12 Best Beaches in Vancouver [for 2023]
Vancouver’s mountains dominate the skyline to the north and beyond, and its forests are lush green with rain. Many consider the city’s best natural attraction to be the Pacific Ocean, and Vancouver’s beaches provide a great and easy way to enjoy it.
Your trip here would be incomplete without spending your time by the beach. Here you can enjoy the pleasure of swimming or take in the natural sights while walking along the seawall-like walkways. This could easily prove to be a sweet excursion, all you need to do is find a log bench to sit on and enjoy watching the movements of boats and seaplanes.
Lifeguards are on duty on most Vancouver beaches from late May to early September to protect you, and public facilities with restrooms and changing facilities are open to tourists year-round.
You can find water wheelchairs on most of the beaches here but for that, you have to make a reservation 24 hours in advance. Be sure to check out our list of the best beaches in Vancouver before you visit.
1. Kitsilano Beach
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Kitsilano Beach, also known as “Kits Beach”, is the most famous of Vancouver’s best beaches. It is located right across from downtown Vancouver across the Burrard Street Bridge, and during the summer it opens to the sea. The coast is worth seeing.
There are plenty of recreational activities to do here, from swimming in the outdoor saltwater pool to playing tennis, basketball, and beach volleyball.
You won’t find ice cream and snacks here, but there is a playground onsite and a great waterfront restaurant to satiate your hunger pangs. Kitsilano Beach has a Mobi-mat set up just above the high tide line to allow wheelchairs and other mobility aid access and access to the water.
Reservations are required an hour in advance. You can come here with your pet dog, or run with your dog in or out of the water on the designated dog beach here.
There are plenty of restaurants and shops within walking distance of the beach where you can relish some delicious and delectable cuisine.
2. Jericho Beach
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Jericho Beach is popular for its beautiful sandy beach between Kitsilano and West Point Grey and has beautiful beaches from both of its neighbors.
It is known for some of Vancouver’s posher amenities, such as the members-only Royal Vancouver Yacht Club and the Jericho Tennis club, as well as tennis courts that are open to the public.
While Vancouver’s beaches can be enjoyed ashore or by taking a dip in the ocean, it’s best to get out on the water for a thrilling experience.
Jericho Beach hosts the non-profit Jericho Sailing Centre, where One can also enjoy sailing, windsurfing, stand-up paddleboarding, and snowboarding lessons and rentals.
Great choice and an ideal location for a dog walk or trail run with panoramic views of the winding trails in the nearby culinary area Is. The rabbit population in this area is very high, you can enjoy chasing them if you are more adventurous.
3. English Bay Beach
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English Bay Beach is the most popular and busiest beach in downtown Vancouver and is also the closest to the city. With Stanley Park on one side, the hustle and bustle of downtown life on the other, and the Stanley Park Seawall right along it, English Bay Beach presents itself as a lively beach with lots of
visitors.
Getting to the beach is Very easy and simple, if you live in the city, you can reach by foot, bicycle ride, bike ride, or public transportation. English Bay Beach has water wheelchair access with Mobi-mat access and is accessible to almost everyone.
Here during the summer, it can sometimes seem like half the city’s population is at English Bay Beach, and on those days you may have to find a spot to set up a towel or picnic table. So try to come here early in the morning and be ready to make new friends.
The beach has a host of amenities, including two volleyball courts, a large and luxurious swimming area with a slide, kayak rentals, and a large kayak storage area. It is also visited by a lot of tourists during winter, especially to see a polar bear sighting and to join in the New Year celebrations.
4. Second Beach
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Second Beach is a great family-friendly beach located at the south end of Stanley Park. And there is something for people of all ages. Second Beach overlooks English Bay and Burrard Inlet and the beach is landscaped and surrounded by lush trees.
There are a number of fun activities for kids to enjoy, from sand castles by the beach to two playgrounds for kids to play in. The biggest attraction here is definitely the heated outdoor pool is open to visitors seasonally from late spring to early fall.
Keep your eyes peeled for the Stanley Park summer cinema schedule if you make your visit during the summer holidays. , as the second beach is transformed into an al fresco movie theatre. And the beach shows free movies projected onto large screens.
5. Spanish Banks Beach
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Spanish Banks Beach attracts tourists with spectacular views of Kits Beach and the city right across from Jericho. The beach‘s location in a residential area makes the waters quite calm.
With unreal views of the water and the city, This is one of the best places to stake out a picnic table to offer an impromptu barbecue.
Being a long beach with a seawall stretching from one end to the other, Spanish Bank is a quiet and great beach for a walk, popular for the spectacular backdrop of seagulls and sailboats chatting along the water.
Spanish Banks Beach looks even more beautiful in the evening as it offers a panoramic view of the sunset where you can lie on a blanket and watch the sun go down, as the city’s twinkling lights come down to the bay.
This beach is quite a nice place to relax as it is undoubtedly a calm beach. This beach has free parking and an off-leash area for dogs, as well as eight volleyball courts where you can enjoy a game.
6. Wreck Beach
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Wreck Beach is a one-of-a-kind beach located at the University of British Columbia. To see this beach, you may have to make a lot of effort to go outside the campus and reach it.
This beach is an It is located at a short distance at the base of the rock and you have to climb at least 500 steps to reach here. You read that right it is not an exaggeration. Save some energy to back up the journey.
And best of all, Wreck Beach is Vancouver’s only clothing-optional beach here. Wreck Beach has a distinctly bohemian vibe that tends to attract a hippie-like crowd.
Here you can see a local artist holding a guitar and performing in a group. It’s a rugged coastline and the beach is a bit forested, making you feel more secluded here than around town.
Taking a walk on the Time Wreck Beach is a very pleasant experience. The beach has much more to offer, from abandoned towers from World War II to local flora and fauna to historical and natural sights worth exploring.
7. Third Beach
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Third Beach A spectacular piece of driftwood, located in the heart of Canada’s third-largest city. The beach has a lush green landscape at the back and the ocean in the front.
If you’re walking or biking the Stanley Park Seawall, be sure to stop by Third Beach and enjoy the scenic views here. Because it is located deeper in the park and a little further away from the city center, this beach is less crowded than English Bay Beach and Second Beach in terms of congestion.
That is why you can breathe easily here and you will not find any better place than this. Other facilities at Third Beach include restrooms and changing rooms and a concession stand, and there are barbecues for tourists to enjoy using.
8. Locarno Beach
Photo by Alexandre Perotto on Unsplash
Locarno Beach is located between Spanish Banks Beach and Jericho Beach and is a lesser-known, smaller beach than its neighbors. And for that reason, it is a hidden little treasure.
It offers many of the same perks as its 5k other beaches, such as epic vistas, sandy beaches, and plenty of natural options for head splashing. Locarno Beach is a great option for you with plenty of space to enjoy a walk and picnic areas to play a game of sand volleyball or a game of bocce.
The only two things you won’t find at this beach are a lot of noise and crowds. Locarno is recognized as one of the seven beaches, which means that no amplified sound is allowed here.
Locarno Beach is known for enjoying the wonderful sights, sounds, and dirt of the beach here too there is no parking fee.
9. Ambleside Beach
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Ambleside Beach, located in the West Vancouver district on the opposite side of Burrard Inlet, across the Lions Gate Bridge, is very popular with locals.
This beach is beautiful and very lovely, Ambleside Beach is a lively center known as the home base for local activities and festivals. Ambleside Park has walking trails, a great playground, tennis courts, and even a Par 3 golf course.
This luxurious park is located just a short walk from the Royal Shopping Center and shops and cafes along Marine Drive. The palanquin tour of the bridge is extremely easy and well worth the extra effort.
If you visit Ambleside Park, be sure to leave enough time to explore the many nearby beaches. A quick stroll here will take you to the beautiful Ambleside Pond, home to a flock of swans that are a sight to behold.
10. Sunset Beach
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Sunset Beach is located at the mouth of False Creek near the Burrard Street Bridge and is easily accessible from downtown Vancouver.
It’s a great option for exploring other areas along False Creek, and also has a kickoff point Aquatic Center Ferry Dock is a pickup as the name suggests, a lot of people come here to enjoy watching the sunset on the beach.
It also fronts a highly trafficked part of the Seawall, making it a great place to watch joggers, walkers, cyclists, and cute dogs. It is considered one of Vancouver’s designated “quiet” beaches which makes it a great place to relax and have a great day off.
11. Dundarave Beach
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Dundarave Beach Like Ambleside Beach, technically located in the West Vancouver district, it is a very popular beach with families and locals alike. Its wide rocky and sandy shoreline will attract any beach lover to visit the area with its allure.
The waters here remain calm and Dundarawe is actually a favorite beach area for swimmers, with a swimming dock for community use. It’s a great option for you and your family, with plenty of fun activities to keep the little ones busy, such as a wading pool and a playground.
There is a great shopping area, and you can find many local shops here where you can enjoy delicious food.
12. Trout Lake Beach
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Trout Lake Beach is the city’s only official freshwater beach, located next to landlocked East Vancouver. And nearly all of the Vancouver area’s beaches front the Pacific Ocean.
This is definitely a beach with a peaceful getaway in the middle of the city. Here you’ll find a picnic area, a great playground, and great walking trails, and the man-made Town Lake has the same amenities as other Vancouver beaches, plus a unique feature.
Although the waters of Trout Lake are colder, many people are able to swim longer here than in the Pacific Ocean.
Trout Lake Beach is presented in a truly culinary setting, set amidst lots of lush trees and landscaped mountains set against the perfect backdrop.
There is an off-sealed area for your four-legged friends where you can bring your dogs and there is also free parking.