The Beaches and Scarborough Bluffs

The Beaches is one of Toronto’s most beguiling neighborhoods, its narrow leafy streets running up from the lakeshore and lined by attractive brick houses with verandas. The area lies to the east of downtown between Woodbine Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue. Queen Street East, the main thoroughfare, is liberally sprinkled with excellent cafés and designer clothes shops. Until very recently, the Beaches was a restrained and quiet neighborhood, but its long sandy beach and boardwalk have made it extremely fashionable – real estate prices have risen dramatically in recent years. Rollerblading and cycling are popular here – a 3-km (2-mile) path travels through the area and is very busy in summer, as is the large public swimming pool. The polluted waters of Lake Ontario are not ideal for swimming, but many take the risk and windsurfing boards can be rented easily.

At its eastern end, the Beaches borders Scarborough, the large suburb whose principal attraction is also along the rocky lakeshore. Here, the striking Scarborough Bluffs, outcrops of rock made from ancient sands and clay, track along Lake Ontario for 16 km (10 miles). A series of parks provides access: Scarborough Bluffs and the Cathedral Bluffs parks offer great views of jagged cliffs, and Bluffers Park is ideal for picnics and beach trips. Layers of sediment from five different geological periods can be seen in the rocks around the park.

Toronto Zoo

Toronto can claim to have one of the world’s best zoos. It occupies a large slice of the Rouge River Valley, and is easily accessible by public transportation and car.

The animals are grouped according to their natural habitats, both outside, amid the mixed forest and flatlands of the river valley, and inside within a series of large, climate-controlled pavilions.

Visitors can tour the zoo by choosing one of the carefully marked trails, or hop aboard the Zoomobile, a 30-minute ride with commentary, which gives an excellent overview. It takes about four hours to see a good selection of animals, including such Canadian species as moose, caribou, and grizzly bear. Splash Island provides a spot for young visitors to cool off in the water, amid walrus and beaver sculptures.