Where to Rent A Boat in Toronto | Cheapest Small Boat Rental In Toronto

Best Place to Rent A Boat in Toronto

Today, I will talk about where you can rent a small boat in Toronto for 1 to 4 persons. I am not talking about yachts or big boats costing $400/$500.

When it comes to renting a basic powerboat in Toronto, options are limited. After searching online and asking here and there, it looks like there is only one place you can rent a small boat in Toronto for cheap.

Harbourfront Centre in downtown Toronto, offers various sailing, powerboating, and kayaking rentals. Their website and address are below:

https://harbourfrontcentre.com/program/sailing-and-powerboating/

Harbourfront Centre
235 Queens Quay West
Toronto ON M5J 2G8
(416) 973-4000

However, you can't book on their website, so call them first to book before you go to pick up your boat.

Harbourfront Centre is not really cheap, but it is cheaper than others where renting boat costs have skyrocketed, as they only offer big boats and yachts with captains to rent.

When I rented my boat, a Paradise F13 was going for $109 per 1 hr (up to 2 people) and a Lund was going for $129.00 per hour. Fuel is included, so you don’t have to worry about anything else.

All their boats are too old and rundown. I think that because of the fact they are the only place where you can rent a boat, they are not interested in upgrading and offering better prices and services; customers have no other choice.

Still, I go there to rent once in a while and will put up with their old boats until I can find better options.

$600 Per Night Luxury Westin Harbour Castle Toronto Hotel by Marriott

Luxury Hotel Review | Westin Harbour Castle Toronto Hotel by Marriott

I always wanted to spend a night at the Westin Harbour Castle Toronto Hotel, which is known for its stunning views. An opportunity was presented when I got a deal from Marriott – so I didn’t have to pay the full prices. 

When I checked in on Friday, my penthouse room on the 35th floor was going for $600 or more. Once I was inside the room, I came to the conclusion that it was worth paying for just for the view.

In the lobby or other areas of the hotel, it looks like just another Marriott hotel for $200 per night. However, when you get in the room and see the view, that makes the stay worthwhile.

I had a full lake view overlooking the Toronto Islands, Billy Bishop Airport, the pristine blue waters of Lake Ontario, and you even have far-off, shimmering views of Niagara Falls and the US border. On my right side I also had a partial downtown Toronto city view, including the CN Tower. It was like the best views of all sides.

The fun part was watching planes landing and taking off and seeing cruise boats and other boats crossing the waters. I did several timelapses and videos for my YouTube Channel. 

The sunrise and sunset added an extra charm to the views and they were awe-inspiring. At night, the views totally changed. The Islands had some lights in the evening, but later on only a few lights remained. The airport runway looked amazing with all the different colored lights.

I was content having lots of photo and video opportunities in such a short time. I hope to return to the Westin Harbour Castle Toronto Hotel again in the future when an opportunity presents itself. 

Cottage Country Canada Trip | Huntsville and Orillia, Muskoka, Ontario

Huntsville and Orillia, Ontario Trip | Cottage Country Travel, Canada

I am back from my cottage country trip to Huntsville and Orillia. It was a 3-day trip full of activities and excitement.

I was busy the whole time documenting my travel experience, which is available under the below YouTube Travel Playlist I created for this trip. This playlist will feature travel videos from Canada's popular cottage country locations in Huntsville (Muskoka) and Orillia (Simcoe County).

Cottage Country Canada Trip Challenge

I visited Huntsville and Orillia, popular cottage country destinations in Ontario, Canada.

Huntsville – Located in the famed cottage country district of Muskoka, Huntsville is the largest by population and land area.

Huntsville is a vibrant small town nestled amongst many lakes and the iconic Algonquin Provincial Park. Huntsville is located 215 km or 134 miles north of Toronto.

I visited Lions Lookout, the Muskoka Heritage Place Train Ride, Stubb’s Falls in Arrowhead Park, and the Town Dock waterfront in downtown Huntsville.

Orillia – The birthplace of famous Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, Orillia is located in central Ontario – just 1.5 hours from Toronto.

Known as the sunshine city, Orillia is nestled between two lakes and is a popular tourist destination. A large waterfront and Casino Rama are some of the many attractions in Orillia.

I visited Couchiching Beach Park, the Port of Orillia, Mariposa Market, and the Orillia Peter Street Arts District in Orillia.

This 3-day trip was like a warm-up trip, as I have a bigger 1-month trip to Asia coming up shortly. You can follow all these trips on my YouTube Channel right here: www.YouTube.com/ADawn

Huntsville and Orillia, Ontario Trip | Cottage Country Travel

Cottage Country Canada Trip Challenge

My trip to the cottage country in Ontario, Canada will begin in a day. This will be my first trip within Canada this year (2022).

I have created a YouTube Travel Playlist for this trip, which will feature travel videos from Canada's popular cottage country locations in Huntsville (Muskoka) and Orillia (Simcoe County).

I am trying different formats and styles of videos in this playlist. There will be short-length videos, some long videos, and lots of YouTube Shorts.

The Trip Challenge is to post as many updates as possible throughout the trip. For this reason, I am taking my laptop. My goal is to stop over here and there to post fresh videos. However, due to circumstances and network availability, I may not be able to update anything.

The reason for this Cottage Country Canada Trip Challenge is to take lessons and design my upcoming trip to Asia next month, which is an even bigger and longer trip.

I will have to drive about 3 hours to reach my first destination and I am hoping to stop over somewhere in the middle and publish a quick post.

As of now, it looks like I got some favourable weather and it is expected to be sunny and warm, hovering around 25° C (77° F). Although this is hot, but it’s nowhere near the weather in Dhaka, which has a hot and humid tropical climate.

January is the coolest month in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with temperatures averaging near 26 C (78 F), which is their winter but the same temperature as summer in Canada.

You can follow all these trips on my YouTube Channel right here: www.YouTube.com/ADawn

What Are the Best places to Visit in Toronto For Free?

Top 3 Free Things to Do in Toronto

My top three best things to do in Toronto list is different than what you may come across on most other top tourist spots in Toronto recommendations. Notably, I eliminated crowded tourist landmarks such as CN Tower, museums, and many other tourist hot spots.

Rather, my top picks are where no one usually goes, compared to other top visited attractions, and you will find hidden gems in these top three picks. All these top picks are kid friendly and virtually free. Let’s begin.

Toronto Islands

The Toronto Islands, also known as the Island, or Toronto Island Park, are a chain of 15 small islands located in Lake Ontario, a short 13-minute ferry ride from downtown Toronto. 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 marina, sports & park facilities, big grass fields for picnics, a theatre, nature trails, a fire station, and some residents. 

Visit my detailed How to Go to The Toronto Islands for more on this.

The Tall Ship Kajama

One of the best Toronto boat cruises is on a 165-foot-tall ship Schooner leaving from Toronto’s downtown Harbourfront.

I find the price of $35 to be a great value for sailing on Toronto Harbour and Lake Ontario. They even go close to the Islands, fire a canon, and sing. There is a mini bar offering drinks, snacks, and food. Washrooms are clean.

Overall, I recommend this tour. Employees are very friendly as well. Visit Kajama Tall Ship - Toronto Boat Cruise for more on this.

Trillium Park

Trillium Park is located next to Ontario Place in Toronto. It is a stunning urban waterfront park.

It has the best views for both sunrises and sunsets and offers an unobstructed view of the CN Tower and Toronto skyline. Regrettably, many Torontonians have never heard of Trillium Park.

Visit Trillium Park Toronto for more on this.