Escaping to Muskoka Lakes Hotel

The hotel is located in the township of Port Carling, right in the center of downtown on Armstrong Point Road.

This small town is a friendly, pleasant place to visit. Originally settled in the 1850s by the Ojibwe people, it's a quiet settlement home to only a few hundred permanent residents. Despite its peaceful nature, it's got plenty to see and do, including art galleries and historical attractions. 

Despite the unspoiled scenery surrounding the hotel, there are plenty of amenities nearby, along with easy access to major towns and cities. A little isolation is nice, but it's not good to be too far from the services you need. The hotel offers the best of both worlds in terms of isolation and convenience. 

Port Carling itself is easily accessed off Muskoka Road 118. This well-maintained road links up with the Trans Canada Highway, so it's a smooth, easy ride most of the way there.

The closest airport is Toronto Pearson, offering regular flights from destinations all over Canada. Driving from Toronto should take just over two hours. Along the way, you'll get to enjoy some of the beautiful scenery that makes the Muskoka region unique. 

Once you arrive, there's no need to worry about what to do with your vehicle. Free private parking is available to all guests. 

You can't have a great vacation without the opportunity to enjoy some delicious food! Thankfully, the Muskoka region is packed full of tasty treats, so there's sure to be something to please the palate of even the pickiest visitor. 

Port Carling is packed with great places to eat, from homely cafes and diners to sophisticated restaurants. 

If you prefer to keep things simple and prepare meals in your room, there are lots of options in Port Carling for grocery shopping. It's a convenient and economical option for those planning on an extra-long stay who may not want to eat at a restaurant every night for days on end. 

For many people, the first thing that comes to mind on hearing the word "Muskoka" is steamships. These iconic ships have been traversing the many lakes of Muskoka since the mid-1800s and were a key part of the area's history. 

Today, steamships continue to form a key element of the area's character and tourism industry. And there's no better way to see the beautiful lakes of Muskoka than by taking a ride on the water. 

The Steamship Discovery Centre in Gravenhurst, about half an hour's drive from Port Carling, is one of the best places to enjoy getting up close and personal with these amazing ships. As well as taking a ride on the water, visitors can enjoy a range of steamship-related activities. 

For city dwellers, it can be difficult to enjoy the sheer majesty of the night sky. When our worlds are illuminated by fluorescent lights from every direction, we never get to see the stars spreading out above us.

Out in Muskoka, you'll enjoy the opportunity to observe glorious constellations at Torrance Barrens Dark-Sky Preserve. The first dark-sky park in Canada, it benefits from a lack of light pollution and offers large expanses of open land, perfect for stargazing. In optimum conditions, you could even see the Andromeda Galaxy with the naked eye! 

The park is located about half an hour's drive south of Port Carling. It's very close to the Steamship Discovery Centre in Gravenhurst, so if you're looking to enjoy some nighttime activities after a fun day on the steamships, you can easily tie in these two activities for a full day of fun.

Hardy Lake Provincial Park offers plenty of opportunities for recreation, all while enjoying the natural beauty of the area and another of Muskoka's famous lakes. Whether you want to go fishing, get out on the water in a motorboat, or simply enjoy a walk or picnic by the water, this is the place for you. 

This park is also the perfect spot to enjoy wildlife spotting, with an enormous range of fauna commonly seen in the area. Keep your eyes peeled for white-tailed deer and a variety of birds.

Access the park off Highway 169, around 20 minutes away from the hotel. It's close to both the Steamship Discovery Centre and the Torrance Barrens Dark-Sky Preserve. Although there are limited facilities for visitors, you'll find well-maintained hiking trails and free parking. 

If you're keen to enjoy one of the key agricultural attractions in the region, Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery is the place to be. This beautiful, rustic attraction is full of beautiful sights and tasty treats. 

You can tour the grounds of the farm and learn about how wine is made. See how cranberries are harvested from a peat bog and processed into delicious wine. After a wagon ride and cranberry wine tasting, you can pull up the bootstraps to your coveralls and enjoy the great cranberry plunge! Yes, you heard that correctly, you are able to wade through a cranberry bog for the ultimate photo-op. 

This is a favourite destination for those visiting the area over the winter months. Along with the usual tours and wine tasting sessions, visitors can enjoy skating on an outdoor rink, or snowshoeing on the icy trails. It's also a great place to stop for lunch and dinner, with all kinds of homegrown produce and homecooked fare on offer.

One of the most popular attractions for visitors to this resort is the Muskoka Lakes Museum. Offering visitors the chance to take a trip back in time through the history of the region, it's housed in a collection of preserved log cabins which provide the perfect backdrop for a family photograph.

This non-profit museum is home to several historical collections, documenting the history of Port Carling and the surrounding area from the era First Nations people lived on the site, through the age of pioneers, and onto the industrial era.

If you'd like to learn more about the history of Port Carling, the experts at Muskoka Lakes Museum can help. They offer guided walking tours of the township every week in July and August, as well as a series of lectures on Wednesdays in the summer. Check the museum website for details. 

Windsor Park is another great outdoor attraction for visitors to the hotel. Just a 20-minute drive south of Port Carling, it's perfect for all kinds of activities.

Surrounded by the beauty of Bala Bay, it offers a beach, a picnic area, and a series of beautiful, wooded hiking trails.

Best of all, regular events take place at Windsor Park throughout the year. Stop by on a Tuesday evening in summer and watch the synchronized water skiing show!

For those looking to enjoy a truly peaceful getaway, winter offers a unique opportunity. Many of the town's seasonal residents are absent at this time of year and the number of visitors is greatly reduced, so the area is even more peaceful than usual!

Although certain activities like riding the steamboats won't be possible in the winter, there's still plenty of fun to be had in the colder months.