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Toronto is not only Canada’s largest city, it’s also its most exciting and vibrant, and some would say beautiful city. It’s no surprise then, that Toronto consistently features in lists of the best cities in the world to live in, or that so many Canadians also choose to visit it for a vacation or city break. Let’s face it, most of us go on holiday not only to relax or to see new places, but we also love to take photographs to show to our friends and family back home. Toronto is a city that was made for eye-catching social media posts, so if you want to make everyone else just a little bit envious, or simply gather some incredible memories you can look at forever, here are some of the most picturesque Toronto locations.
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
Toronto is not only a great travel destination, it’s also incredibly easy to reach with flights to Toronto from cities across Canada and the United States. A flight to Toronto can cost much less than you imagine when you book with the renowned Porter Airlines as well, and they are famed for their quick check in times and superb in flight experience. When you fly to Toronto with Porter Airlines, you’ll also arrive close to the city center and all its attractions, as they fly to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. It has the added bonus of being one of the most attractive airports you’ll ever see, being situated upon an island looking across to a stunning skyline. It’s the perfect place to start snapping away for your vacation portfolio.
CN Tower
There’s one place that every visitor to Toronto wants to see, and that every Toronto photo album must include a shot of: one of the most iconic landmarks in the whole of Canada, the CN Tower. At over 550 metres tall, you certainly can’t miss it standing proudly in downtown Toronto, and it looks even more stunning the closer you get to it. For many years, right until 2007, it was the tallest free-standing structure in the world, but while it might have lost that record, it still retains its beauty and its unique appearance. Completed in 1976, it still looks futuristic, and what was once a communication tower and signal mast is now a tourist attraction that has plenty to offer. You’ll find great bars and restaurants, as well as a glass floor that only the brave dare to step onto. The Lookout provides stunning views across the city and beyond, and even more photo opportunities, and when darkness falls, it’s an incredibly romantic location.
Casa Loma
One of the things that makes Toronto so attractive is that it’s a perfect blend of the ancient and modern, and you never have to travel too far to see stunning examples of either. The CN Tower more than ably represents the modern, despite being over 40 years old, and when it comes to the ancient, the same can be said of Casa Loma. To be found in Midtown Toronto, it’s a Gothic revival style mansion that looks as if it could have come straight from a fairy tale, or horror movie! What makes it so atmospheric and enchanting is that it was not a film set, but an actual home, built in the early twentieth century for the incredibly wealthy Sir Henry Pellatt. No longer a private home, it’s now a museum open to the public, and that means there are plenty of opportunities to get photos with grand backdrops unlike any others you’ll ever see.
The Distillery District
You don’t have to love whisky to enjoy the famous Distillery District of Toronto, as it’s a large and uniquely beautiful district with a character and atmosphere of its very own. It now serves as the city’s artistic and Bohemian area, so you’ll find high quality professional theaters and street entertainers, top quality restaurants and cool coffee shops. What gives it a charm factor of a hundred is that it has retained its original Victorian architecture, including cobbled streets, so even though it has some very modern and on trend shops, walking through the Distillery District is also like taking a walk-through history. Make sure your phone is well charged, because this is a district that you’ll want to take lots of pictures in.
Toronto Waterfront
The Distillery District is one of two areas of central Toronto that are a photographer’s paradise, and the other is the Waterfront area. You’ll get stunning views whether you look out to the mighty Lake Ontario or inland to the bustling metropolis itself, and it’s an area that would easily reward a full day’s exploration, especially as you’ll find plenty of places to taste fresh seafood as good as anything in Canada. There are many stunning locations around the Waterfront, but perhaps the most impressive of them all is the Simcoe Wavedeck. It’s easy to spot, as it covers an area of more than six hundred square meters, and it has simulated wooden waves that stand as much as three meters high. It’s a great spot to lie back and relax, and it’s at its best at night as lights beneath the Wavedeck give it an air of magic.
Edwards Gardens
Toronto has more than its fair share of breathtaking skyscrapers, but it also has a wealth of green spaces, which is another reason that it’s a great place to live, work or simply visit. You can get close to nature without having to leave the city center, thanks to a number of expertly crafted public parks and gardens. For the very best green space, take a walk to Edwards Gardens on Lawrence Avenue East. It’s home to Toronto Botanical Gardens, which means that you’ll be able to find exotic species of plants as well as ones that have long represented the very best of Canada. You’ll find walking trails that are suitable for all the family, floral delights, rock gardens and quaint bridges. There are also plenty of benches all across the gardens, so you can sit back, relax and think of the splendours of natures in the heart of the big city. It’s a highly popular wedding venue, and it can also be a great spot to pop the big question to the one you love.
Crother Woods
If you love the great outdoors and hiking, then for a longer walk you can get your backpack ready and head into Crother Woods. The Crother Woods trail can be found in the East York district of the city, which means it’s easy to reach from anywhere in Toronto. Once you hit the trail, you’ll forget how close the urban centre is, although if you look above the canopy of the trees, you may just notice the tip of the CN Tower peeping out.
When you take pictures of Toronto’s most beautiful locations, you’ll have a photograph album full of contrasts, from the natural beauty of Crother Woods and Edwards Gardens to the futuristic splendour of the CN Tower and the timeless Victorian delights of the Distillery District. Your pictures can’t fail to impress, whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer, and as you can catch flights to Toronto from across Canada, east to west, there’s never been a more convenient time to visit.
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