Cottages For Sale in Peterborough & the Kawarthas

Buying a cottage in Peterborough & the Kawarthas

Peterborough County surrounds the City of Peterborough, which is governed separately but is the main service centre for the whole area. The county has eight townships. The south is a mix of farmland, small towns and lakefront. The north is thinly settled forest and rock, much of it inside Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park. The Trent-Severn Waterway runs through the middle, from Rice Lake up the Otonabee River and on through the Kawartha lakes.

Buyers have two broad choices. The first is the Trent-Severn lakes, including Chemong, Buckhorn, Lower Buckhorn, Stony, Clear and Katchewanooka. They offer long-distance boating, lock villages and a mix of year-round homes and cottages. The second is the northern Shield lakes that are not on the waterway, such as Chandos, Jack, Anstruther, Catchacoma and Kasshabog. They are generally deeper and clearer, with rock and pine shorelines and far less boat traffic.

Road access is good on most southern lakes, and many homes are used all year. Island and water-access properties are common on Stony Lake and on some northern lakes, so ask about parking, docking and winter access. Nearly all waterfront relies on a well or lake intake and a septic system. Short-term rental rules differ by township. Trent Lakes, for example, has a registration by-law, so check with the township before you buy.

Getting there: About 1.5 to 2.5 hours from Toronto.

• Stony Lake
• Trent-Severn Waterway
• Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park
• Lakefield and Buckhorn
• Rice Lake fishing