Rich in natural beauty and breath-taking lakes, Ontario has countless options when it comes to cottage rentals.  While each area has it's own beauty and natural sights, there are differences in prices.  These price differences usually reflect the distance from the Greater Toronto Area as well as local attractions and amenities.  
    

Muskoka is usually the most expensive area for cottage rentals, averaging at $1832.46 for one week during the peak summer season.  Muskoka offers the greatest variety of attractions as it is the most popular cottaging area in Ontario.  There are several boat cruises offered in muskoka, all of which offer sightseeing/dining cruises fully LLBO licenced.  The Segwun cruises in Gravenhurst also offer specialty cruises such as interactive theatre Murder Mystery cruise, Casino Cruise and Buccaneers Cruise for adults, where everyone dresses up in their best pirate costumes, and many more.  All of these specialty cruises also offer special sampling by popular breweries and wineries such as Muskoka Cottage Brewery, Sleeman Brewery, El Dorado Rum and many more.  If you are looking for great fishing, and would like to finally be able to say that you caught "the big one", there are several different fishing charters, which will provide equipment, lure and proven locations for the best fishing experience of your life, no matter what type of fishing you are into.  For those more sports-minded, there is the Bush Sports Centre where you can go waterskiing or play a round of tennis.  There are also many golf courses/clubs such as Muskoka Highlands and North Granite Ridge which offer proffesionally designed courses and unforgettable experience for families, and golf afficionados alike.  High Falls Waterpark is another popular family attraction which offers a variety of activities such as paddleboats, canoes, slides and more.   Children also enjoy the Santas Village and Sportsland which offer popular childrens activities such as go-carting, minigolf, and shows with popular cartoon characters.  Besides these great attractions, Muskoka also has numerous provincial and national parks such as Arrowhead Provincial Park and the Georgian Bay Islands National Park, which offer breath-taking hiking trails and beautiful picnic areas.  Being rich in history, Muskoka has several great historic sites and museums such as the Muskoka Lakes Museum which houses one of the most complete First Nations artifacts dating as far back as 8000 B.C.E.  
  

 Haliburton area with the average price of a cottage rental at $1749.83 per week is a close second to Muskoka, in price as well as the variety of attractions.  Haliburton is the home of the Highlands Summer Festival which features a fantastic lineup of live theatre and music acts, as well as the Ontarios first Maple Winery, the Moon Shadow Winery.  For the scientists in all of us, Haliburton offers the Haliburton Forst Astronomy, which is a 60,000 acre dark sky reserve, which features two self-tracking telescopes which are equipped with computerised functions accessing a 64,000 object database which make sky observations easy, pleasant and effective.  If you are into horseback riding, you should be sure to check out the South Algonquin Trails which offer a truly unique horseback riding experience.  Haliburton also offers various art galleries, hiking trails, lookout/picnic spots and the renown Algonquin National Park.  
  

 Parry Sound area is another highly popular cottage area averaging at $1466.11 per week.  Parry Sound offers many attractions such as the Chippewa III cruise boat which offers dining cruises and tours of the Simcoe Lake, the spectacular French River Provincial Park.  Parry Sound is also the home of The Ridge at Manitou golf course which has several popular packages such as Golf & Dine, and Play & Stay packages, ensuring an enjoyable holiday experience.  
    

Southern Georgian Bay and Eastern Ontario cottage country cottage rentals average at about $1200 a week and are very rich in attractions such as boat cruises, museums and historical sites, as well as excellent shopping. 

 

Cottage rental prices in Central Ontario average at $1137.50 per week, which is much cheaper than the high prices Muskoka area, but it still offers a variety of interesting attractions for tourists.  Central Ontario houses numerous art galleries such as the Art Gallery of Peterborough, and MacLaren Art Centre in Barries, as well as many popular theatres like Gravenhurst Opera House and the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope.  For entertainment Central Ontario, among other popular spots, has the Casino Rama, and the super-popular Discovery Harbour.  Discovery Harbour is a recreated 19th century community that takes you back in time to the presence of Britis naval and military forces in Central Ontario.  Discovery Harbour is also a proud host of the Drayton Entertainment which presents "a world of music and laughter" at the beautiful King's Wharf Theatre.  Among the many museums and historical sites in Central Ontario cottage country, there are such museums as the Canadian Fire Fighters Museum, Canadian Canoe Museum and the Lang Pioneer Village Museum.  The Canadian Fire Fighters Museum houses a large collection of fire fighting apartus' dating back as far as the 1800's, from hand drawn and operated aparati, to the more modern motorized ones.  The Lang Pioneer Village Museum contains over 25 fully restored historic buildings brought in from the surrounding townships. It is truly a photographer's paradise, the Village is complete with lanes and pathways, farm animals, rail and stump fences, vegetable and herb gardens, hitching posts and watering troughs, and many other authentic details of a 19th century hamlet. Villagers of all ages recreate a typical day in the life of an early settler through a host of demonstrations including blacksmithing, carpentry, and printmaking on an 1827 Washington Flatbed Press.    

 

 Northern Ontario is by far the most affordable cottaging area in Ontario with the average price of about $950 per week, but the price does not reflect the available attractions.  Northern Ontario is rich in Arts and Cultural establishments.  One of the most popular is the Sudbury Theatre Centre which offers a variety of popular stage productions.  If cottaging in the Norther Ontario, one should also visit the White Water Gallery and the Art Gallery of Sudbury which house stunning works by domestic artists.  Dinosaur Valley Mini Golf is a must see for every family vacationing in the Northern Ontario.  It features a fresh new take on the mini-golf experience, combining giant dinosaur skeletons with the always fun game of mini-golf.  For the older vacationers there is also the Sudbury Racetrack Slots, where you can watch horse carriage races, or play some of more than 350 slots machines which start as low as 1cent.  History buffs should not miss checking out the Fort William Historical Park. With over 40 buildings on 225 acres, Fort William offers a vivid and rich tapestry of fur trade life, running the gamut from culture to crafts, medicine to business, domestic life to heritage farming.   Another popular museum is the Ron Morel Memorial Train Museum which houses railway and historical artifacts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as extensive archives, decorative arts and human history collections.  If you are looking for a great shopping experience in Northern Ontario, you should certainly pay a visit to the New Sudbury Centre which has countless popular stores and great prices.  Of course, these are just some of the many attractions available at any given cottaging area. 

Vacationing in any part of Ontario is sure to inspire, amaze and pleasantly surprise anyone