Watrous-Manitou Beach

Saskatchewan prairie resort pair known for Little Manitou Lake's buoyant salt water and old dance hall.

Watrous and Manitou Beach make a small prairie resort pair east of Saskatoon. Watrous is the service town; Manitou Beach is the reason to stop, sitting on Little Manitou Lake, whose mineral-rich salt water lets swimmers float with very little effort.

The place is not slick, and that helps. Manitou Beach still has a summer-cottage feel, Danceland keeps the old resort era alive, and the drive-in and galleries give the village more personality than a normal lake stop.

This is worth a day if you are already in central Saskatchewan and want something stranger than another highway town. Float in the lake, look into the dance hall, and time the evening for a film or live music if schedules line up.