Hanlan’s Point

great point to start with the islands, however this «leg» of the island is only serviced by the ferry during the summer months.
the beaches are very much hit or miss, some of the more quiet beaches have alot of debris, as they are not maintained. as well as the main gas/​eletrical lines is floating in one section of the beach on this side.
the nude beach is a cool option, if you’re into that.
fall is a really good time to see this section of the island, but you have to walk from wards ferry drop off, and its a bit of a walk, and then you have to walk back.
bring a camera, and comfy shoes

The novelty factor (clothing-​optional) is the only thing this place has going for it.
The beach itself doesn’t look that great, the sand is ugly in a few areas, lots of bugs in some places (be careful when disrobing). It’s also not that big.
The fence separating the clothing-​optional section from the clothing-​mandatory section is rickety and hideous.
A good number of people were not nude.
It’s a 1 km walk from the Hanlan’s Point Ferry Dock to the beach. Takes about 10 – 15 mins. A little annoying if you’re carrying things.
I just feel like stuff is missing here. When I picture a beach, I think of an ice cream shop, a snack bar, maybe a little store selling bathing suits and sunscreen. But here there’s nothing. You have to walk off the beach a few mins (and cover your junk) to find a small, forgettable bar serving the typical overpriced hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.
I understand some want to keep this place somewhat isolated but there aren’t that many nude beaches in Canada so it IS an attraction and it could be better.

Awesome gay beach. I don’t know what it’s like on weekdays but on Sunday it’s full of gay men in small swimsuits. You can pretty much drink openly. Be ready for a crowd — if you don’t like being surrounded by other people on beach blankets, this isn’t the beach for you.
Skip the ferry line and take a water taxi just a block away and only a few dollars more. Ferry back is free.

Just a note to add to what has already been said, particularly about the HUGE line ups for ferry tickets on weekends:
Skip the lineups by buying advance purchase tickets at an off peak time. They are available in lots of ten or more, and they are discounted from the regular price. They are available in the ticket office to the right of the ticket booths.
Once you have your tickets in hand, you can breeze by the lineups and get right to the gate for the next ferry.

I have a friend visiting Toronto and I brought her to Centre Island. We were planning on renting those 4 people bicycles but since it was a summer weekend the day we went, there is an hour queue for those multiple people bicycles. Note: Get there early if you want to get one of those!
We ended up heading to the clothing optional beach to explore, since none of us have ever been to this kind of beaches. There are quite a number of people, and no, most people are not naked.
After all it was a fun walk around the island, and if you get off the ferry to the Centre Island, after your walk, you do not have to go back to the same dock you got off, we walked to Hanlan’s point dock closer to the beach.

The last review posted here is from 2013. It’s year later, so if you’re looking for a nude beach, think again. I went to Hanlan’s clothing optional beach on June 1^st, 2014 and I can say it is no longer a ‘nude’ beach. I would estimate that 95% of the people there were clothed. Why they choose to go to the clothing optional beach when the clothing mandatory beach is right across the fence is beyond me. They didn’t appear to be rubber-​neckers (well, there was one; more on that later); I think that ‘going to the nude beach’ has become fashionable. I am sure most of the people there bragged to their friends on Monday morning that they went to Hanlan’s on the weekend (yes, you’re sooooo BOHO!!) and neglected to mention that they kept their clothes on. 80% of the crowd is young gay men wearing their Euro-​suits, playing music, dancing, drinking, smoking up, having a good time. A loud but peaceful crowd, if you know what I mean. Good energy, for sure, but this is NO LONGER a nude beach. The place was packed; I looked in every direction and could only find 6 nude people, myself included. If you do decide to go and be in the naked minority, watch out for that one moron with a camera. The young gay couple next to me decided it was appropriate to hold a camera up above their heads and take a shot in each direction. I said very loudly «PUT THE CAMERA AWAY» and of course heads turned. Stupid tried to defend himself by saying something about people making their choice to be naked in public and I just cut him off with «NOT COOL» and he finally bagged the camera. He was wearing clothes, of course. I am sure he’d have felt differently about picture taking if he’d been starkers, himself.
TO ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO GO TO HANLAN’S ‘CLOTHING OPTIONAL’ BEACH AND WEAR CLOTHES; PLEASE STOP. YOU ARE RUNING THE ONE NUDE BEACH IN THE GTA. YOUR BEACH IS JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE. GO THERE.

Woke up to a scalding hot Sunday, so decided to check out Toronto Islands! The ferry lineup was huge but moved quickly — the Hanlan ferry was very quick, and definitely had a lot of bikers on it. On the ride back the ferry even got a car on, which was pretty surprising to me. There’s a little hut right off the ferry stop if you’re in the mood for $ 4 soda or $ 8 beer.
The beach is a bit of a walk from the ferry stop, but it’s a walk past the airport and really lush, grassy fields so it’s not too annoying.
Maybe it’s because I’m from California, but the beach itself wasn’t very impressive. The waterline was very rocky, and once you started wading in you’d notice then ground was all rocks and no sand; water was greenish and cloudy, but you could see into the bottom even if you got quite deep. The lifeguards are all very friendly. There was a fair amount of litter, but nothing too sharp and overall it was a pretty clean beach.
We checked out the clothing optional portion of the beach too — there’s a fence that separates it from the clothing mandatory beach. Drinking in the open seems fine — there were open bottles everywhere. Definitely a lot of sausage around, if you know what I mean. As a group of girls, we didn’t feel more creeped on than at other beaches. People seem pretty friendly; we even saw some families, kids in tow, in the nude.
Fun place to check out! Don’t let the clothing optional part scare you.

The beach is away from all the craziness of the city and is cleaner than any beach I have been to in Toronto. It is truly hard to believe you are right next to the city considering how peaceful it is.
If you have gymnophobia (fear of nudity) then you should definitely avoid this beach. For everyone else, you quickly get used to the nudity just like you get used to everything else.
The beach is primarily frequented by (gay) men but the beach is not devoid of women. If nothing else, it is a great place to be free and try something new. If you are comfortable in your own skin, you will be happy to find one of the best Toronto beaches here.

The clothing-​optional beach at Hanlan’s Point, on the westernmost shore of the Toronto Islands, is easily my favourite beach in the Toronto area. It’s a broad white-​sand beach open to Lake Ontario with the skyline of Etobicoke and points west beyond, the city of Toronto safely hidden behind the dunes and trees. It’s not very serviced, but I’ve always enjoyed it.
(I can’t wait for summer!)

I started this review awhile ago, but am finishing it now b/​c I miss the warm sun.
Going to the beach is one of my favourite things to do. This beach is truly like a mini-​vacation in the city, only a ferry ride away. The beach is much more sandy on the clothing optional side, so I recommend going there. I go with friends and we pump some tunes, bring some goodies to keep us full for the day (though there’s a little hut to buy food, booze and use be bathroom close by) and lots of sun screen.
I told my friend from back home about this place and she had a great time when she came to visit!

Everyone thinks about the nudie beach when they think of Hanlan’s Point, and it is something to see… but there is also a «clothing required» part of the beach that is perfect if you aren’t in the mood to see peoples’ junk.
Whether or not you choose to bare it all, or hang out on the family side, this is by far the nicest beach on the island. It’s a bit separated from the rest of the islands, so remember to pack a picnic.
Today I went, and instead of braving the (often very long) ferry line-​ups, my visiting friends and I went to Queen’s Quay and York and got a water taxi. It’s only $ 3 more per person, and it took about 5 minutes from our arrival at the dock to get us to the beach. Best extra $ 3 I’ve spent in a while. On our way home we took the public ferry, as it’s always free to get off the island.
FACT: Hanlan’s Point is 2.5km from Centre Island where there are many more food options, rides and a petting zoo. Easy bike ride or a nice walk!

Great beach, love the clothing optional feature. However, I am now in a state that I find it unpleasant to go there due to the noise from people that play their music for the entire beach and have no respect for anybody else that would like to be able to enjoy a quieter space in the city, listening to the birds, wind and water crashing against the shore.
There are several boats that anchor themselves close to the beach and blast their sound system to a level that resonates across the entire beach. Not everyone on the beach wants to listen to their music. The boaters that play their music so loud have no sense of respect for others on the beach that don’t want to listen to the thumping noise.
Other young groups hang out on the beach doing the same, blasting their music players amplified with speakers that go well beyond their immediate group and forcing others to listen to not only their thumping music but the group members yelling to be heard over the loud music.
I was at the beach today and I couldn’t find a quiet spot on the beach anywhere along the beach. No matter where I went, I was presented with thumping noise coming from multiple directions. Two boats had their music loud and then they eventually stopped, only to be taken over by not one, not two, but three groups in my near vicinity blaring their music and making it impossible for me to enjoy a quiet time at the beach. The music level was unreasonable. The people on the beach going to enjoy the sun and not intending to go to a rave party are left to put up with this annoying thumping sound.
I politely asked one group to turn down their music only to be insulted and as soon as I got back to my towel with my small group, they proceeded to increase the volume. Not everyone on the beach is rude as some of these people are however, I have faced the same situation two times last year and with the exact same scenario. I only went to Hanlan’s Point twice last year as a direct result of my negative experience of the noisy music so having had two out of two times with unreasonable loud music isn’t very good odds of having a chance to experience the beach in a positive way.
The only time I’ve been able to enjoy that beach is during a weekday when I had a day off, there are much fewer people on the beach than on weekends and from my experience, it’s usually quiet. I’m one of the people in the city that has to work for a living and unfortunately, going there during the weekday isn’t a typical option for me.
It’s too bad, however, I am very discouraged about the beach, I like clothing option beaches. It’s the only one in the city although being there with rude and noisy groups as I have experienced there more than once is turning me totally off from going there.
I have traveled to various parts of the world with some absolutely fantastic beaches, many clothing optional. Hanlan’s point rates amongst the worst beaches that I have experienced. It might be the best (the only clothing optional beach) that Toronto has to offer although my rating is low as a direct consequence of the rudeness of some of the people that frequent it. Unfortunately, it’s only a few that spoil the bunch,

I can understand why some males are not a fan, there are alot of gay males. (who cares) Its not a place to get laid and there are not alot of sexy woman rolling in the sand naked. Its just something different Toronto offers us. And i’m willing to take it as it is.
But it is a Nude beach and everyone seems more or less friendly and confident. The sand was clean for Toronto standards.
–Bring a cooler of drinks and food.
–your patience for the ferry, loosen up its a beautiful ride
–a bike (its a hike to the beach from the ferry)
–Open mind
A nice touch would be if they had volleyball nets:(
Enjoy!

The only «official» nude beach in Toronto and possibly in Canada. Low key, rocky (especially the water — watch your feet), pleasant, can get some biting bug infestation.
Large gay contingent but lots of straight people too. I am not sure why the women reviewers here like ogling naked gay men — seems like a waste of time fantasizing about what is not available (I don’t ogle straight men).

This is the only beach I am ever going to. Ever. Again.
Despite my Pakistani skin, I go sunning at least three times a week in the summer. I am so sick of all the beaches in the GTA: babies (they’re adorable but they smell and they puke and they cry), annoying teenagers blasting their music (not everyone wants to listen to every single song by Kanye West) and families (I try to forget about mine, don’t remind me of yours).
I never go to the beach on weekends or after work hours. But even so, the aforementioned allergens follow me and my bikini.
Hanlan’s point! My sojourn!
There is always enough room for me to spread out. No squishing. No babies. No kids. No tan lines.
Prudes beware: there are naked middle aged men with boners walking around. They may attempt to wheel you. Just mention that your boyfriend has a ten inch penis — you should be fine.
Bring:
–coolers and j’s (does anyone at this beach care? you can bet your sunburnt buns they don’t!)
–condoms (there may be couples surreptitiously exploring each other’s hoo-​haahs in the bushes). Don’t worry, they will politely stop while you walk by
–your naked body (with all of its imperfections — you don’t have to be an aqua di gio model to strut your cellulite thighs here)
Hmmmm… on further reflection, my «to bring» list resembles closely my «memorable Saturdays» list. Further evidence of Hanlan’s awesomeness!

Quite possibly the best beach in Toronto.
The good:
— Almost zero kids
— No one cares if you are having a tasty beverage of the non-​non-​alcoholic variety
— Quiet, no annoying teenagers
— Since this place is mostly frequented by gay men, most of the men here are pretty nice to look at
The bad:
— This is clothing optional, which is in and of itself not the bad part. For the first 15 minutes, you’re not quite sure where to direct your eyes, which is awkward.
— Many naked, middle-​aged men walking around aimlessly. We dubbed one «Crazy Jesus.»
— The sand wasn’t so great in a lot of spots, really muddy even though it hasn’t rained in about a week or so.
— Getting through the crazy lineup to buy ferry tickets absolutely sucks. Note: There are two lines: a huge line that goes to the automated machines, and a much shorter line (past this line) that goes to the cash only ticket booths.
— Getting there through the TTC is also a nightmare, the streetcars are packed to the gills on the weekends. Not sure what the best way to get there is, seeing as it might be difficult to maneuver your bike around the throngs.
The hubster and I decided to spend a nice day at the beach and we did just that. It was an incredibly pleasant day and we were left alone for the most part (later on in the afternoon, a nice young man kept coming over and giving us food, which in terms of intrusion, is possibly the least annoying type). Both of us were amazed by how quiet and civilized it was. All you could hear were the waves and the quiet murmurs of other beach goers. No loud radios, nobody carelessly throwing footballs or frisbees around. It’s great for people watching (re: wandering middle-​aged men, and weird lonely posing guy) as long as you’re not (caught) staring. I found it nice that ogling in my direction was at a minimum, possibly due to the high concentration of gay men. The hubster didn’t feel overly ogled either. I think that most of the crowd was there to enjoy the beach and leave everyone else the hell alone.
We’ll definitely be back, though we might consider biking there next time to avoid the craziness of the TTC.

I’ve only recently heard about Hanlan’s beach. After all the fuss I decided to check it out over the long weekend. From the moment I arrived at the fairy station the experience was doomed to fail.
The ferry’s for Toronto Island are poorly organized and chaotic. There were only 2 machines for automated tickets to the island, one being broken. There is no proper signage and no staff on site, so I was left waiting in the line for an automated ticket for almost 20 minutes. Luckily, a born again Christian was passing out prayers as well as Ferry information. He directed me to the ‘cash-​only line’ to get my ticket and I was past the line ups within 10 minutes.
I reached the island and made my 15 minute walk to the «beach». Hanlan’s beach is clothing optional and it should be outlawed. Everyone that was naked shouldn’t be. I saw so many pepperoni sized nipples and extra small penis’ that is was truly off putting. If you got it flaunt it but if you don’t have some shame, sweet Jesus!
I had always assumed any body of water near Toronto was heavily polluted but everyone tried to dispel my beliefs saying it was extremely safe and considered one of the best city beaches in North America. When I went into the water I could only assume that every other beach in North America is attached to a Nuclear dumping site in order for Toronto to win that title. The water has an algae/​toxic look. I was afraid to go beyond waist level for fear of the water entering my mouth or mutating me in some form, like a third nipple.
It took nearly an hour to get to the beach, but I spent a total of 10 minutes at the beach. I quickly packed up my stuff and headed home, hearing a passerby say «should have brought booze». I completely agreed with that comment. If I ventured out to this beach I would stock pile booze and pack some food. The closest snack bar is 15 minutes away and offers overpriced $ 5 hot dogs served by an extremely rude woman.
This adventure was an epic fail. I do not recommend this beach, unless you bring booze. Loads and loads of booze, and maybe a Hazmat suit.

When you go to the island, you can take one of three ferries: Wards, Centre and Hanlan’s Point. Hanlan’s point is the only ferry that takes cars to the island, which are mostly school busses and Toronto park’s vans. This is also the ferry the V-​fest and other festivals have to use. There is also a great beach at Hanlan’s Point that is both clothing optional and open to the public. What does that mean? Well first off, that means there aren’t a lot of people there and that there are almost no kids, but it also means fat hairy guys will cruise you and your friends.