On my most recent adventure to Casa Loma, Toronto's Castle, I went on a spontaneous side adventure to Center island in Toronto.
Yupp, Toronto not only has it's own castle, but 3 islands: Centre island, Hanlan's island, and Ward's island.
Let me all you all about them!
The Ferry
I'm sure it's no surprise that to get to the island, you have to take the ferry.
The views of the Toronto landscape from the ferry are breathtaking. Just look these photos!
A round trip on the ferry for those of us between 20-64 costs just over $9 CAD. For those of us with children or youth and/or are older than 64, the price drops to just under $6 CAD. Not bad!
I remember the ride being pretty smooth and the cool breeze coming off the water was a very welcome break from the summer heat.
We went mid-day on a weekday, but the boat was still packed. I can only imagine how unbelievably packed the ferry would be on the weekend.
If flowing water makes you have to go, fear not, there are bathrooms on board. They also offer some refreshments, but the ride is quite short, maybe 10 -15 minutes max, so I would save it for the island.
During the spring and summer schedules, the ferry leaves the mainland and Centre island every 15 minutes, starting at 8am and ending around 11:20 -11:40 pm.
In the fall, the ferry runs periodically, and in the winter there is no access to Centre island or Hanlan's island on the ferry. The only island accessible by ferry during the winter is Ward's island as this is the residential area. Yupp, some Torontonians live on Ward's island.
But hold on! What do you do if you miss the last ferry? If you are still on Centre island after 11:40pm (11:20pm in the spring) and don't live there, the water taxis service ends at 10pm, so you'll have to find a cozy patch of grass and set up camp for the night.
Long story short, don't miss the last ferry.
The Amusement Park
Before going on this mini side adventure, I knew Toronto had islands. But, when I was imagining what we would find, an amusement park never crossed my mind.
On Centre island there is an amusement park called Centreville. While it is geared more towards children, there are attractions adults can enjoy as well.
At Centreville, they have every kind of amusement park food imaginable, from gelato to funnel cake, to a smokehouse grill and a cider bar.
For rides they have a scrambler, bumper cars, roller coasters, a kid-friendly drop tower (how??), a ferris wheel, tea cups, swan boats, and so much more!
They even have a water park, mini golf, a ski lift for touring the island from the sky, and a petting zoo! You can also rent bikes on the island, go for a swim in the beach, or watch shows at the lagoon theatre.
There is an endless amount of fun to be had at Centreville!
With how much is packed on this island, it makes me think of the video game Roller Coaster Tycoon. Did you play that growing up? I sure did!
If you're interested in exploring all Centreville has to offer, a season pass is only $84 CAD for the 2023 season. A individual day pass is between $30-$40 CAD depending on your height, and a family of four day pass is $132 CAD.
Sadly, we didn't get to enjoy the rides while visiting the island. Since we had purses and shopping bags with us, we weren't allowed to ride and there was no where to store them. If you go, bring just a small purse.
Goodman's Pub
Goodman's Pub is this awesome restaurant located right on the Toronto habour front. On the patio you can enjoy an amazing view of the water and the gorgeous summer weather, with some delicious food, while watching pirate ships go by (seriously!).
The first time I went to Goodman's Pub was when I was visiting some family in the city. We came here for dinner one evening, which I was dreading because with my allergies (lactose and gluten intolerant and often plant based) it's nearly impossible for me to eat anything at restaurants. I can eat at some specialty places that cater to my dietary needs, but those are few and far between.
Thankfully, I found a salad I could eat. I did have to make a few modifications though such as no goat cheese, or tomatoes (I'm also a picky eater), and adding falafel for protein. That's usually how things go with my allergies. As long as something consists mainly of veggies, I can probably eat it.
I wasn't expecting much from it because it's a salad. Most salads I've had aren't that interesting, but to my surprise, this salad was easily the best salad I've ever had. There's something about the combination of fresh heritage greens, sweet sliced grapes, savoury falafel, candied seeds, with a spicy chive vinaigrette that is just pure perfection.
I actually crave this salad now and would 100% make a trip up to Toronto just for it! Goodman's Pub is now and forever will be on my list of must-go places for Toronto.
The more I explore Toronto, the more it reminds me of New York in that it's truly is a city that has anything and everything you could possibly want. I can definitely see why so many people want to live in and visit Toronto.
Is there any place in Toronto you'd like to see me visit? Let me know in the comments below!
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