Marvelous-Canada: July 2022

A. J. Casson, one of the Group of Seven painters, called Elora once “Ontario’s Most Beautiful Village.” It is a charming destination for a weekend trip or a longer stop between Niagara and Georgian Bay, just north of Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo. Elora’s population is only just around 3,000 people, giving this small village a quaint and quiet atmosphere and a small-town feel.

The first visitors to the area were Roman Catholic missionaries who arrived in the 1600s. They attempted to turn the Indigenous People into Christians. The first British early settlers came in 1817. The Elora Mill – a five-story grist mill was built in 1832.

In the 1970s, it became the Elora Mill Inn. After a 27 million renovation, the Elora Mill Hotel and Spa opened in July 2018 and featured 30 rooms and a restaurant, and was voted the #1 spa and wellness destination. Besides this luxury gateway and spa with its scenic views are several cozy Bed & Breakfast places and Inns, inviting you to stay longer in Elora.

Stunning clifftop views and smooth hills, 19th–century architecture homes, beautiful gardens, and lots of charming little coffee and ice cream shops and restaurants, most with additional outdoor seating and local galleries and stores are inviting visitors.

For me, the most exciting natural wonder is the Grand River Gorge. To get to these wonderful overviews down to the very steep gorge, take a leisurely walk from downtown via James St and Henderson St. Walk from Victoria Park towards the "Lover Leap" and overhead the Irvine Creek all the way to the David St bridge.

Several picnic tables and benches invite for a stop under shade trees or to play on the lawns of Victoria Park. The best time for a quiet and peaceful visit to the Elora Gorge Lookout is early during weekday mornings - at least in the summer.

Riverside trails with safety barriers and scenic overlooks provide hikers with stunning views of the water far below where kayakers and tubers make their way through the rapids. The Elora Gorge Conservation Area (including a campground) surrounds the Grand River gorge with its 22-meter high cliffs, riverside trails and camping, and kayaking and tubing on the rapids. The gorge is pretty steep and makes for stunning views with the Grand River cutting through it.

Tour the 100-acre conservation area and nearby trails and a 20-meter waterfall. Local outfitters provide all you need for tubing, paddle-boarding, camping, hiking, swimming, and canoeing adventures on the Grand River — you can even zip-line through the abundant foliage. The Elora Paddle Company on Mill Street rents out canoes and kayaks.

The Cataract Trailway is the route of a former 47-kilometer railway and links two rivers, following the old Canadian Pacific railroad bed. It runs through rolling countryside east of Elora, through the historic community of Fergus, and past Belwood Lake to the Forks of Credit Provincial Park at Cataract.

Don't miss to visit the Saturday Farmers Market in Bissell Park and on Sundays the Flea Market on Geddes St, right downtown. A one-minute drive or a ten-minute walk brings visitors from downtown to the Grand River Casino if gaming is your thing.

The Elora Center for the Arts is located in a restored, three-story limestone school house, just steps from downtown and across from the Grand River and Bissell Park. It has a main gallery space where artist exhibitions are featured ongoing throughout the year. A second gallery and artisan shop features unique and affordable handmade and artist-designed pieces.

Elora Quarry Conservation Area: This two-acre limestone quarry (Elora's former building material) is encircled by magnificent cliffs up to 12 meters high. There is a myriad of bicycle paths along the Grand River. Equally relaxing is a tour through the downtown heritage core with its tree-lined quiet roads and beautiful residential homes.

A train runs in one hour from Toronto to Guelph, but you would have to wait for the bus to Elora. Coming from Toronto, there is a bus - also a slow connection - to Guelph and then another bus or a taxi to Elora. Parking is free on all city streets.

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I spent several weeks in this area and in the lovely town of Elora and was smitten by the friendly folks, the stunning heritage architecture, and the well-designed and cared-for lush gardens around every building. Glad I discovered this gem of a town in Ontario. Elora is one of the best places to see fall colors in Ontario due to the abundance of leafy trees, especially Mape trees. A visit in fall is on my bucket list! I'll be back.