First Visit To Manitoulin Island In Ontario

Much To Experience On A First Visit To Manitoulin Island

We finished up our summer road trip with a first visit to Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario.   Our road trip through Michigan and Wisconsin crossed back into Canada at Sault Ste Marie.  After a short stay, we headed to our Airbnb stay on Manitoulin Island for 3 nights.  

We enjoyed a relaxing stay at a lovely cottage and explored around the island.  For a fun return trip, we took the Chi-Cheemaun ferry from Manitoulin Island to Tobermory before driving south to home in Toronto.

A Short Stay In Sault Ste Marie

When we finished our long road trip through Michigan and Wisconsin, we crossed back into Ontario at Sault Ste Marie.  Our long detour to travel along the shores of Lake Superior put us in late with a longer border crossing than we expected.  We crossed over the Soo Locks that connected Lake Superior and Lake Huron.  Always fascinating to see the huge freighters travelling through the locks.

We planned 2 nights at the Delta Sault Ste Marie.  Having stopped here on other road trips across Canada, this was a familiar hotel for us.  We loved the location right on the water and there was much to see on a waterfront stroll.

The hotel was a short walk to downtown.  We found several different sculptures as we wandered. On this visit we checked out the walking tour of Sault Ste Marie murals.  We were always amazed with the colour and variety we found in street art on our travels.

Refreshed with a short stay in Sault Ste Marie, we headed for our first visit to Manitoulin Island.

An Iconic Stop Along The Way

We left Sault Ste Marie with lots of time to meander along the way.  Taking the slower Highway 17B took us to our first stop.  In 1987, Canada replaced the one dollar bill with a coin.  The solitary loon on the coin quickly meant that these one dollar coins were called a “Loonie”.  In 1996, the two dollar bill was replaced with a bi-metal coin that soon earned the name of a “Toonie”.

In Echo Bay, we stopped at the Loon Dollar Monument.  The monument was built to honour Robert R. Carmichael, the local resident who created the design for the “Loonie”.  

A similar statue is located in Campbellford in Ontario for the “Toonie”.  On other road trips, we visited Sudbury and saw the “Big Nickel” coin.  Our stop at the Loon Dollar Monument was another fun detour on our road trip to Manitoulin Island.

A Meandering Path On Our First Visit To Manitoulin Island

We turned off Hwy 17 towards Espanola and headed south onto Manitoulin Island.  Manitoulin Island sits in Lake Huron and is known as the world’s largest freshwater island.  

The Little Current Swing Bridge took us over the narrow channel onto the island.  This swing bridge “swings” to open the waterway on a regular basis to let higher boats through.  But we were lucky that no bigger boats were waiting as we went past.  Lights on either side of the bridge sequenced the single lane traffic from each side.

We stopped in Little Current on Manitoulin Island at the Information Centre.  Here we picked up some brochures for things to see and do around the island.

Slowly driving around Swift Current we checked out what the town had to offer.  This was a bigger town but we did not plan to re-visit on this stay.  We loved when we found more colourful street art in the town.

We had lots of time before our 5pm Airbnb check in so we took the long route along the east side of Manitoulin Island.  In many places the island showed rocky outcroppings.  The Niagara Escarpment runs from the Niagara River to northern Michigan and forms the spine of the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island.  We visited many spots along the Niagara Escarpment on other road trips around Ontario.

A stop at Ten Mile Point provided more information about this part of the island and the First Nation peoples.  We saw the small airport that could be used to fly onto Manitoulin Island.  And a stop at High Falls showed that water levels might be a bit low at this time of year.

We finally made it to Providence Bay for our Airbnb stay for this first visit to Manitoulin Island.

A Lovely Airbnb Escape In Providence Bay On Manitoulin Island 

When we travelled, we always found it hard to get a short term property rental that was perfect for just 2 people.  So we often ended up with a larger space and room for guests.  When we stayed on Bear Lake in Michigan, we booked with Homes and Villas By Marriott and got a nice 3 bedroom cottage on the water.

On this final stop, our Airbnb on Providence Bay on Manitoulin Island had 3 bedrooms, a well stocked kitchen and a large living room.  We wished we were travelling with friends or family.

We found lovely indoor spaces but the outdoor space is what really drew it to this listing.  It was the perfect private relaxing outdoor oasis we wanted to finish our long road trip.  And we wished we booked a longer stay.  A large wrap-around porch had a dining area and a separate lounging area.  The large grassed backyard had a great outdoor fire pit and even a hammock.  It was a great spot to relax while we watched the birds and chipmunks fight over the food in the feeder.

As we walked towards the back, we found the stand-alone outdoor sauna!  And just over the berm was Providence Bay and the lovely sand beach that went for miles.

We were so happy with the Airbnb we booked.  Our host was helpful and his cottage was the perfect spot for our stay on Manitoulin Island.  But we suspected this might not be our last stay!

Wandering Around Providence Bay

Providence Bay was a small community on the south side of Manitoulin Island.  We found a few shops and spots to eat.  And more fun and colourful outdoor art.

The big draw of course was the long sandy beach all around Providence Bay.  It was wonderful to walk out from our Airbnb for a sunrise or sunset stroll on the beach.  The water was shallow out for some distance and the water looked clean.  It was a bit cold but that did not stop David from swimming one day!

We found a small children’s playground and a great boardwalk that went out around the bay.  It was the perfect place to go for a walk along the water.

We enjoyed wandering around Providence Bay.  And we found this a great spot to use as a base to explore on our first visit to Manitoulin Island. 

Heading To Kagawong

One day we planned a road trip around Manitoulin Island.  A big circle trip let us explore some of the small port towns on the north side of the island.  Our first planned stop was in Kagawong.  We plotted a route that took us along the small inland lakes and we saw more of this island.

We planned our visit on the day the farmers market was on.  It was easy to find the signs to the market by the water.  The market was much bigger than we expected.  We found local produce and bakery products on display.  And we were amazed at the variety of local crafts for sale too.

After our market stop, we wandered along the waterfront and took in the views at Mudge Bay.  We found both working lighthouses and ones sitting up on shore.

We were glad we headed out to Kagawong on this first visit to Manitoulin Island. 

Checking Out Bridal Veil Falls Outside Kagawong

We are always amazed at how many waterfalls were named “Bridal Veil”.  On our visit to Revelstoke in British Columbia, we visited the Bridal Veil Falls on the west coast.  Our first stop at High Falls on Manitoulin Island caused us to worry a bit about low water flows.  But the water at Bridal Veil Falls on Manitoulin Island did not disappoint.  

The parking lot was at the top of the waterfalls.  From the top viewpoint, we got a view out over the streaming waterfall.  As we walked down the stairs, we found multiple viewpoints.

When we got to the bottom, we worked our way over the rocks and got close to the waterfall.  It was great to get this different perspective on the falls.  David followed the wet slippery ledge and walked behind the falls.  An even more fun perspective on this waterfall.

We enjoyed the sound of the pounding waters before we began the climb back up to the car.  Bridal Veil Falls was a great stop on our tour around Manitoulin Island.

Wandering Around Gore Bay On A First Visit To Manitoulin Island

From Kagawong we continue around Manitoulin Island to Gore Bay.  As we entered this small town, we saw the long boardwalk around the bay.  A great way to enjoy the scenery.  And a walk along the coast by the marina gave us another water view.

We continued along the shore and followed the signs to the Janet Head Lighthouse.  When we arrived there was nobody there.  We read the informative sign and walked around outside the lighthouse.  But by the time we were ready to leave, the site was very busy.  A popular stop on a visit to Gore Bay.

From the lighthouse we headed to the main street of this small town.  We found a quaint small town with local stores.  And some more street art as we wandered.

On our day trip, we enjoyed some time exploring around Gore Bay on our first visit to Manitoulin Island.

Eating And Drinking Around Manitoulin Island

The great thing about booking an Airbnb was having great kitchen and bbq facilities so we could cook our own meals.  But we loved checking out local spots for food and drink on our travels.  And we had a few identified for this stay on Manitoulin Island.

Our first stop when we arrived in Providence Bay was to pick up fish and chips from the nearby Lake Huron Fish and Chips.  We wanted the local Lake Huron Perch but it was sold out.  But our haddock and chips were a perfect treat.

When we researched places to eat and drink on Manitoulin Island, we found lots of great options in Gore Bay.  So that was our planned lunch stop on a day trip around Manitoulin Island.  We decided to have lunch at Buoys Eatery.  There was a long menu and an outdoor patio to enjoy our lunch with a view.  

The other stop on our list for Gore Bay was Split Rail Brewing.  David was always on the lookout for good dark stout beers.  The one he wanted was not on tap for a tasting.  So we picked up a few cans to take with us.

To our surprise, right beside the brewery we saw that sign for Finnia Chocolate.  And when we walked into a store and factory, the smell of great dark chocolate wafted in the air.  We found a great choice of chocolate treats.  And were happy with our choice of a dark chocolate and raspberry fudgesicle! This was a wonderful new discover in Gore Bay.

Of course we found more chocolate on Manitoulin Island. After we visited the market in Kagawong, we found the tasty treats at Manitoulin Island Chocolate Works.

We were glad we found some great options for food and drink on our first visit to Manitoulin Island.

Leaving Manitoulin Island On The Chi-Cheemaun Ferry To Tobermory

We drove onto Manitoulin Island but wanted to try another route to leave.  The Chi-Cheemaun Ferry ran three times a day when we visited and went from South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island to Tobermory at the top of the Bruce Peninsula.  Since the timings worked out, this was a faster way back to Toronto for us.  And meant a lot less driving.

We packed up the Airbnb early and arrived for the first ferry as required an hour before departure. This was the second ferry on this road trip.  We crossed Lake Michigan from Michigan on a steamship for our stay in Wisconsin when we finished our stay on Bear Lake.  Ferries were often a fun part of our road trips!

After we parked our car as directed, we had an hour to wander around South Baymouth.  We saw some of the local sights.  And had a small breakfast before we boarded.

We watched the colourful Chi-Cheemaun Ferry as it came into the sheltered bay to dock.  After a delay unloading the ferry, we parked on the ferry and headed to the upper decks.  The ferry ride was less than 2 hours and it was a calm day when we sailed.  

As we came close to Tobermory, we looked for familiar sights.  On our last visit to Tobermory, we enjoyed a day trip to Flowerpot Island.  As much as we strained our eyes, we did not see the iconic rock features as we passed.  

The docking process was relatively fast and we headed south back to Toronto.  A fun way to finish our first visit to Manitoulin Island.

We Thoroughly Enjoyed Our First Visit To Manitoulin Island

It was the start of the long weekend in Canada and we wanted to avoid some of the traffic mess.  We passed a major accident just after it happened and knew this could be just the start of traffic woes.  Our route back to Toronto zigzagged and kept us away from busy roads.  We returned home safe and sound after our long road trip.  

On a 3 night stay in Manitoulin Island we really only had 2 full days to enjoy.  It was hard to choose between enjoying our amazing Airbnb property or heading out to explore the island.  So we did a little of both and felt we got a good first look at Manitoulin Island.  But such a short visit and a little rainy weather meant we did not check out the hiking paths.  And we would have loved to get out on the water and see the island from a different perspective.  SCUBA diving in the crystal clear waters is something we can do on our next visit.

We returned home with great memories of our first visit to Manitoulin Island.  We had a lovely and relaxing Airbnb stay right on the water.  It was a great base for our exploration of Manitoulin Island.  We discovered why this was a favourite getaway spot in Northern Ontario for so many people. 

Have you done a first visit to Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario?  What was your favourite discovery?

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