Before it was known as Ontario's cottage country, resorts made Muskoka one of Canada's most popular vacation destinations.

Try to imagine Muskoka without its iconic resorts: Deerhurst, with its tradition of warm hospitality dating back more than a century; Sherwood Inn, which continues to define old-style Muskoka; or JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa, reaching new heights of elegance. You can't do it. Muskoka's resorts are so thoroughly woven into the tapestry of the region's character that they are inseparable from it and are as quintessential as the Canadian Shield's granite rock formations and crystalline lakes.

These three resorts represent a mere fraction of the summer hotels that once existed in the area. Although most have long since vanished, there were well over a hundred - large and small, opulent and rustic - at various points in time. Each had its own unique charm and character. So pack your bags and join expert Andrew Hind on a series of memorable vacations at some of Muskoka's most captivating historic resorts.