Vacation rentals in Honey Harbour

As sweet and pretty as its name suggests, Honey Harbour is a small fishing village on the fresh waters of Georgian Bay, two hours north of Toronto. The small harbour is the gateway to a vast archipelago of over 30,000 islands, which form part of a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, with spectacular polished granite landscapes, windswept pines, and some of the country’s rarest reptiles and amphibians, like the eastern massasauga rattlesnake. Visitors can explore the islands on their own by boat, kayak, or canoe via the Gibson-Macdonald Canoe route that will take you by some of the area’s most impressive scenery. There’s also a public ferry shuttle from Honey Harbour to Beausoleil Island, the largest in Georgian Bay.

If you’re keen to learn about the area’s history, there’s no shortage of options. Head to the Huronia Museum at Midland, which offers artefacts, photographs, and relics or Coldwater Museum, where you can learn about life in and around Honey Harbour in the 1800s.

Once you’ve rented your Honey Harbour cottage, you’ll find there’s plenty to do in this inviting town at any time of the year. In the summer months, the weather in Honey Harbour is warm, and the area is a popular spot for boating, kayaking, and canoeing. There are also plenty of picturesque islands within the archipelago with sandy beaches suitable for swimming. Spring is a popular time to visit, as the mild weather is ideal for hiking, boating, and wildlife spotting. Fall can start to become quite cold in Honey Harbour, though it’s still possible to explore hiking trails earlier in the season. During the winter months, Honey Harbour transforms into a snow-filled adventure playground with plenty of cross-country and snow-shoeing trails to choose from.

Georgian Bay Islands National Park

Accessible only by boat, this vast freshwater archipelago is an adventurer’s paradise and one of Canada’s national treasures. Hire a boat, canoe, or kayak and explore the region’s many islands. Pause to admire the windswept granite shores and dense woodlands, and you may even be lucky enough to encounter some local wildlife, including Canada’s rarest amphibians and reptiles.

Discovery Harbour

Less than an hour’s drive from Honey Harbour is the historic naval village of Discovery Harbour. Explore some original and replica ships, buildings, and homes from the early 1800s, when a British naval and military base was established to safeguard this part of Canada. Stroll along the waterfront boardwalks and wander through the military barracks to learn about the life of a sailor when this was a frontier town.

Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre

Occupying more than 3,000 acres, the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre is run by a not-for-profit organization, and highlights the important role that wetlands play in Canada’s environment. It includes exhibits, floating boardwalks through marshlands, an observation tower, canoeing and kayaking, wildflower gardens, and in the winter, cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing trails.