//
Community in Ontario, Canada
Photo: Robert Taylor from Stirling, ON, Canada, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Tobermory is a small community in Southwestern Ontario at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula on Georgian Bay. It is the northern terminus of the Bruce Trail and a popular diving destination - regarded by many as the freshwater diving capital of the world. Less than 1,000 people live here permanently, but about 750,000 people visit Tobermory's two national parks each year, while many others make a stop in the town on their way to Manitoulin Island aboard the Chi-Cheemaun ferry.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
A 3.5 km loop that begins about 1.3 km from the cairn, to the northeast edge of the peninsula, at Dunks Point. There are several scenic lookouts over Georgian Bay.
About 0.8 km from the park visitors centre, look out across the rocky edge of the peninsula.
Accessed only by boat and then on foot, the island is named after the Flowerpots - tall stacks of escarpment rock that rise out of the lake along the island's east coast. Park volunteers at the island's Lighthouse station demonstrate what life would have been like living here off the grid, guiding ships into Georgian Bay. Along the way, a small boardwalk along the trail shows the inside of the Sea Caves. A handful of backcountry campsites lets hikers or experienced paddlers spend the night on the island.
The remains of a 36 m schooner that sunk while loaded with coal at Big Tub Harbour in 1885 are still intact and visible from above the water. It is one of 24 shipwrecks that can be viewed by glass bottom boat or by scuba diving.
Offers dive trips usually twice per day, departing in the morning and the afternoon. They include two dives from their dive boats, which are well stocked and large enough to suit up even when full. Booking your spots is recommended on weekends during the summer, and the staff is very friendly.
Burgers and other pub food.
Restaurant and microbrewery.
Moderately priced patio restaurant with a wide assortment of fish and chip dishes made with fish straight from the lake. Expect friendly staff and phenomenal dishes.
Clean and modern, there are 16 standard motel units, 12 waterview motel units, and 8 luxury units. Each unit has a balcony or terrace. Most rooms are furnished with two beds. The two-bedroom luxury suite, has a fully equipped kitchen, dining room table, living room and one full-size bathroom can easily accommodate up to six adults. Most rooms have mini fridges. A pavilion behind the motel has microwaves, toasters, kettles, BBQs, and picnic tables. Pets and smoking are not allowed in the motel units. Summer only, Wi-fi free, wheelchair accessible rooms, air conditioning, coffee/tea in rooms.
Offers trails to the shores of Georgian Bay. The campsites can be booked online. Reservations are a great idea on long weekends, and the campground can get pretty crowded. But this campground offers an easy walk to points of interest such as the Grotto, a rock cavern on the shores of Georgian Bay.
Family-owned and -operated resort with large waterfront motel units overlooking Big Tub Harbour, large non-waterfront units with air conditioning, smaller waterfront units with air conditioning, on-site dining at Bootlegger’s Cove Pub, personal watercraft rentals.
Close to the Chi-Cheemaun Ferry in the village. You can walk to restaurants, dive shops, tour boats, ferry docks and the head of the Bruce Trail in minutes. Summer only, Wi-Fi available, wheelchair accessible rooms, accessibility equipped bathrooms, coffee/tea in rooms, refrigerator in room.
Groceries.
By boat
By bus
By air
There are two airports nearby, neither with scheduled flights:
The nearest taxi is 1hr 20min away in Owen Sound, so you'd better have your own transportation.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Wiarton · Regional · YVV
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Tobermory (Ontario) and Canada.
Travel tipsDiscover how to use AI to find cheap flights. Learn prompt strategies, smart fare engines, open-jaw routings, and error-fare booking techniques.
6 min read
Nature & adventureAs of 2023 the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves is made up of 738 reserves in 134 countries of which 22 are transboundary.
Wikivoyage
Nature & adventureThe National Parks of Canada, and some of the National Historic Sites of Canada, are managed by Parks Canada, an agency of the Government of Canada.
Wikivoyage
Travel tipsAlthough trains are not nearly as ubiquitous and convenient a mode of travel in Canada as in Europe or East Asia, they remain popular with some travelers because of the spacious design of the cars, the scenic routes,…
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.