Blue-Water Acres

Lake of Bays laps a 400-foot stretch of sand here, its slope gentle enough that markers mark off the shallow water before a swimming raft anchors further out. Blue Water Acres sits on this shoreline in Muskoka, roughly midway between Huntsville and the west gate of Algonquin Park. The resort runs year-round. Traditional and luxury cottages line the property, each with its own kitchen, air conditioning, and propane grill, so families keep separate bedrooms and couples get a cottage to themselves rather than a shared block. Canoes, kayaks, paddleboats, and stand-up boards are free to guests, while motorboats can be hired from a marina a short drive away, and dock slips are available on request. A water slide and floating dock sit off the main beach, and lake trout, rainbow trout, and whitefish are what anglers go after in the deep, clear water beyond. Inland, three tennis courts, a fitness room, and an indoor pool with sauna and hot tub cover the days when nobody wants to be outside. Deer, moose, and the occasional bear cross the resort roads at dawn, generally before the guests are up. In autumn the surrounding hills turn colour through late September into October, and by winter the lake freezes over for ice fishing and skating.