Is The Collingview in Collingwood?

No. It is about 20 km west, in the Municipality of Meaford on the Thornbury boundary. Collingwood is roughly a 20 to 25 minute drive east along the shore. Plenty of rentals in this area advertise as Collingwood from a similar distance; we would rather tell you where we are.

How far is Collingwood from The Collingview?

About 20 km, or 20 to 25 minutes by car, going east along the bay through Thornbury. Collingwood is the biggest town in the immediate region and has the widest choice of restaurants, shops and services.

Is it better to stay in Collingwood or outside it?

Collingwood puts you within walking distance of restaurants and shops, which suits a couple or a short trip. For a group of eight to twelve wanting privacy, a large house on its own land twenty minutes out gives you space, quiet and a view that no in-town rental can.

What is there to do in Collingwood?

The main street and harbourfront, the Georgian Trail, breweries and restaurants, the shipyards heritage, and it is the service hub for Blue Mountain. Scenic Caves and the escarpment lookouts are just above the town.

How far is Collingwood from Toronto?

Roughly 150 km, about two hours by car in ordinary conditions. The Collingview is about another 20 minutes west of that, so budget two and a quarter to two and a half hours from the GTA.

The double-height great room with a board-formed concrete wall, plank timber ceiling, ring pendants and a glass wall onto the deck

Near Collingwood

Twenty minutes west of Collingwood, on the quiet side of the bay.

Close enough for dinner in town and a full grocery shop. Far enough that the nearest sound at night is the wind on the escarpment.

Plan your group stay

To Collingwood: About 20 km
Drive: About 20–25 min
From Toronto: About 2¼–2½ hours
Sleeps: 8–12

Where we actually are

Not Collingwood, and we will not pretend otherwise.

A lot of places in this region advertise themselves as Collingwood. Some of them are further from it than we are. It is an understandable habit — Collingwood is the name people search for, because it is the town they have heard of.

We are twenty kilometres west of it, between Meaford and Thornbury, on high open ground above the bay. That is a twenty to twenty-five minute drive along the shore. You will go into Collingwood for a good dinner, a big shop or a rainy afternoon, and you will come back out to somewhere with no streetlights.

If what you want is to walk out of the front door onto a main street, book somewhere in town. If what you want is the town available but not underneath you, this is the right side of the bay.

The rear elevation in late light, with the rooftop terrace railing visible along the roofline

What the town is for

The things worth the drive east.

Dinner: Collingwood has the widest choice in the region by a distance — everything from a good burger to a long tasting menu. On a summer weekend or a ski Saturday, book ahead. This is not a walk-in-at-seven town in high season.
The big shop: Full-size supermarkets, the LCBO, the pharmacies and the big-box stores. Meaford and Thornbury both have a proper supermarket, so you only need Collingwood for the things they do not stock.
The harbourfront and main street: A restored heritage main street, independent shops, and a waterfront trail along the old shipyards. The best hour to spend in town if the weather has turned.
Breweries and cafés: Several breweries and a serious coffee culture, most of it walkable from the main street.
The Georgian Trail: Thirty-four kilometres of flat converted railway between Collingwood and Meaford, passing through Thornbury. You can ride it in either direction from close to the house.
Scenic Caves: On the escarpment above the town. Crevice caves, a long suspension bridge, treetop walkways and a zip line in summer; Nordic and snowshoe trails in winter. The best half-day here for a mixed-age group.

For a group

Why a house out here beats three condos in town.

Groups of eight to twelve coming to this region usually end up doing one of two things: booking several condominiums near the resort, or booking one large house further out. Both work. They produce very different weekends.

Several units means everybody has their own space and nobody has a shared one. The group fragments — there is no kitchen big enough to cook for twelve, no room everyone fits in, and somebody is always driving between buildings.

One house solves that, provided the house is actually large enough. A fifteen-foot island means four people can cook without colliding. Four bathrooms mean no queue. A separate lock-off wing with its own entrance means the couple who want an early night can have one. And the rooftop terrace, with a fire and a hot tub, is the room everyone ends up in.

That is the argument for the quiet side of the bay. Twenty minutes of driving, in exchange for the group actually being together.

Bringing a group to this side of the bay?

Send us your dates and numbers. We will come back with a real answer about whether the house fits the trip, and what it would cost.

Plan your group stay

Keep reading

Drive times are ordinary-conditions estimates and will stretch on a winter weekend or a summer Friday. See how we quote and what we ask of guests before you enquire.