By order of the lake, spring has almost reached Ontario.
Kicking off next month, ferry service returns to the water at Canada’s southernmost inhabited point, swapping the island’s quiet winter air transport for the bustling energy of vineyard tours, birding, and the first lakeside sunsets of 2026.
A boat ride away from Canada’s mainland sits Pelee Island. Home to some of the warmest weather in the country and the longest frost-free season in Ontario, this spot is the largest of the Lake Erie islands. It covers 10,000 acres with a length of 19 kilometres and a width of six kilometres, according to the local municipality.
As part of an archipelago of islands in the Lake Erie basin, this spot is located 32 kilometres south of Ontario’s mainland.
A ferry ride to Pelee Island
To get to the island, dubbed Canada’s best-kept secret, visitors can hop aboard the Pelee Island ferry, with daily sailings kicking off for the season on April 1.
The ferry departs from either the Leamington or Kingsville docks and arrives at the Pelee Island terminal. Service can be booked online.
“A ferry ride to Pelee Island is something special. Everything changes the moment you pull away from the dock,” according to the Owen Sound Transportation Company, who run the ferry service.
“The ship cuts through the warm waters of Lake Erie and your cares drift away in her wake. Then, as the island comes into view above the horizon, you know that this is just the beginning.”
What to do on Pelee Island
After arriving, take a stroll on the 28-kilometre Pelee Island Waterfront Trail that follows close to the Lake Erie shoreline all the way around the island.
The walkway also connects to the Ecological Trail System, providing visitors access to beaches, forests, sand dunes, marshes and alvars “found nowhere else in Canada.”
The Pelee Island Lighthouse, located at 80 East Shore Rd., is also worth a visit while adventuring through this spot. Here, visitors will be able to get a glimpse of the second-oldest Canadian lighthouse on Lake Erie.
Known for its warm climate, Pelee Island is also “nestled at the same latitude as renowned wine regions in Portugal, Spain and France,” according to Destination Ontario.
And here, the island “boasts a charming winery that captures the essence of its exceptional location.”
Wine connoisseurs may want to visit Pelee Island Winery, Canada’s largest private estate winery with over 700 acres of vineyards and a history that dates back over 150 years. If you’re looking for a crisp pour, this is the ideal place.
The winery will open for the season at 20 East West Rd. on May 5, with tours also available.
And to take in the local culinary scene while you’re in the area, make a trip to The Dog & Goat Restaurant at 11 W. Shore Rd., or Stone House 1891 at 1115 W. Shore Rd.
Nature enthusiasts should note Pelee Island also sits at the confluence of two major bird migration flyways. This means the island is “ideally situated for receiving a large number of birds in transit” during spring migration.
Of the 501 species known in Ontario, 314 of them have been recorded here, as noted by the Pelee Island Bird Observatory. Birds that have been spotted include loons and grebes, ducks, geese, and swans, cuckoos, and more.
More to do at the southernmost point of Canada’s mainland
For even more nature, stop by Point Pelee National Park on your way back from the island. Located at 1118 Point Pelee Dr. in Leamington, at the southernmost point of the Canadian mainland, this spot is known as the country’s second-smallest and most ecologically diverse national park.
Two-thirds of its entire area is covered by a 1,000-hectare marsh, anchored by a scenic, floating boardwalk that meanders through cattail colonies and lily pad blossoms.
In fact, at this spot, guests can set their sights on one of the largest marshes in southern Ontario and one of the few large ones left in the Great Lakes system.
And from the marshes at the mainland to the bustle of the island, perhaps a trip to the south of Ontario will help you spring into the season.