Beaches in and near Toronto offer the ultimate summer escape from city life. When sticky, smoggy weather gets you down, there's nothing quite like a dip in one of Southern Ontario's many pristine lakes to pick you up.

Here are some of the top beaches in and near Toronto.

Hanlan's Point Beach

Not only is Hanlan's one of the most pleasant beaches for swimming and sunbathing in the city, it was also the cite of Toronto's first-ever Pride celebration in 1971, making it Canada's oldest queer space.

Bluffer's Park

While people are being warned to stay off the top of the Bluffs, the beach here is home to tropical-blue, clean waters and is monitored by a lifeguard, making it a great spot for a quick cool off.

Cherry Beach

The water at Cherry Beach is some of the coldest in the Toronto area, but it's also some of the cleanest. While this beach gets packed fast in the summertime, the secluded atmosphere is well worth getting cozy with your fellow beach bums.

Cherry Beach is a great one to go to if you like watersports. Photo by Tanya Mok.

Sunnyside

This beach lining Humber Bay is a lot quieter than it used to be in its heyday, when it played a huge part in Toronto's culture in the 50s. That being said, it still gets super busy with sunbathers and people travelling the boardwalk on a scenic toward the Humber Bay Arch. 

Rouge Beach

Head to this massive urban park in Scarborough for an escape that'll make you feel far away from city life. This soft, white sand beach is accompanied by marshes that are full of wildlife.

Kew-Balmy Beach

Just a short walk away from its more popular neighbour, Woodbine Beach, is this stretch of secluded sand that's way better for relaxing. It's just as rocky as Woodbine, and the shoreline is closer to the boardwalk, but it's much quieter, with better areas for lounging near the water.

Kew-Balmy Beach offers water sport rentals like SUP and kayaking. Photo by Tanya Mok.

Marie Curtis

Surely the most under-appreciated of Toronto's official beaches, Marie Curtis Park is a breath of fresh air if you're used to crowds that flock to Woodbine and the Scarborough Bluffs in the summer. It's a relatively short stretch of sand, but it's nicely secluded from the rest of the city.

Kelso Convervation Area

The lake that makes up the water portion of this beach is actually a human-made reservoir that helps to control flooding of the nearby Sixteen Mile Creek, but its relatively small size lends to warm temperatures for swimming throughout the season.

Christie Lake

While this tucked-away gem can get busy on weekends in the summer, it's still a relaxing and secluded getaway. Fun fact: in the past, the water was chlorinated to keep bacteria levels down, but that practice ended several years ago.

Wasaga Beach

While you may have to dodge rowdy youths at Wasaga, a trip to one of the world's long freshwater beaches is definitely worth it. Along with gorgeous white sand, the water here is generally warm because it's pretty shallow, making it easy to go for a dip or lounge around in Georgian Bay.

Wasaga is still the ultimate people-watching beach in the province, with great attractions along the boardwalk. Photo via Wasaga Beach Tourism.

Coburg Beach

Coburg is only an hour and a half outside of the city, but provides quaint small-town vibes and a pristine beach that make it perfect for a weekend day trip in the summer.

Fifty Point Beach

Tucked away near Hamilton, this beach offers a stunning view of Toronto in the background and some of the warmest water temperatures in Lake Ontario, yet it's still one of the less busy options in the area.

Sibbald Point

Located not far from Toronto in York Region, this beach on Lake Simcoe is a great spot if you're looking to extend your trip up north by camp out for a night (or two).

Grand Bend

Occasionally referred to as the Jersey Shore of Ontario, this popular party spot on Lake Huron can get rowdy, but that atmosphere also makes it the perfect spot for a beach vacation that feels like you're in Florida.

Sauble Beach

Brave the three hour journey to get to Sauble Beach and reward yourself with an afternoon relaxing on a white sandy beach — the breathtaking Sauble Falls are also nearby if you find yourself ready for a different kind of outdoor adventure.

Sauble Beach has been getting more popular over the years, and is home to some epic sand carving. Photo via Sauble Beach.

Sandbanks

The namesake for one of Ontario's most recognizable (and mercifully cost-effective) VQA wine brands, this provincial park in Prince Edward County features gorgeous beaches that'll transport you out of Ontario for a little while.

Crystal Beach

This white sandy beach on the shores of Lake Erie gets very busy, but that just gives it a party vibe reminiscent of American beaches much further south. Don't go here if you're looking for peace and quiet, but do seek it out if you want to meet people and take in the spectacle.

You can see Buffalo's skyline from the parking lot, but its the fine-grained sand and warm water that really make Crystal Beach special. Photo by Nick and Karen Munroe.

Turkey Point

Lake Erie has the warmest waters of the Great Lakes thanks to its relatively shallow depth. Nowhere near as busy as Wasaga or Grand Bend, the swimming here is great and the cottage rentals far cheaper than Muskoka.

Balm Beach

While the waters of Georgian Bay can get cold, the crystal-clear waters and expansive scenery make it well worth it. You may even stumble upon a concert, which are held on the beach occasionally throughout the summer.

Enjoy the view and maybe catch a concert in the evening at Balm Beach. Photo by msvg.

Long Point

While this provincial park is over 40 kilometres in length, two kilometres of that are covered by soft, sandy beach, accented with shanty cottages, wildlife, and glistening waters of Lake Erie.

Sand Hill Park

This hidden gem on the shores of Lake Eerie is like Sandbanks but better. The size of the sand hills is surreal, but the best part is trying run down to the water before inevitably tumbling into the soft sand. You can camp overnight here, but it's best as a day visit.

Port Stanley

Located in a cute harbour town on Lake Erie, this big sandy beach attracts a decent number of tourists over the summer months. The temperature of the lake is a major plus and attractions like the old 1940s steam train provide extra-beach activities.

Port Stanley can get busy on weekends, but sunrises here are blissful. Shutterstock

Willow Beach

This underrated beach is near Sibbald Point Provincial Park but is typically less busy. At less than an hour drive from Toronto (in low traffic), it's an amazing sandy escape with great swimming come July. There are also lots of picnic tables for when you get peckish.

Balsam Lake

It'll take you only about two and a half hours to get to the Kawarthas from Toronto. Once there, you'll get to lay out a sandy beach as well as a provincial park that features lots of shady campsites.

Port Burwell

Another gem of a beach on Lake Erie, this beach boasts fine-grain sand, almost remarkably warm water temperatures in the late summer, and all the amenities of the eponymous provincial campground. You get a really good breeze here, so overheating shouldn't be a problem.