Isole di Toronto — L'Arcipelago del Cortile della Città sul Lago Ontario
The Toronto Islands (the archipelago of 15 small interconnected islands and peninsulas 800 metres off the downtown Toronto waterfront, accessible by ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal in approximately 10 minutes) are the closest green space to the downtown core and provide the best views of the Toronto skyline from across the water — the view of the CN Tower and the downtown skyline from Centre Island or Hanlan's Point is the most iconic view of Toronto.
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Toronto Islands Ferry — The 13-Minute Harbour Crossing
The Toronto Islands Ferry (Toronto Ferry Terminal, 9 Queens Quay West, ¥9.27 return, daily from 6:30am, peak service every 15 minutes) crosses Toronto Harbour in 13 minutes to reach Centre Island, Ward's Island, or Hanlan's Point — three separate ferry routes serve the 17 interconnected islands of the Toronto Islands (the 820-hectare natural sandbar archipelago, the largest freshwater urban island park in North America); the approach from the ferry returning to the mainland at dusk (the CN Tower and downtown Toronto skyline from the lake) is the finest view of the city's waterfront.
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Ward's Island — The Residential Community in the Lake
Ward's Island (the easternmost of the Toronto Islands, the only permanent year-round residential community — 262 homes, 650 residents — on any island in the Great Lakes accessible only by ferry) is a car-free neighbourhood that has existed since the 1930s — the original squatters (the summer cottage inhabitants who refused to leave when the city purchased the islands in 1956) won a legal battle in 1981 to maintain their leases; the boardwalk between Ward's Island and Centre Island (3km, the finest lakeside walk in Toronto), the Ward's Island Community Centre (the volunteer-run social anchor), and the Algonquin Bridge (pedestrian bridge, open summer only) are the points of interest.
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Hanlan's Point — The Nude Beach and the Baseball History
Hanlan's Point (the westernmost island, named for Ned Hanlan, the world rowing champion 1880–1884, who grew up on the island) has two remarkable facts: the official clothing-optional beach (the only legal nude beach in the City of Toronto, open since 1999, at the island's southwest tip, a 15-minute walk from the ferry dock) and the site of Babe Ruth's first professional home run (September 5, 1914, when the 19-year-old George Herman Ruth hit his first career home run at the Hanlan's Point Baseball Stadium — since demolished — while playing for the Providence Grays against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the International League).
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Centre Island Amusement Park — Centreville for Families
Centreville Amusement Park (Centre Island, ¥40 per unlimited ride wristband, May–Labour Day daily 10:30am–7pm) is the small-scale theme park for children at Centre Island — the 30+ rides (the antique carousel, the Far Enough Farm with barnyard animals, the bumper boats in the lagoon) and the restored 19th-century village buildings (transplanted from across Southern Ontario to create the park's heritage aesthetic) have made it a Toronto childhood institution since 1967; the Centre Island beach (the 2km south-facing sandy beach, with the Toronto skyline visible across the water) is the finest freshwater urban beach in Canada.
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Toronto Harbour — Kayaking and Stand-Up Paddleboarding
Toronto Inner Harbour (the protected water between the mainland and the Toronto Islands, the calmest water on Lake Ontario for recreational use) supports year-round kayak and SUP rentals — Toronto Island Kayak and Canoe Club (Ward's Island dock, rentals ¥40/hour, May–October), the Harbourfront Canoe and Kayak Centre (Harbourfront Centre, 283A Queen's Quay West, ¥20/hour), and Toronto Paddleboard (various launch points) all operate in the harbour; the Regatta at the Toronto International Dragon Boat Festival (June, the largest dragon boat festival in North America, 190+ teams, 5,000 participants, on the Inner Harbour between June Island and Exhibition Place) is the annual spectacle.
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Toronto Waterfront Trail — The Martin Goodman Trail
The Martin Goodman Trail (the 56km off-road cycling and jogging path running the entire Toronto waterfront from Etobicoke in the west to Scarborough in the east, part of the Waterfront Trail of Ontario) connects: Exhibition Place (the former industrial exhibition grounds, now a convention and event space), Harbourfront Centre (the cultural centre with galleries, a skating rink, and the Toronto International Film Festival screening venue), the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood, the Distillery District (1 km north), and the beaches of The Beach neighbourhood in the east end — the most complete linear cycling experience of the city available in any Canadian urban centre.