Tobermory, Ontario, Canada – The Clever Boater

Location

Region: Georgian Bay, Canada
Latitude: 45.2559° N
Longitude: -81.66284° W
Waterway Guide: Tobermory

Destination: Tobermory, Ontario, Canada

Tobermory is a quaint little fishing village located on the tip of the Bruce Peninsula on the south side of Georgian Bay. It is not one of the regular stops on the Great Loop but makes a fun side trip on the way to Killarney. There is a nice little protected harbor with lots to see and do.

Flowerpot Island - Tobermory, ON — Flowerpot Island

Just outside the harbor is “Flower Pot Island,” which has large natural stone structures resembling flower pots. There is a nice anchorage just off the tour boat docks at the island, and you can dinghy in.

There are two harbors in Tobermory, “Big Tub” and “Little Tub”. Little Tub is the larger of the two (go figure). In the two harbors, old shipwrecks are visible from the surface. The waters around Tobermory are extremely clear. It’s a major scuba diving center.

All of the waters surrounding Tobermory are part of the Fathom Five Marine Park, a natural preserve. Several glass-bottom tour boats depart from Little Tub Harbor to view the wrecks, rocks, and reefs around the islands. You can also take a tour boat to Flowerpot Island and enjoy the hiking trails there.

MS Chi-Cheemaun Ferry - Tobermory, ON — MS Chi-Cheemaun Ferry

Tobermory is also the southern port of the Owen Sound Transportation Company Ferry, which runs from Tobermory to Manitoulin Island. The ferry is large! It holds 650 passengers and over 140 vehicles and makes the run to and from Manitoulin Island once per day. It’s quite a sight to see the ferry come in and the whole ship’s bow lift to load and unload cars.

Docking in Tobermory is at the town dock in Little Tub Harbor. There are fuel facilities for diesel and gas, and on our visit, the price was very good.

Little Tub Harbor - Tobermory, ON — Little Tub Harbor

The town of Tobermory surrounds Little Tub Harbor. It is a busy little town partly because of the ferry terminal and partly because of Bruce Peninsula National Park, the Bruce Trail’s northern terminus. This 550-mile hiking trail runs to Niagra, Ontario, in the south.

We stopped in Tobermory in the fall of 2023 and spent a wonderful few days exploring the area.

Where To Eat

Tobermory has many restaurants that specialize in the local White Fish. It also has numerous shops, ice cream stands, and a Beaver Tail shop at the town dock. We enjoyed The Crowsnest Pub & Restaurant‘s outside deck overlooking the harbor. Shipwreck Lee’s is a local favorite for fish. The Fish & Chips Place has a great outside deck on the bluff overlooking the marina and is the place to go for the local White Fish. The Tobermory Brewing Company & Grill is also on the bluff above the harbor and has great burgers and beer. Pharos at the Princess Hotel is slightly more upscale and features family-friendly comfort food. Over near the ferry dock is Shipwreck Lee’s, which has a standard burger and sandwich fare. We recommend Tobermory Coffee Company, just a short walk from the docks for breakfast.

Shopping Therapy

As a tourist destination, Tobermory has many small shops and art galleries. For grocery re-supply, there is a small supermarket, Foodland Tobermory, about a mile up the main road from the harbor. There is a large sportswear store Blue Heron Clothing & Outfitters near the ferry terminal which has a nice selection. The Mariner Chart Shop along the harbor has an eclectic selection of nautical gifts. We found Verna’s Gift Shop located right next to the main dock to be the place to go for Tobermory branded souvenirs and clothing, with the Tobermory Trading Post.

You will enjoy browsing Reader’s Haven Book Store, which has lots of books, many from local authors, postcards, and gift items right on the main street. We also visited two art galleries featuring work from local artists: Golden Gallery Tobermory and Circle Arts, both of which feature art from indigenous artists.

Getting Around

Tobermory is literally at the end of the road. There is no public transport, and I doubt any Uber or Lyft is in the area. Most of the town and attractions are within easy walking distance of the harbor marina, and you can walk or bike to the Bruce Peninsula National Park. If you want to visit Flowerpot Island, you can take one of the several Glass Bottom boat rides that will drop you off at the island.

Of course, if you want an excursion, you can also take the MS Chi-Cheemaun ferry to Manitoulin Island for the day.

Keeping Entertained

Tobermory is not known for its nightlife. They pretty much roll up the sidewalks around 9:00 in the evening. A few of the local restaurants offer live music, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.

During the day, Bruce Peninsula National Park is about a half-mile walk from the harbor. It offers excellent views from its observation tower and many hiking options. There are several trails throughout the park, including a 3-mile hike to the “Grotto,” a cave in the cliffside along the park.

Several companies offer Glass-Bottom Boat tours of the Five Fathoms Marine Park. We took the Blue Heron Cruises tour to the wrecks and around Flowerpot Island. It was great fun, and we kept track so that when we left, we knew where the deep-water routes were around the island so we could go back with our boat and take more pictures. We also talked to some folks who took the Bruce Anchor Cruises boats and had an excellent time.

If you are into snorkeling and diving, several companies offer excursions to the area’s shipwrecks. Tobermory has its own Hyperbaric facility! Divers Den was the most active diving and snorkeling tour we saw. They would line up 15 or 20 wagons of dive equipment on the main dock every morning, preparing to go out.

There are also some excellent scenic bicycle routes in the area.

Getting There

Tobermory is in Georgian Bay and is an alternate Great Loop stop. It’s an easy stop on the way to Killarney, ON. Tobermory to Killarney is about 50 miles.

If you are giving the Northern Part of Georgian Bay a miss, you can get there from either Midland, ON, or Penetangushine, ON, by sticking to the South Side of Georgian Bay. It’s about 100 miles from either.

From the Northern Side of Georgian Bay, you can reach it from Parry Sound, ON, with an 80-mile run, or Killbear Marina, ON, about a 70-mile run.