Cobourg OntarioCobourg Ontario is about an hour and a half drive east of Toronto along Highway 401. It has a fine old downtown, a fabulous beach and a sheltered harbour. Cobourg is also home to some wonderful old Ontario inns, such as the King George Inn and Spa and the Woodlawn Inn.
Cobourg also has the Marie Dressler House, where Marie lived as
a girl. You may not remember Marie Dressler, she was a film star
way back in the early days of movies. A bit like Mary Pickford,
who was a Toronto native.
Cobourg Ontario, like its near neighbor
Port Hope,
has a wealth of fine late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Century buildings. Unlike Port Hope, however, the town didn't go in for the biggest church race -- its churches are normal-sized.
Oddly, despite modern day improvements in speed and transportation, Cobourg lost a lot when that ferrry ended because it's too far from each end of Lake Ontario to be an easy drive and there isn't an air service for bringing visitors either.
The beach at Cobourg is great, one of the best Ontario beaches around, and a very short drive off Hwy 401. Fine white sand, and lots of it, in a sheltered bay facing the sun -- you couldn't ask for better. Also, the beach is backed by Victoria Park, which separates it from the town, giving it a feel of a country beach, well almost, only with food and other beach necessities nearby.
After Cobourg's 'Waterfront Festival', on the Canada Day weekend, the next most popular beach event here is the Sandcastle Festival, held in August.
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In the first half of the Twentieth Century, 1905 - 1950, Cobourg
was an international spot. A ferry ran from Rochester, New
York, bringing American trippers and cottagers to the town. The
mural in the photo captures the spirit of the times well.
The town is, however, nearby. A five minute shaded walk, there are trees along the sidewalks to keep you cool, takes you from the beach to Main Street and the shops. As with other towns where visitors are an important part of business, the stores are cafes, restaurants, or gift and antiques stores for the most part. Everyday stores are on the outskirts of town.
