Tobermory is a beautiful, popular tourist area in Ontario. Located in Bruce Peninsula, the area is known for scenic natural attractions such as Flowerpot Island, with most people visiting in the summer months. Nurture Happiness Today TRAVEL shares some of the main sightseeing attractions in Tobermory and the Bruce Peninsula area, and some tips for your own visit.
The drive from Toronto is approximately four-hours long. Although it is possible to do a one-day trip, we recommend visiting the area for more than one day to really enjoy the scenic natural attractions in Tobermory.
We spent three nights in Bruce Peninsula in August which enabled us to take our time and explore. It does take some planning to visit the area as (advance) tickets may be required depending on your itinerary.
In our article, Where We Ate in Tobermory, Ontario, we share a few of the popular places in the area that we tried.
Tobermory (Village)
The main town or village in Tobermory offers a nice area to stroll, enjoy the harbour, and visit small local shops. We went during the week so we were luckily able to find parking which can otherwise be difficult. Therefore, we suggest visiting during the week as we did, rather than on weekends. There will likely be larger crowds and line-ups at venues and places on the weekends.
Boat Cruise to Flowerpot Island
To see the famous Flowerpot Island, there are a few different companies that offer boat cruises departing from Tobermory. You can choose to stay on the boat for the whole time for a scenic boat ride only. Otherwise, you can disembark the boat and spend time on Flowerpot Island.
The companies have different boats (e.g. cruise, speed boat) and cruises offered throughout the day. Choose the type of boat cruise that suits you best. A few of the Tobermory boat cruise operators include:
- Blue Heron Cruises – www.cruisetobermory.com
- Bruce Anchor Cruises – www.bruceanchor.com
- Tobermory Cruise Line – www.tobermorycruiseline.com
- Tobermory Wave Adventures – www.tobermorywave.com
We chose Blue Heron Cruises and were very happy with our choice. We knew we wanted to explore Flowerpot Island, so we took a scenic leisurely boat tour, departed early in the morning, and explored the island for a few hours.
Blue Heron Boat Cruises
A summary and tips of our cruise from Blue Heron Boat Cruises:
- Blue Heron cruises offered different cruises. We chose the “Flowerpot Island Drop Off Tour” on a glass bottom boat to Flowerpot Island.
- We selected a departure time of 9:30 a.m. from Tobermory. The corresponding departure from Flowerpot Island was at 1:25 p.m.
- An early morning departure to explore Flowerpot Island is recommended if you want to try to avoid the larger crowds. Flowerpot Island got significantly busier with visitors in the afternoon.
- The cruise was a scenic boat ride to Flowerpot Island with about three hours to explore the island on your own. Although it may sound like three hours is a long time, it was a perfect amount of time on a warm sunny day in August.
- The Blue Heron boat had an open-air upper deck with seating, which was the main reason we chose this boat tour.
- We recommend sitting in the upper deck if you are cruising on a warm, summer day for wonderful views during the boat cruise. There is indoor seating as well and you can always leave the upper deck to see the shipwreck through the glass-bottom.
- Glass bottom boat to view the nineteenth-century shipwreck and water.
- Drop off at Flowerpot Island to explore at your leisure on your own. The cruise included a return trip back to Tobermory at a set time.
- Blue Heron includes free parking in their parking lots for their customers.
Flowerpot Island
We recommend leaving the tour boat to explore Flowerpot Island on a sunny day. Exploring Flowerpot Island was a highlight of our Tobermory trip!
We had about three hours on the island which was perfect to explore, swim, and take pictures all around the flowerpots.
There were people of all ages that got off the boat to explore Flowerpot Island. There are natural trails, rocky shorelines, and large rock formations to explore. Climbing the rock formations around the flowerpots close by the water was incredible. It was fun and the scenery made for great pictures! However, it may not be suitable for seniors and smaller, younger children.
Notes and tips for visiting Flowerpot Island:
- Walking Trails: were clearly visible and well-traveled natural paths. Wearing proper footwear is best for exploring the island.
- Restroom facilities: available, nearby where the boat cruises drop off and pick up.
- The clear water was very cold even during the hot summer day when we visited in August. Nonetheless, we had to take the plunge along the beautiful shoreline!
- We recommend going early to visit Flowerpot Island to explore with less crowds. As expected, the number of visitors increased as it got later in the day. The flowerpots were very busy by the time we left at 1:30 p.m.
What to bring to Flowerpot Island:
- snacks, lunch, water
- towels and water shoes if you intend to take a dip in the beautiful water. The shoreline is very rocky.
- sunscreen
- insect repellant
Bruce Peninsula National Park and The Grotto
We spent a half day visiting the Bruce Peninsula National Park. It is worth a visit if you enjoy nature walks, hiking, or would like to see The Grotto located in the park.
The park is about 156 square kilometres in size and is located on a part of the Niagara Escarpment. Most importantly, there are fees and some planning required before visiting Bruce Peninsula National Park. Fee categories include admission fees, parking fees, camping fees, etc.
Visit the Parks Canada website for Bruce Peninsula National Park to help plan your visit, directions, and make reservations (e.g. parking).
Parking
- Book parking in advance if you visit the Bruce Peninsula National Park.
- We booked parking for 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM on a Wednesday in August for two adults, several weeks in advance. The park gets busier in the afternoon.
- Before entering the park, the reservation confirmation is reviewed with Photo ID. Therefore, expect a line of cars to get into the parking lot. Cars were also being turned away because they did not have parking passes.
Other notes and tips for visiting Bruce Peninsula National Park:
- You may also want to research the Parks Canada Discovery Pass, which is valid for twelve months from date of purchase.
- There are restroom facilities when you enter the park.
- There are various walking and hiking trails to explore the park. There are signs around the park and distances of the trails.
- Be careful going down to the water from the main trail and heading back up. There did not seem to be a smooth, clear pathway up and down; if there is one, we did not see it.
- The water at The Grotto was very cold despite the hot summer day when we went in August. However, despite the cold temperature of the water, many people took a dip in the stunningly clear blue waters. We also took a dip in the water and joined the crowds!
What to bring to Bruce Peninsula National Park:
- snacks/food water
- towels and water shoes if you intend to take a dip
- sunscreen
- insect repellant
Enjoy sightseeing in Tobermory and the Bruce Peninsula area! We are happy we finally took the long drive from Toronto to experience the beautiful area and nature!
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