Wasaga Beach: What Is The Big Deal?

By Author: Alexis Gibson
Total Articles: 9
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Located in Nottawasaga Bay, at the southern part of Georgian Bay, Wasaga Beach is a hugely popular town for tourists and local Ontarians, looking for fun outdoor activities, all year long, close to water. You can do everything from water sports to snow ski in this famous resort town. Located about 2 hours north of Toronto, and on the west side of Collingwood, its white sands are a favorite to families interested in keeping their vacation in Ontario, instead migrating down to the Southern US and Caribbean for the similar “sand” appeal. It is our little piece of Florida north of the federal border.

Back in the day when farming and cattle were the key essentials to labour and employment in the province of Ontario, the unsuitable soil did not appeal to the first settlers; it was sand. Trees were all over the place, but it was the sand, that deterred early settlers from building their pilgrimage in the township. Dating back to the fur trading days of the early part of the 1800’s, Wasaga Beach boasts the largest fresh water beach in the world. And you can feel it on your toes as you walk for miles and miles along the ...
... shore and meters into the shallow waters, wiggling your toes in the plush white sands.

When I was a little girl, my father absolutely loved Wasaga Beach. He said to me that it reminded him of his Greek Island homeland, because of the beautiful, pristine, white sandy beaches. He could not wait to call around and find the right little cottage, within walking distance to the main strip or the main beach area. Every year it always seemed to be a bit of a challenge finding an available cottage rental, in our budget that could accommodate a family of 5, or 7 if my grandparents were visiting. My mother would often toss her hands up in the air in frustration, not understanding my father’s obsession with that town, or the dire need for the cottage to be as close to the beach as possible.

So what is the big deal? It is simple: sandy beach is a premium in Ontario. If you have little kids and toddlers, it is a lot easier to look after them and enjoy the fun in the sun yourself, if you are surrounded by white, plush sands. Rocky shorelines have their own appeal for different reasons, but I know my father was always more relaxed around us on vacation in Wasaga Beach. We were only a couple of hours away from our house, and the shallow waters afforded peace of mind. The appeal of lying on the white sands and basking in the sun’s glory is something so many people truly enjoy. So you can appreciate the novelty, and the premium it creates for cottage and resort rentals.

A cottage rental on the beach or a resort rental on the beach is far more expensive than one that is ten minutes away. They are always high in demand. And the peak season for Wasaga Beach in the warmer months is always, June through until the end of August, leading into the September long weekend. Trying to book time with your family in any of these months, REALLY, should be done early in the calendar year to avoid disappointment, and ensure you get what you want for you and your family. You may not always be able to get a cottage rental or a spot at one of the resorts in town, right on the beach. However, when you think about it, listening to the ruckus that occurs on the beach at night, during bedtime, may be enough of a deterrent to entice you to look at a ten minute walk away.

I think my dad waited too long each and every year before he would commence his annual search. He was never the kind of person who believed in credit cards. He would find a few places, and then take my brother with him on a quiet spring weekend in the car, drive out to the spot and check it out for himself, pay the cottage owner in cash. Yes, cash. And the interesting thing was, he was never ripped off. He would rather spend the time and money on gas, than listen to my mother’s never-ending complaining because the bathroom was an “outhouse”. The owners always treated him with respect and shook his hand.

In any case, be proactive. Search and research well enough in advance to keep your options open. And above all else, when you do find the right spot for your family, put down a deposit to secure the booking. I have a simple business policy with my cottage rental, “it’s not booked until it’s paid for.”

Articles writer for vacation rental site CottageMe.com that advertises vacation rental properties - cottages, condos, vacation rental homes, villas, cabins and B&B from Owners and Management companies. They offers the ultimate variety in cottage rental and vacation home rentals from Canada, USA, Mexico and Caribbean. These areas include the popular Collingwood, Muskoka, Haliburton, Kawartha, Northern Ontario, Laurentides, Mont Tremblant, Florida, Orlando regions. This site is not a broker - for inquiries on rent cottage or homes travelers need to contact directly the individual owners or managers either by phone or by email. Web site's goal is to help you find the best vacation place to meet your demanding needs completely free.