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Ontario · Canada
The rural peninsula on Lake Ontario: the beaches and dunes of Sandbanks, wineries, farms, old villages and a lake on top of a hill.
In the photo: Point Petre Coast, in Prince Edward County.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
Prince Edward County is an almost-island peninsula in the northeast of Lake Ontario, between Toronto and Kingston. With country roads, fields, barns and small villages, it has become a weekend destination for people living in Ontario’s cities.
Sandbanks Provincial Park has long beaches of pale sand and dunes up to about 25 meters high, one of the largest bay-bar dune systems in the world. The lake’s water is shallow and calm at several beaches, which attracts families in summer.
The limestone soil and the lake-moderated climate have brought vineyards — dozens of wineries — along with breweries, cheesemakers, farms and restaurants that use local produce. Picton, the main town, has a 19th-century main street, galleries and the harbour. Other villages, like Wellington and Bloomfield, retain old houses and craft shops.
On the top of a hill near Glenora, the Lake on the Mountain sits about 60 meters above Lake Ontario.
This destination brings together 1 city: Picton.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Boundaries: Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence) / geoBoundaries. Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), in Toronto · 230 km to Picton
The nearest international airport is Toronto (YYZ). By car, Picton is about 220 km from Toronto. Trains reach Belleville, about 50 km away. A short ferry links Glenora to Adolphustown on the route to Kingston.
The local experience
A park on Lake Ontario with long beaches of pale sand and dunes up to about 25 meters high, one of the largest bay-bar dune systems in the world.
A lake on top of a hill near Glenora, about 60 meters above Lake Ontario, with a viewpoint over the Bay of Quinte and the Glenora ferry.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
June to September for the Sandbanks beaches; September and October for the grape harvest and fall colours. On summer weekends the region becomes very busy.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Two or three days: one for Sandbanks, one for Picton, the villages and the Lake on the Mountain, and one for the wineries and farms.
Picton, Wellington and Bloomfield have inns, boutique hotels and country houses. Sandbanks offers camping inside the park. In summer, book in advance.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
Go to the beaches and dunes of Sandbanks, visit wineries and farms, stroll through Picton and the villages, and see the Lake on the Mountain.
Yes. The beaches, wineries and villages are spread across the peninsula.
In July and August it’s pleasant for swimming, especially on the shallow beaches.
About 220 km to Picton, roughly a two-and-a-half-hour drive.
The same as Toronto: UTC−5, and UTC−4 from March to November.
