of year-round cottages that line the shore. Overrun with foliage and wild flowers, this community houses approximately 600 people, who have leases on the land until 2092. As mentioned in other reviews, the homes have varying levels of charm, but several are being "fixed up" and the best line the boardwalk around the south side of the island.
Quiet, and simple, Ward's has a small beach, a nice restaurant (the Rectory) and a road that leads you to Centre Island and the fabulous clothing optional Hanlan's Point Beach which is always entertaining.
Best for Bicycles as the distance from Ward's to Centre Island Ferry is 3km. Some are for rent if you take the Centre Island Ferry.
$6.50 for the ferry, trip back is free. Bikes are allowed on Ward's and Hanlan ferries only if visiting on weekends. Centre Island is loud, touristy and not as much fun.. except for the farm which is neat. -
Review from Christopher T.
12/10/2010
Beautiful park a short ride from downtown Toronto. The residents of Toronto have a great gem just a 10 minute ferry ride away. We went specifically for the disc golf course and were not disappointed, it was mid-December so we were definitely cold out there but the scenery was amazing, as were the views back over the city.
Loved the yacht clubs and the quaint cottages out on the island. On the other side of Wards Island there are sweeping views out over the lake with some small beaches.
Just a beautiful and cheap way to spend half a day while in Toronto, bike riders, dog walkers, bird watchers, and disc golfers. Such an impressive use of the land, so Canadian in its simplicity and charm.Listed in: My Toronto
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Review from Moritz H.
10/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
My favorite! Walking from Hanlans Point to Wards Island. And then lunch or coffee at the island cafe.
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Review from susan c.
8/17/2009 1 photo
Just a quick bike ride (or long walk) from Centre Island, Ward's Island is the antidote to the hectic commercial vibe and the touristic milling of its isle neighbor.
Instead of amusement parks and fast food, you get kid-free serenity and voyeuristic delight while browsing the eclectic houses on Ward's. Some are cute and cheerful, some are whimsical and kooky, and a couple look like Boo Radley shacked up there.
With its wildflowers, butterflies, and friendly squirrels that come right up to you, Ward's Island feels almost enchanted; like if I lived there birds would sing to me as they helped hang my laundry on the clothesline. That is, till Boo Radley comes 'round with those scissors...Listed in: Must Eat, See, Do in Toronto
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Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
11/15/2008 1 photo
It boggles my mind when I meet born and bred Torontonians who've not set foot on Ward's Island. Having said that, if Ward's was overrun by as many people as Centre Island, perhaps I wouldn't go as often?
Ward's is the gem of the three ferry stops, populated with adorable cottage homes of old money and eclectic artists. It's a romantic, quiet spot, with a beach facing the city and another facing the vast expanses of Lake Ontario on the other side.
Best time to go is during popular fluff season -- June-ish. The summer snowfall can make even the most jaded people fall in love again.Listed in: Free and cheap hangouts in…
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Review from Anna V.
Toronto, ON
11/5/2008 2 photos
Wards Island is the third ferry option departing from Toronto. It's the island where people live and my favourite spot to visit on an afternoon. Generally the beach on this end of the island is completely devoid of anyone. There's also a little café that you can lunch at that's right on the boardwalk. If you're biking, the best thing to do is get off at Wards, check some of the gingerbread like cottages that are people's homes, hang at the beach for a few hours, eat at the café, then bike along the boardwalk through Centre Island, all the way to Hanlan's Point and grab the ferry back there. You can take any ferry back, no matter which you come over on. Truthfully, it's so good, that I feel bad even sharing it here.
