Located at the top of the Bruce Peninsula, the lakeside town of Tobermory is surrounded by rugged National Parks, the crystal clear waters of the Georgian Bay coast and the Niagara Escarpment.
A four hour drive from Toronto, Tobermory is the perfect home-base for exploring Bruce Penninsula National Park. It’s also home to Flowerpot Island and offers some of the best fresh water diving in Canada.
Explore Flower Pot Island
Flower Pot Island lies off the coast of Tobermory and is part of the Fathom Five Nationals Marine Park. Accessible only by boat, hiking the island is the best way to see it. The island gets its name from the natural sea stacks (which look like flowerpots) that jut out of the water. Take the loop trail starting at Beachy Cove, which will take you past the "flowerpots" and hike to the century-old lightkeeper's house.
Hike The GrottoÂ
The Grotto in the Bruce Peninsula Park is one of the area's most popular attractions, and once you see it for yourself, you'll understand why. The natural sea cave is accessible along a trail with cedar trees and ferns, which takes between 30-50 minutes, depending on where you start inside the national park. Carved out of limestone, the cave is filled with crystal-clear turquoise water. If you can brave the cold Georgian Bay waters, swim in to the entrance of the cave.
Step back in time
Housed in an 1898 school house, St. Edmunds Township Museum will "school" you in the history of the area. The museum is filled with photos dating back to when the region was settled, along with plenty of fishing and nautical history. Volunteers are on hand to help make the most of your visit. There's also a furnished log cabin from 1875 that will give you a sense of what life was like in the area during the 1800’s.
Take a glass-bottom boat cruiseÂ
The Blue Heron Company located on the waterfront in Tobermory offers glass-bottom cruises. Take a cruise to Flowerpot Island on a glass-bottom boat with stunning views of rugged shorelines and the Big Tub Lighthouse built in 1885. You'll have time to get off the boat and explore Flowerpot Island before heading back. Or you can take a non-stop cruise through the Fathom Five National Marine Park, where you'll see 19th century shipwrecks and still be able to take in the sights of the flowerpot rock formations of Flowerpot Island. When you arrive back on land, stop to grab a Beavertail on the waterfront dock.
Dive (or snorkel) among the shipwrecks
Whether you're a scuba diver or want to try snorkelling, Fathom Five National Marine Park offers some of the best freshwater diving in Canada (if not the world). The national park is made up of an archipelago of 19 islands and 45 square miles of pristine water with sheer cliffs and large caves. However, most people come here for the wreck diving. Hidden beneath the water are 22 historic shipwrecks, including the schooner, Sweepstakes, which lays below the surface in Big Tub Harbour. Off Echo Island lie the remains of the Arabia, its masts lie broken from when it sank in heavy seas.
Hike Canada's oldest footpath
Pick up the rugged Bruce Trail, which starts in Niagara and continues from Wiarton to where it ends in Tobermory. Take a 6 km or 11 km hike on the Lion's Head trail, in Lion's Head Provincial Park, where you'll see spectacular views across Isthmus Bay to the cliffs of Lion's Head. Tobermory has the highest concentration of native orchids in North America - if you're lucky you might spot one. If you're looking for a more leisurely hike, the trail from Tobermory to Little Cove is an easy 6 km route.
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