If you decided to spend a couple of days or more in Tobermory, let me assure you, you will not regret it! Mohamed and I spent a remarkably fabulous time there and I am going to share with our lovely itinerary 😉
Since cottages and campsites get booked very fast in and around Tobermory, you need to book way in advance. There are plenty of campsites there if you are into camping, or you can aim for a more luxurious trip and rent a cottage. We rented the dreamers cottage with our family and it was a great choice.
Day 1
Lion's head
You will find that the key advice I give in all of my guides is, wake up early!
We were in the car by 6:00 am heading to our first stop, the Lion’s head trail, and trust me when I tell you, you will want to make this your first stop as well. It is one of the most beautiful trails in the area, if not in Ontario. This is not just because of the epic lookout at the end, but the trail itself is gorgeous. It is not an easy trail, it is mostly rocky, slippery and fairly difficult but totally worth it. It was raining on the day we went which made it more difficult but also more unforgettable. We started from the McCurdy trail head and hiked along the trail until the lookout point and then headed back which took exactly 3 hours. Checkout the complete guide for Lion's head if you plan on doing this hike.
Relaxing in the cottage
We then headed back to the cottage and there we found the hot tub waiting for us. This is one of the advantages of renting a fairly luxurious place, you get to properly relax after such a fairly difficult hike.
Kayaking
After relaxing and having dinner (aka. recharging), we took the kayaks and headed to the water just in front of the cottage. Conveniently the cottage is located on Baptist harbor where kayaking is a bliss. The water was so calm, and the sun was gentle at that time which made for an amazing kayaking experience.
At end of the day, we enjoyed a hot cup of tea and some reading on the cottage porch just on the lake. Some relaxing after this long day was indeed needed.
Day 2
Cape Hurd Nature Trail
We woke up at 6:30 am, and directly jumped out of bed to our first hike. We walked around the cottage and found this amazing small trail, the Cape Hurd Nature trail. It is a narrow, flat, 2.3 km trail ending at the lake. It had lots of spider web that you have to jump on or go under them if you want to avoid destroying them. The fog that early in the morning made this hike feels like a dream.
Fathom Five National Park - Burnt Point Loop Trail
Just to note, there are MANY trails that you can do in Tobermory. You cannot possibly finish them in one trip, and that’s why we will keep coming back 😊. In this trip, we did the burnt point loop that takes you all the way to the beautiful Georgian bay where you can take a dip in the water, and I recommend that you do. The water is so clear and nice and just calls you to jump in it. The burnt point loop is also a rocky trail and moderate in difficulty. Wear proper footwear and bring plenty of water.
Singing Sand Beach and Trail
After this hike, it was time for a swim. We headed to singing sands beach which comes highly recommended in lot’s of guides for the Bruce Peninsula. In all honesty, I was not a big fan. The water is too shallow for as long as you can walk which is perfect for kids but not very fun for adventurous grown ups. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful experience and sitting on the beach was very nice as well. We also got to walk on the singing sand beach trail which was such a calm and scenery walk.
Day 3
Halfway Log Dump
To finish the trip, we planned to go to the infamous halfway log dump, where you can swim in crystal clear water. Keep in mind that you have to reserve a parking spot in advance during covid times. The hike from the parking to the water was nice scenery and fairly flat but the black files were EVERYWHERE and it was even worse when we reached the beach. The beach itself is rocky so do not expect a sand beach like singing sands for example but the water is super clear and amazing. It is also very similar to what you find at the end of the burnt loop trail, so if you did that trail and jumped in the water at the end, you can skip the halfway log dump in my opinion. As for black flies, I recommend you check their activity and plan accordingly and they can ruin your trip.
You will find in most guides that the first place to go to in Tobermory is the Grotto, I have heard great things about it myself. Unfortunately, since you also have to reserve your parking spot in advance, like way in advance, it was already fully booked when we were trying to reserve so we did not get the chance to check it out this time. You can also hike from halfway log dump to the grotto which is about 8 km trail rated as hard so plan accordingly.
We finally had to say goodbye to this beautiful place and head back to our lovely home in Toronto. We will sure be coming back for more adventures !
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