How to go to the Toronto Islands
What You Need To Know About the Toronto Islands
The Toronto Islands, also known as The Island, is a group of 15 interconnected islands located in the heart of downtown Toronto. The Toronto Islands offer a little piece of paradise, away from the big city’s hustle and bustle, just minutes away from the downtown waterfront.
The island is 5 kilometres long and you can easily walk from one end to the other. The 3 most popular islands are Centre Island, Ward Island, and Hanlan’s Point.
On the Islands, you’ll find sandy swimming beaches (including a Clothing Optional Beach on Hanlan's Point), bike, canoe and kayak rentals, a boating marina, sports facilities, big grass fields for picnics, a theatre, nature trails, an EMS and fire station, an amusement park and a 150-year-old community of 600 people living in cottage-like homes.
How Long Is the Ferry Ride to the Toronto Islands?
The average ferry or taxi ride takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
How much does it cost to go to the Toronto Islands?
An adult round-trip ticket costs $8.70. A one-way taxi ride costs $12, but you don’t have to pay when coming back to the city taking the ferry (even if you took a taxi to the island) because it’s provided for free and no tickets are needed to ride back from the island to the city.
Pro Tip: Buy Ferry tickets online. It’s much faster and easier.
Visit the City of Toronto Ferry Tickets Online Link for more info.
How to Take the Ferry to the Toronto Islands
The ferries to the Toronto Islands depart from Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. This is the ferry terminal located on Queen’s Quay between Yonge and Bay streets, right next to the Westin Harbour Castle hotel.
All three ferry routes to Centre Island, Ward Island, and Hanlan's Point depart from the same terminal next to each other. All three ferry schedules run on an hourly basis. Centre Island and Ward’s Island boats depart Toronto on the hour and Hanlan’s Point ferries depart on the half hour.
Visit the link City of Toronto All Ferry Schedules Link for more info.
How to Take TTC to the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal
You can take a short walk from Union Station or take the 510 Spadina streetcar or 509 Harbourfront streetcar to the Queens Quay stop and walk in 1 to 2 minutes.
How to Take a Water Taxi to the Toronto Islands
Several water taxi services depart from downtown Toronto to go to the Toronto Islands, such as Centre Island, Ward Island, and Hanlan's Point. The taxis have no fixed schedule and they leave once there are enough people to make the trip profitable. I had trips when there were only 4 passengers on board.
There are many Water Taxi services to choose from. Some popular ones and I tried are Tiki Taxi, Pirate Taxi, Toronto Harbour Tours, and Toronto Harbour Water Taxi.
For Water Taxi locations, visit their websites. Harbourfront Centre also has a map of water taxi locations.
Is It Better to Take a Taxi or a Ferry to the Toronto Islands?
Taking a ferry or a taxi to the Toronto Islands costs about the same (only $1.30 difference). I have tried both many times and here is my pro tip.
Toronto Island ferries give you a different experience than taking taxis. I feel like I am taking a ship and enjoy the experience of being in a bigger space with more people. But during the weekends or holidays, ferries can get crowded and you may want to avoid that.
Water Taxis offer faster service with no waiting or maintaining a schedule. A Water Taxi is like taking an Uber and taking a ferry is like taking the subway; both are excellent and offer different levels of experience.
Which Toronto Island is The Best to Visit (Centre Island, Ward Island, and Hanlan's Point)?
Centre Island
Centre Island offers the most activities and this is where most people go. It’s got Centreville, an amusement park, a beautiful lookout point and more places to eat than the others. On the other hand, Centre Island is also the most crowded.
Centre Island covers 600 acres of parkland and is in between two other primary Toronto Island destinations - Ward's Island on the east and Hanlan's Point on the west.
Ward's Island
Ward’s Island is on the east side where you will find some residences and also has a nice cafe, playground, soccer field, beaches and more. The beach here is less crowded. There are also nice paths and a boardwalk to stroll on.
In my opinion, Ward’s Island offers the best view of Toronto City and the skyline. I also enjoy the solitude of being less crowded.
Hanlan's Point
Hanlan's Point is right next to the Billy Bishop Airport and you can literally view the parked planes and runway. There is also the Gibraltar lighthouse and the only clothing-optional beach in Toronto.
The clothing-optional beach is separated from the regular beach and they are next to each other. In my opinion, Hanlan's Point beach is the longest and offers the best views overlooking Downtown Toronto and the Mimico skyline.
Pro Tip: Hanlan's Point is the best place to watch the Toronto Canadian International Air Show.
In brief, if you are looking for more activities and places to eat, go to Centre Island. If you are looking for solitude and relaxation, including better beach experiences, go to the Ward Island and Hanlan's Point.
Toronto Islands Videos
For my all Toronto Islands videos, visit the below Playlist:
Toronto Islands - Things To Do & What You Need To Know
