Last summer I packed up the kids for a day at the beach. We spend our summers on the shores of Lake Huron and I thought it would be a nice change to head to a different Lake since we have so many at close proximity. We decided on a Port Dover Beach Day to check out this Southwestern Ontario beach town.
We drove to Port Dover from Kitchener Ontario. The drive was about an hour to get to this small beach town on Lake Erie. Since it was my first time being there I had no idea where to park. If I were to go again today I would make sure to get one of the premium by the beach parking spots that were available since we got here fairly early in the day. However when we were there we parked near the Port Dover Harbour Museum.
The walk from the Harbour Museum to the beach is a short and picturesque walk. We got to walk along the dockside and get a view of the lighthouse. Just over to the right of this view is the main beach area.
The beach is small compared to what I am used to along Lake Huron. Still it was a nice protected bay beside the docks and easily accessible from downtown. The palm trees are a fun novelty that makes this Canadian beach feel a bit more tropical.
We spent some time swimming in the lake before drying off and heading to the patio for lunch.
We walked across the sand to The Beach House. We got there as close to opening as possible so that we could easily get a spot on the deck overlooking the lake. Service was a bit slow but considering how quickly this restaurant filled up on a weekday I am not surprised.
My kids ordered the usual suspects (burger, chicken fingers and fries) off the kids menu. I however had the perch sliders and they were EXCELLENT. I can’t recommend the local fish enough at this restaurant. Lake Erie perch or pickerel is a must order.
After our lunch with a view we headed back to the car for our drive home. We could have gone back to the beach for more, or grabbed some ice cream on the strip. I would say there is more for us to see in Port Dover were we to go back again.
While I still prefer the beaches on Lake Huron, you can’t beat the fresh lake perch or a restaurant that is right on the water or the palm trees however un-Canadian they might be.
Have you been to Port Dover before?