It’s July which means the temperatures have been soaring and the beach is becoming our favorite place again! Despite the stigma around the concept of swimming in the lake surrounding Toronto, many of the beaches are up to code and safe for taking a cool dip. If you’re still not sold on the whole swimming with the fishes or are spooked by algae, we also have some great outdoor pools (chlorine filled and child free, bar optional) that look at the lake from a safe distance. Here’s are top list of hot spots to cool off:

Hanlan’s Point:

 There is something magical about the island, and the children-free area provides a welcoming refuge from family obligations and the hustle of the city. It’s clothing optional, there are lots of grassy areas off the beach perfect for picnics, and it has the nicest beach on the island. If you have little munchkins, hit up Centre Island for a fun-filled family day.

Woodbine Beach:

This place is great because it has a big, long sandy beach, is great for sea-dooing, playing volleyball AND it has washrooms and a restaurant. Extra bonus: large parking lot for those who drive and a nice boardwalk.

The Radisson:

Located on the Harbourfront, this hotel has a wicked 3rd storey pool complete with lounge chairs, large umbrellas for shade, fluffy towels and fully-stocked bar (FYI, they make a damn good margarita). Considering how much you would pay to go to the beach, the entrance fee isn’t that bad especially considering that you can put the $30 towards food and beverages at the bar. Score!

And we’ve got you covered (well, your eyes anyway) with our Beach Style Guide! We’ll be bringing the ladies several different trends in swimwear fashion featuring local designers and boutiques and (of course) the perfect eyewear to top off your beach look. This edition of Trendwatch kicks off tomorrow. Stay tuned….

Tags: beach, eyewear, Gafas, Hanlans Point, heat-wave, optical shop, pool, Radisson Hotel, summer, sunglasses, Toronto, Woodbine Beach

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 14th, 2011 at 4:12 PM and is filed under Style File, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.