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The classic view of Toronto is from the back of a ferry: the CN Tower and the glass towers of the waterfront shrinking behind you, gulls on the wake, and ten or fifteen minutes later the low green line of Toronto Island. On its western shore, beside the island airport and down a rainbow-painted path, the sand of Hanlan's Point runs along Lake Ontario between grassy dunes. Toronto has two beaches with a queer history. Hanlan's Point is the city's official clothing-optional beach and the place where, in August 1971, a gay picnic marked what is remembered as Canada's first Pride. Cherry Beach, tucked away in the industrial Port Lands, is clothed, mixed and more local. Both are summer places.

Legal in one line: Canada decriminalised sex between men in 1969 and has had equal marriage nationwide since 2005. Nudity is accepted on the designated clothing-optional beach at Hanlan's Point, but an indecent act in a public place is a criminal offence everywhere, that beach included.

When to go: June to September. That's when lifeguards are on duty, Toronto Public Health tests the water daily and all ferry routes run. Ferries to the island run all year, but only on the Ward's Island route: the 2026 winter timetable began on 14 October and runs to mid-April, so there is no direct ferry to Hanlan's Point, which lies at the far western end of the islands from Ward's. Off-season there are also no lifeguards and no water testing, and Lake Ontario is cold. You can still walk the shore on a clear day, but don't swim.

Hanlan's Point Beach, Toronto Island

Hanlan's Point Beach

Where: the western shore of the Toronto Islands, facing open Lake Ontario, beside Billy Bishop airport. You reach it by ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, then a walk of about 10 minutes; the 600-metre rainbow-painted road "The Long Walk to Equality", designed by artist Travis Myers with Pride Toronto and unveiled at Hanlan's Point in May 2024, leads towards the beach.

What it is: a sandy lake beach backed by vegetated dunes, one of the City of Toronto's ten supervised swimming beaches. The City's beach page states plainly: "This beach is clothing-optional." In June 2023 council unanimously passed motion MM7.15, which made the whole beach clothing-optional rather than one section, and called for LGBTQ+ heritage signage, a permanent Pride flagpole at the south end, replanting and fencing against erosion, and new sand. Clothing-optional means exactly that: you'll see people in swimwear as well as people without it, and the crowd is mixed.

A short history: research cited by Xtra in 1999 found the beach had been an official nude beach from 1894 to 1930. Gay men and lesbians kept coming through the decades in between, and men were arrested there. On 1 August 1971 a gay picnic at Hanlan's became what is now remembered as Canada's first Pride. After a campaign led by a gay naturist group, council approved a one-year clothing-optional pilot in May 1999, extended it through 2001, and in 2002 City staff recommended making it permanent. In a May 2026 motion council described Hanlan's as Canada's and Toronto's oldest surviving queer space.

Water and lifeguards: Hanlan's Point is a Blue Flag beach for 2026, according to Swim Guide, which also reports that it passed water-quality tests at least 95% of the time this year. Swim Guide lists lifeguards on duty daily from 11:30 to 18:30 in season. The City's lifeguard supervision and beach maintenance have ended for 2026 and resume in summer 2027.

Erosion and closures in 2026. High Lake Ontario water levels and years of erosion have eaten into the beach. In May 2026 the City, with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, temporarily closed parts of the south beach for public safety and to protect the dunes, and the south point was described as inaccessible. Council passed a motion in late May calling for an urgent access plan from 1 June and a shoreline restoration programme; Friends of Hanlan's, the volunteer group pushing for beach nourishment, said it lacked firm deadlines. Expect fences and less sand than older photos suggest, and check the City of Toronto beaches page before you go.

Boats: in summer 2025 the City piloted a no-go zone for motorised craft and sailboats, marked by buoys, covering the first 200 metres from shore along this stretch, after complaints about jet skis close to swimmers and a growing party-boat scene. Whether it continues each summer is a City decision, so look for the buoys.

Facilities: basic, and shade on the open sand is limited. Bring water, food, sunscreen, something for shade and something to sit on. Dogs are not allowed on the City's supervised swimming beaches.

Getting there: the Toronto Island ferry

• Terminal: Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, 9 Queens Quay West, at the foot of Bay Street, set back about 100 metres behind the Westin Harbour Castle. Streetcars from Union Station along Queens Quay stop close by.
• Route and season: the City runs three routes: Centre Island, Ward's Island and Hanlan's Point. The Hanlan's Point route runs from about mid-April to mid-October. The winter timetable started on 14 October, with service to Ward's Island only, so as of late October 2026 there is no direct ferry to Hanlan's. Summer service, with all routes, runs from mid-May to mid-September; spring and autumn have fewer sailings. Exact dates and times are posted on the City's ferry page.
• Fares (CAD, round trip, at the time of writing): adult (20–64) $9.57; older adult (65+) and youth (15–19) $6.15; junior (2–14) $4.51; under 2 free. Buy online in advance or at the terminal booths (cash is accepted only at the terminal; Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay and Google Pay are also taken). Online tickets can be used on any day until the end of the year you bought them, and online ticket holders enter the terminal through an express line at peak times, which is the easiest way to skip the long weekend queues.
• Queues: the City warns that at peak times (typically 10 am to 3 pm heading to the islands and 5 to 9 pm coming back) waits can exceed 30 to 60 minutes at the terminal or on the islands. Hot summer weekends are the worst, so travel early.
• Old boats, new boats: some of the current ferries are up to 90 years old, and outages and mechanical problems in recent years have raised questions about reliability. The first of two new electric ferries, Lady of the Quays, is expected in late 2026, with the passenger-only Toronto Islander in 2027. The City says schedules can change because of weather or mechanical issues; sign up for its email alerts.
• Other ways: commercial water taxis are a paid alternative to the ferry, leaving from docks along the Harbourfront; operators such as Tiki Taxi and Toronto Harbour Water Taxi have run island trips for years. Check the fare, the drop-off point and the last trip back with the operator before you go.

Cherry Beach, Port Lands

Cherry Beach (Clarke Beach Park)

Where: at the foot of Cherry Street in the Port Lands, on the eastern waterfront, cut off from the city by trees, reeds and the Martin Goodman Trail. The City lists it as Cherry/Clarke Beach.

What it is: a clothed, mixed public lake beach with rugged sand, driftwood and views towards the Toronto Islands. It's one of the City's supervised swimming beaches and has held Blue Flag status in past seasons. Beyond swimmers you'll find cyclists on the trail, windsurfers and paddleboarders off the sports beach to the east, and dog owners: a large fenced off-leash area has long occupied the western end. There's parking, which fills on summer weekends.

The queer side: The Narwhal notes that queer people have gathered at Cherry Beach for decades. Its history also includes police violence against people there in the 1980s and 1990s, reported at the time by Xtra. More recently the beach has hosted summer Sunday dance parties, a tradition blogTO traced back to 2000, and queer events: Yohomo held a sunset rave there on a Sunday in summer 2023.

Getting there: the TTC's seasonal 202 Cherry Beach bus (formerly the 172) runs from Union Station to the Cherry Beach Loop, from about mid-May to October in recent years; check the TTC for 2026 dates and times. Otherwise it's a bike ride along the waterfront trail or a drive.

Know before you go: the beach is isolated once the crowds leave. Go with friends after dark, or head back before sunset.

Other city beaches

Toronto has ten supervised swimming beaches in all, among them Woodbine, Kew-Balmy, Sunnyside, Centre Island, Ward's Island and Gibraltar Point, further south along the island's western shore. They are ordinary mixed city beaches. Swimwear on: Hanlan's is the only clothing-optional one.

The law, in short

Nudity, section 174 of the Criminal Code: being nude in a public place "without lawful excuse" is a summary conviction offence, and no prosecution can begin without the consent of the Attorney General. The City's clothing-optional designation at Hanlan's Point is what makes nudity accepted there. On the ferry, at the dock, on the paths and on every other beach, keep your clothes on.

Indecent acts, section 173: wilfully doing an indecent act in a public place in the presence of one or more people is an offence punishable by up to two years in prison on indictment. The designation covers nudity only: sex on the beach, in the dunes or in the trees behind is still illegal. Xtra reported men being arrested at Hanlan's long before the beach became official, and the Toronto Police Marine Unit has long worked with City staff to monitor the beach.

Staying safe.

• Cruising: the dunes and bush behind Hanlan's have a long cruising history. They are public, police patrol the area, and parts of the dunes are fenced to protect them from erosion. Stay on the beach and marked paths.
• Theft: bring only what you need, keep your phone and wallet on you or with a friend while you swim, and leave valuables at home.
• The last ferry: check the time of the last sailing back before you settle in. If you miss it, your only options are a long walk across the islands to another dock or a private water taxi.
• Water: Lake Ontario can be cold even in summer and closures follow bad test results, often after heavy rain. Don't swim when there's no lifeguard, which means any time outside the summer season.
• Sun: there's little shade on either beach, and pale skin burns fast.
• Emergencies: call 911.

Water quality and the season

From 1 June to 15 September, Toronto Public Health samples the City's supervised beaches every day and tests for E. coli. A beach is marked unsafe for swimming when the average of at least five samples reaches 100 E. coli per 100 mL. Results go on the City's beach water quality page and on Swim Guide, and an advisory sign goes up at the beach. Seven of the ten supervised beaches held Blue Flag status in 2026, according to the City.

Lifeguards normally work from June to September. In 2026 supervision and beach maintenance have ended, and the City advises against swimming without supervision until summer 2027. In late October you can still walk the island or the Cherry Beach shore on a clear day, but this is off-season: no ferry to Hanlan's, no lifeguards and no testing.

Local colour

A Toronto beach day starts with the ferry, and half the point is the ride: stand at the stern on the way out for the skyline. Pick up picnic supplies before you board; St. Lawrence Market is a short walk east of the terminal. At Hanlan's, walk in along the rainbow path, then bring a picnic and stay for sunset facing the open lake, keeping an eye on the time of the last ferry back. At Cherry Beach, blogTO wrote in 2012 of the Follow The Star food truck, trading since 1984, serving hot dogs and burgers by the beach; it's worth checking whether it's still there before relying on it. The ritual on both beaches is the same: bring a cooler, stay until the light goes golden, then ride back across the harbour as the towers light up, and head on to the Church-Wellesley Village.

Practical tips

• Transit: the TTC runs streetcars, buses and the subway. PRESTO is the fare card; check current fares and payment options with the TTC. Union Station is the hub for both the ferry terminal and the Cherry Beach bus.
• Cash and cards: ferry booths take cash and cards; take some cash for island snack stands and food trucks.
• Bikes: the Martin Goodman Trail along the waterfront makes cycling to Cherry Beach a pleasant option.
• Apps: Grindr is widely used in Toronto. Swim Guide is useful for the day's water results.
• Health: bring water, sunscreen and insect repellent. If you need PEP after a risk, go to a hospital emergency department.
• After the beach: see the Toronto city guide for bars, saunas and hotels in and around the Village.

Pride

Pride's roots in Toronto run back to that 1971 picnic on Hanlan's Point. Pride Month 2026 ended with the Pride Parade on Sunday 28 June 2026, which ran from 2 pm through downtown and the Church-Wellesley Village. The 2027 dates had not been confirmed at the time of writing; the festival is usually in late June, at the start of beach season, so book accommodation early. Council's May 2026 motion had asked for a plan to improve access to Hanlan's from 1 June, in time for Pride Month.

A few words of Torontonian

• The Island – the Toronto Islands, as a whole.
• Hanlan's – the clothing-optional beach (and the ferry route that serves it).
• The Village – the Church-Wellesley gay village.
• The TTC – the Toronto Transit Commission (the subway, streetcars and buses).
• PRESTO – the transit card.
• The Port Lands – the industrial waterfront east of downtown, where Cherry Beach is.
• 2SLGBTQ+ – the abbreviation you'll see on City of Toronto signage and documents.
• Clothing-optional – the official term; "nude beach" is what everyone says.

At a glance

Frequently asked questions

Is Hanlan's Point a nude beach?

Yes. The City of Toronto designates Hanlan's Point Beach on Toronto Island as clothing-optional, and in June 2023 council extended that to the whole beach. Swimwear is fine too, and sex in public is still a criminal offence.

How do I get to Hanlan's Point Beach?

Take the Hanlan's Point ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at 9 Queens Quay West, then walk about 10 minutes to the sand. The Hanlan's route runs roughly from mid-April to mid-October; in winter only the Ward's Island ferry sails.

How much is the Toronto Island ferry?

At the time of writing a round-trip adult ticket costs CAD 9.57, with cheaper fares for over-65s, youths and juniors and free travel for children under 2. Buying online in advance lets you use the express line at busy times.

Is the water at Toronto's beaches safe for swimming?

In summer, Toronto Public Health tests the supervised beaches daily for E. coli and advises against swimming when levels reach 100 per 100 mL. Check the City's beach water quality page or Swim Guide on the day; outside the season there is no testing and no lifeguard.

Is sex allowed on a clothing-optional beach in Canada?

No. Sex in public is still an indecent act under section 173 of the Criminal Code, with a maximum of two years in prison, on Hanlan's Point as anywhere else. The clothing-optional status only allows nudity.

Part of the GayOut beaches series. See the full gay Toronto guide for bars, saunas, hotels and events.