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| The Toronto skyline
from the lakeshore |
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Toronto has evolved into one of Canada's most
interesting cities. The heart of the counties financial affairs,
it has acquired a cosmopolitan flavour without losing the sense
of community it always had. |
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| Given its image as a corporate center,
people are always surprised to learn about the large natural spaces
within the city, especially in the downtown core. Map of the Toronto Region.
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| Aside from the broad Lake Ontario shoreline,
it's the watersheds and ravines that provide the largest green areas
in the city and some very interesting outdoor
opportunities. By their very nature, ravines are easily overlooked,
even by the cities residents. Driving through the Don Valley on the
expressway you aren't likely to be aware of mountain bikers on the
forested hillsides or canoeists paddling the river below. |
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With the influx of a large and
varied ethnic community has come a broad range of
new cuisine and subsequently some of Canada's best
restaurants.
Appropriately enough, Toronto
has a Chinatown, a Greektown and areas referred
to as Little Italy, Little India and Little Jamaica.
Of particular note are the cities Thai restaurants,
which are amongst the best we've encountered.
Toronto's nightlife is everything
you might hope for. While Yorkville has gone upscale,
there are plenty of other areas if you're on a
budget. |
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| Check out The Beaches area for funky
bars and restaurants or head over to Queen Street. The Entertainment
District has endless variety along with some of the longest running
theatre productions in North America. |
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| The cities
most famous park |
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Given that Toronto is so heavily
populated it's surprising how well the city
has managed to preserve such a large amount
of green space. To a large extent this can
be attributed to the hard work and far sightedness
of many groups and individuals. Of course
nature played a heavy role in this, by cutting
those large river ravines through the city
from north to south, providing a natural greenway
and a deterrent to developers. The Don Valley,
the Humber Valley and the Rouge River Ravine
are the most prominent. These amazing strips
of green, shelter joggers, hikers, mountain
bikers, cross country skiers and dare we say
it - whitewater fans (yes, you can run sections
of the rivers in the spring). Toronto birders
will find excellent areas in the Sherwood
and Rouge Parks but perhaps the best birding
area in or around the city is the Leslie Street
Spit . |
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| Aside from the inner city green, the
areas surrounding Toronto have a wide variety of forests, cliff faces,
lakes, rivers and trails. These surrounding regions have a host of
parks and conservation areas, with the core of the region managed
by the Toronto Conservation Authority. Halton, Credit Valley, Lake
Simcoe, Nottawasaga and Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authorities
manage dozens of recreational areas just outside the city as well.
Nearby Provincial Parks include Darlington, Forks of the Credit, Sibbald
Point and Bronte Creek. |
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| Backpackers have several long distance
trails to choose from within a very short distance
of the city. These include the world famous Bruce
Trail, the Ganaraska Trail and the Oak Ridges Trail.
Hikers can choose from short trail walks in High
Park to longer beach hikes below the Scarborough
Bluffs or a custom hike on a section of the Bruce
Trail. If you're a climber the city is awash in
rock gyms, or if you have a little more time to
spare Rattlesnake Point is only a short distance
away. Mountain bikers are a spoiled bunch with excellent
trails in the Don Valley and off road trails and
paths you can actually ride to work on. Both Halton
Hills and the Ganaraska Forest have lots of MTB
trails just a short distance away. |
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| The Humber
Trail |
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| In the Spring white water enthusiasts
can paddle in the city on the Don or the Humber rivers.
Another option is Dufferin Creek , just to the north of
Ajax. Sea Kayakers can launch in downtown Toronto and
paddle out to Toronto Island or the Leslie Street Spit.
Further afield you'll find some of North Americas best
Sea Kayaking in the Bruce Peninsula and Georgian Bay areas
north of Toronto. Canoeists can paddle routes along the
Grande or Nottawasaga Rivers just outside the city or
head north to the endless routes of Algonquin Park. Nordic
skiers follow their compass north when the snow flies
to the Collingwood region to ply the trials of Mansfield
Outdoor Centre or Hardwood Hills Resort. While boarders
will find great runs at nearby Blue Mountain, as well
as many other local areas. |
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| Algonquin
Provincial Park |
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Events,
Festivals & Attractions
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Provincial Parks and Conservation
Areas in the Toronto Region
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Visiting from outside Ontario
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Visiting from outside Canada
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Resources
Toronto
Out-There's
Destinations
Out-There
- www.out-there.com - Home
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