City in Ontario, Canada
Photo: (WT-shared) Shaund, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Kawarthas or Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario, Canada, is located one to two hours by car (depending where in the region you are travelling) northeast of Toronto, and is considered part of Central Ontario. This is one of Ontario's prime cottage and vacation areas, encompassing the County of Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes (formerly Victoria County) and is encircled by Durham region and Haliburton, Northumberland and Prince Edward Counties. The Kawarthas is a region that, as the name suggests, includes many lakes -- in fact hundreds of lakes and rivers, and offers some of Ontario's best sport and recreational fishing. The region attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, mostly during the Spring to Autumn months, who come to cottages and resorts in the area, or to some of the many hotels, motels, inns and excellent campgrounds. There is year round activity, though, including fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, golf, festivals, museums, cultural and historic attractions, shopping and more.
The city of Peterborough is reachable by GO Transit intercity bus services from Toronto. Otherwise, the car is your best, or only, bet for visiting the Kawarthas. Take Highway 401 and exit for Ontario Highway 115.
Read in the guideHouseboating
Renting a houseboat is a popular way of seeing the Trent-Severn Waterway and the Kawartha lakes.
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Peterborough · Regional · YPQ
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