WASAGA BEACH – Wasaga Beach is excited to be recognized as one of Canada’s Top Ten Beaches by Lonely Planet, a leading name in travel recommendations. In addition, Lonely Planet has named Wasaga Beach the top spot for swimming in all of Canada.
This recent ranking shines a light on Wasaga Beach’s warm, shallow waters, vast shoreline, and classic summer vibe along Georgian Bay, reinforcing its status as one of Canada’s favorite beach getaways.
The announcement comes just as Wasaga Beach gears up for another bustling summer season, with only 100 days left until Victoria Day-the unofficial start of summer in Canada.
A Popular Travel Spot – and a Growing Community
The Lonely Planet recognition coincides with a period of growth and change for Wasaga Beach. The Town is pushing forward with Destination Wasaga-a vision aimed at transforming the area from a seasonal beach town into an iconic year-round hub for recreation and nature.
Support for this transformation includes nearly $38 million from the Province of Ontario to kick off Destination Wasaga and enhance the Nancy Island Historic Site.
In 2025, construction started along Beach Drive to create a safer, more accessible waterfront corridor that can withstand climate challenges. This initiative and other infrastructure improvements near the beachfront are attracting new investments in Beach Area 1 and other popular tourist spots-such as a $65 million premium Marriott hotel and around $100 million in commercial and residential projects led by Stonebridge Building Group.
Even with construction happening, tourism in Wasaga Beach continues to thrive. Between January and August 2025, the Town welcomed 2,060,833 visitors-a 15 percent increase compared to the same timeframe in 2024. This uptick is partly due to an expanding lineup of festivals and events over recent years.
This past year saw Wasaga Beach’s event season help tourism bounce back to pre-pandemic numbers. A record-breaking crowd of over 12,000 residents and visitors attended the annual Memories of Summer concert on the beach featuring April Wine.
The Town also celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024 with week-long festivities that included major concerts from Burton Cummings, Blue Rodeo, Tom Cochrane, The Strumbellas, The Carpet Frogs, among others.
This year (2025), Wasaga Beach introduced the Official Soundtrack of Summer while hosting over 30 live music performances along with a family-friendly Fun Zone at Beach Area 1.
The Town plans to announce its festival lineup for 2026 next month.
QUICK FACTS
· Wasaga Beach is recognized as the longest freshwater beach globally-spanning over 14 kilometers across eight distinct beach areas.
· Wasaga Beach continues receiving accolades from top travel publications including Lonely Planet, Narcity Canada, and Destination Canada as one of Canada’s premier beach locations.
About Wasaga Beach
For more than one hundred years now,
the Town of Wasaga Beach has been Ontario’s iconic summer getaway-a destination where people come to enjoy themselves and make lasting summer memories. Today we’re committed to becoming an iconic four-season spot focused on recreation and nature. Developing Destination Wasaga while investing in year-round festivals alongside reimagining our downtown area at Beach Area 1 supports our Council’s goals: diversifying our economy,
boosting tourism,
creating jobs,
and fostering complete communities. Destination Wasaga aligns with our plan to lead in sustainability,
creativity,
innovation,
and fun.
We aim to build thriving businesses within safe,
inclusive neighborhoods-celebrating our rich history,
cultural diversity,
and natural beauty including Nottawasaga River,
Georgian Bay, and the world’s longest freshwater beach. See Lonely Planet’s Top Ten Beaches List. Learn more about Destination Wasaga. Explore Wasaga Beach’s eight beach areas. Plan your visit. -30-
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For more than one hundred years now,
the Town of Wasaga Beach has been Ontario’s iconic summer getaway-a destination where people come to enjoy themselves and make lasting summer memories. Today we’re committed to becoming an iconic four-season spot focused on recreation and nature. Developing Destination Wasaga while investing in year-round festivals alongside reimagining our downtown area at Beach Area 1 supports our Council’s goals: diversifying our economy,
boosting tourism,
creating jobs,
and fostering complete communities. Destination Wasaga aligns with our plan to lead in sustainability,
creativity,
innovation,
and fun.
We aim to build thriving businesses within safe,
inclusive neighborhoods-celebrating our rich history,
cultural diversity,
and natural beauty including Nottawasaga River,
Georgian Bay, and the world’s longest freshwater beach. See Lonely Planet’s Top Ten Beaches List. Learn more about Destination Wasaga. Explore Wasaga Beach’s eight beach areas. Plan your visit. -30-
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