The Chosen Spot
The Seneca people called it “The Chosen Spot,” and when you see Canandaigua Lake for the first time — especially from the northern bluffs on a clear morning — you understand why. At 15.5 miles long, it is not the biggest Finger Lake, but it might be the most beautiful in a conventional sense: a clean, graceful body of water framed by rolling hills, vineyards, and some of the best-preserved Victorian architecture in upstate New York. The city of Canandaigua, at the north end, is the civic and cultural anchor, and it has been quietly building a food and wine scene that rivals its better-known neighbors.
Canandaigua: The City That Grew Up Gracefully
Canandaigua is the kind of place where the downtown still works. Main Street has independent restaurants, a restored movie palace (the CMAC performing arts center is just outside town), and a waterfront that the city has invested in thoughtfully. The New York Wine and Culinary Center sits right on the lake and offers both educational programs and a restaurant that showcases regional ingredients. Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park is a 50-acre estate with nine formal gardens that are worth half a day on their own. This is not a town resting on past glory — new restaurants and shops open regularly, and the energy is genuine.
Wine, Brewing, and the Growing Food Scene
Canandaigua Lake’s wine scene is smaller than Seneca’s or Cayuga’s, but it is growing with purpose. The area around the lake has a handful of excellent wineries, and the proximity to the Bristol Hills and the larger Finger Lakes wine network means you are never far from a great tasting. Breweries and cideries have started filling in the gaps, and the farm-to-table movement here is not a marketing phrase — the farms are literally visible from the restaurant windows. The public market scene and local food co-ops give the area a food culture that feels rooted rather than imported.
Things to Do Around the Lake
Bristol Mountain, just south of Canandaigua, is the Finger Lakes’ best ski resort, with 1,200 feet of vertical drop and a surprisingly good terrain park. In summer, it runs zip line and aerial adventure courses. On the lake itself, Onanda Park on the west shore has a beach, hiking trails, and one of the better lakeside campgrounds in the region. The Canandaigua Lady, a replica paddlewheel steamboat, runs dinner cruises that are genuinely enjoyable rather than just touristy. For history, the Ontario County Courthouse is where Susan B. Anthony was tried for voting in 1872 — a piece of American history that deserves more attention than it gets.
When to Visit
Summer and fall are the peak seasons, and both deliver. July and August bring warm lake water, outdoor concerts at CMAC, and the full restaurant scene in high gear. Fall is spectacular here — the hills around Canandaigua catch color early, and the harvest festivals at local wineries and farms run from September into November. Winter means Bristol Mountain skiing and quieter restaurants where you can actually get a table. Spring comes slowly to the Finger Lakes, but by May the gardens at Sonnenberg are blooming and the lake is shaking off its winter grey.
