Southwestern Ontario and Niagara, the temperate "sunbelt" of Ontario, has two distinct characters: a long shoreline of Great Lakes beaches and the equally vast acres of quiet farm country in the interior. Most tours begin at the water's edge. Thundering Niagara is best appreciated from the deck of the Maid of the Mist. Nearby attractions include a butterfly conservatory, horticultural gardens and delightful Jordan, a magnet for lovers of distinctive boutiques. The rocky Niagara Escarpment creates soil and climatic conditions ideal for viticulture and dozens of wineries offer tours and tastings along a Wine Route. Midway along Lake Erie's shoreline is Port Stanley, a picturesque fishing village that also boasts a restored railway. Further to the west, Port Pelee National Park is a name recognized around the globe for birdwatching. Pelee and neighbouring Rondeau Provincial Park are also good for cycling and sheltered canoeing. 

From Lake Erie, head across country to "Ontario's West Coast," the Lake Huron shoreline to continue the Great Lakes tour. Bayfield's quaint main street is lined with attractive galleries and shops and there are sailing and salmon fishing charters available at the tidy harbour. Elegant Goderich offers a sugary white beach, tree-shaded streets of stately homes, a first-rate museum and historic gaol. Cross-country skiing and hiking are excellent along the Maitland River. 

Further inland, nineteenth-century limestone mansions make St. Marys is one of the prettiest towns in the province and Ingersoll is the place to visit cheese outlets and a cheese museum. Stratford is home to the renowned theatre festival that celebrates the works of Shakespeare and the nearby village of Shakespeare may have Ontario's highest density of antique shops. Southwestern Ontario and Niagara grows everything in abundance and gardeners can have a field day visiting greenhouse complexes and flower growers. Huron County hosts a Harvest Trail program of farm and market visits.

Ontario's Finest... in Southwestern Ontario & Niagara
 

Uniquely Ontario
	Shakespeare to the Shoreline Taste Trek
	Body surfing the Maitland River rapids (Benmiller)
	Cruising aboard the Maid of the Mist (Niagara Falls)
	Photographing Huron County sunsets (Goderich)
	Self guided historic St. Marys walking tours (St. Marys)
	Spring birdwatching, Point Pelee National Park (Leamington)
	Touring the Christmas light displays (Simcoe)
	Watching Welland Canal freighters (St. Catharines)

Museums, Galleries & Historic Sites
	Dundurn Castle (Hamilton)			Laura Secord Homestead (Queenston)
	Eldon House (London)			Lawson Prehistoric Indian Village (London)
	Hamilton Museum of Steam & Technology			North American Black Historical Museum (Amherstburg)
	Fort George (Niagara on the Lake)			Petrolia Discovery (Petrolia)
	Huron County Museum (Goderich)			Port Stanley Terminal Railway
	Huron Historic Gaol (Goderich)			St. Marys Museum (St. Marys)
	Jack Miner Museum (Kingsville)			Uncle Tom's Cabin Museum (Dresden)
	Jordan Historical Museum of the Twenty			Woodland Cultural Centre (Brantford)

Shopping & Antique Hunting
	Bayfield			Port Stanley
	Goderich			Shakespeare
	Jordan			St. Marys
	Petrolia Discovery (Petrolia)			Stratford
	Port Dalhousie

Farm & Garden
	Ben Veldhuis Greenhouses (Dundas)			McCully's Hill Farm
	Bennett's Apples & Cider (Ancaster)			McMillen's Iris Gardens (Norwich)
	Brickman's Botanical Gardens (Sebringville)			Niagara Butterfly Conservatory (Niagara Falls)
	Colisanti Tropical Gardens (Kingsville)			Niagara Parks Greenhouse (Niagara Falls)
	Herbal Touch (Norwich)			The Wineries of Lake Erie & Niagara
	London Farmers' Market

Theatre
	Association of Summer Theatres 'Round Ontario			Shaw Festival (Niagara on the Lake)
	Blyth Festival			Stratford Festival
	Huron County Playhouse (Grand Bend)			The Grand Theatre (London)
	Port Stanley Festival Theatre

Outdoor Pursuits
	Teeing It Up - golf
	Cycling the bike path from Niagara on the Lake to Niagara Falls
	Hiking through Carolinian forest at Backus Woods (Port Rowan) or Dundas Valley (Ancaster)
	Picnicking at Spencer Gorge Wilderness Area (Dundas)
	Riding the waves at Port Burwell Provincial Park
	The River Walkway and the Grand Trunk Trail (St. Marys)