Vancouver is a beautiful place to visit any time of the year, and is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination. With mild temperatures and beautiful scenery, this west coast city offers many outdoor activities. One such activity is beach-going! But with so many beaches around Vancouver, it’s hard to choose one. Well, fear not Vancouverites; we’ve got your back!
We’ve assembled a list of the best beaches in Vancouver based on cleanliness, family friendliness, and locals. This way you can spend some quality time with your toes in the sand while still having some fun around town!
English Bay
One of the most popular beaches in Vancouver, located along the waterfront at Sunset Beach Park. This beach is clean and filled with beautiful people during peak hours. The water quality here is generally good, although it’s not recommended for swimmers due to periodic sewage overflow. It has a large public swimming area that features lifeguards on duty during peak hours.
Second Beach
Of course, this had to be number 2 on the list! Second Beach is located in Stanley Park and is an excellent choice for people with young kids. The water here is calm, making it a great place to bring your little ones to experience the ocean waters.
Third Beach
Third Beach is located on the same grounds as Second Beach, but has more of a party atmosphere. The beach itself is quite small compared to others on this list, but during the summer months it’s filled with people enjoying themselves.
Kitsilano Beach
Although technically not its own beach, it’s along the waterfront at Jericho Beach Park, so we had to include it on this list! This is another popular beach that’s packed with locals during the weekends. It has a magnificent view of downtown Vancouver and is known for being one of the cleanest beaches in the Vancouver area. Lifeguards are on duty year round, and it’s a great place to go for a swim during any season of the year!
Jericho Beach
Jericho is by far one of our favorite beaches in Vancouver! It has perfect views of downtown Vancouver with tons of space to relax on its wide-open grassy lawns with a fireplace. This beach is great for kids and dogs, and it’s even equipped with a public washroom.
Spanish Banks
Spanish Banks is another local favorite! It has a great view of the city and the beaches here are wide open, so you have tons of space to lay out your towel or blanket. Lifeguards are always on duty, and just offshore you’ll find an underwater park where you can do some snorkeling.
Wreck Beach
Wreck is a great alternative for those who don’t like to wear bathing suits. Surfers and paddle boarders frequent this beach, and it’s also one of the most accessible beaches in Vancouver with three entrances along Cornwall Avenue that lead straight into the sand!
Locarno Beach
Locarno is one of our favorite family friendly beaches in Vancouver. There’s a pier right off the beach you can stroll along and check out the view of downtown, a pool on-site with water slides for kids, and tons of grassy space to play soccer or ultimate frisbee.
Dundarave Beach
Dundarave is a great beach for people watching! You can sit on the seawall and watch as the wealthy West Vancouver residents make their way to and from work. Located right in the heart of West Vancouver, Dundarave is a hub of activity and it’s also home to some fancy yachts.
Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach is located on the very west edge of Stanley Park. It’s a rocky beach, but it still has lots of great amenities, including kayak rentals and volleyball nets! You can also go for a run or bike ride along the seawall, which runs right past this beach.
Conclusion
So whether you want to watch the wealthy or work up a sweat, there is a little bit of everything in West Vancouver. If you ever get tired of the beach life, head over to some of our other great neighborhoods like Kitsilano Beach and Commercial Drive!
Vancouver has so much to offer, from an endless summer to a majestic mountainscape. The Beaches are why you may come with your expensive mastercraft boats, but you’ll stay for so much more.
Hopefully, this article was helpful to you. Thanks for reading!
