Weekend getaways from Toronto

The thundering Horseshoe Falls plus wine-country calm 20 minutes downriver: boat cruises and Clifton Hill one day, icewine tastings, Fort George and the Shaw Festival in colonial Niagara-on-the-Lake the next.

Best time: Year-round

Ontario's laid-back island wine region: 40-plus wineries around Picton, Bloomfield and Wellington, pick-your-own farms, and the huge dunes and swimming beaches of Sandbanks Provincial Park.

Best time: May to October

Ontario's biggest ski resort with a lively pedestrian village at its base, plus Scandinave Spa and the Scenic Caves. Ski and skate in winter; ride the coaster and stroll Collingwood's harbour in summer.

Best time: Year-round

Classic cottage country of forest and 30,000-island lakes. Cruise Lake Muskoka on the 1887 steamship RMS Segwun from Gravenhurst, then chase waterfalls and craft beer in Bracebridge. Peak season is summer on the water.

Best time: June to September

North America's Shakespeare town: the renowned Stratford Festival runs April to October, with swan-dotted Avon River parkland, gardens and a serious chef-driven food scene between shows.

Best time: April to October

Twin stone villages on the Grand River. Hike or tube the limestone Elora Gorge, swim the old quarry, and browse galleries and patios around the 19th-century Elora Mill, now a luxury inn and spa.

Best time: May to October

The Limestone City at the head of the St. Lawrence: Fort Henry, a lively waterfront and market square, and boat cruises into the Thousand Islands. Easy by VIA Rail, walkable once you arrive.

Best time: Year-round

Vast wilderness of lakes and maple hills along the Highway 60 corridor: canoeing, self-guided trails, moose sightings and the Logging Museum. Fall colour season is spectacular and books out early.

Best time: June to mid-October

The waterfall capital on the Niagara Escarpment: Webster Falls and dozens more cascades ring the city, with the Royal Botanical Gardens, Dundurn Castle and the old town of Dundas an easy GO trip from Toronto.

Best time: Year-round

Canada's capital packs Parliament Hill, the National Gallery, the Canadian Museum of History and ByWard Market into a walkable core. In winter the Rideau Canal becomes the world's largest skating rink.

Best time: Year-round