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Does Canada have a lot of shorelines?
- Though it doesn’t have a sun and sand reputation, surprisingly enough, Canada has more shorelines than any other country in the world.
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Are there many beaches in Canada?
- Yes! Canada is home to a multitude of lakes, creating a wide variety of waterfront beaches from inland to both coasts.
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What are some of the best beaches in Canada?
- From the legendary surf at Lawrencetown Beach to the clear, backcountry waters of Kathleen Lake, home to a rare species of freshwater salmon, and everything in between, here are the best beaches Canada has to offer.
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1. Sylvan Lake Provincial Park
Sylvan Lake Provincial Park is home to a substantial, naturally spring-fed lake with a nearly one-mile long grass and sand beach. There are two boat launching sites available, one is located at Sun Breaker Cove and the other at the marina. This sandy beach edges clear, flat waters. Excellent nearby amenities include picnic tables, grassy areas, volleyball nets, and upgraded day-use facilities. Over 900,000 people visit this beach each year, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Province, The beach is known for its swimming, boating, fishing, and water-skiing opportunities, as well as its annual special events like volleyball tournaments and community celebrations.
4403 Lakeshore Drive, Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada, Phone: 403-887-5522
2. Chesterman Beach
Lined with gorgeous homes, Chesterman Beach is an expansive w-shaped beach spanning a little over 1.6 miles just ten minutes from Tofino, Canada. The Wickaninnish Inn, one of country’s most famous luxury resorts is situated on its north end drawing in a lot of tourists. Shrouded in coastal forest, the sandy beach opens to the sprawling Pacific Ocean offering a wealth of land and water activities. Storm watching, surfing, whale-watching, kite-flying and walking are among the favorite pastimes here. There are three distinct sections of the beach, North, South, and Middle Chesterman, each offer its own unique vibe. Surf lessons are offered at South Chesterman Beach, while tide pooling during low tide is popular at North Chesterman Beach.
1426 Pacific Rim Highway, Tofino, British Columbia, Canada, Phone: 250-725-3414
3. Long Beach
Located in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Long Beach is the longest and largest beach on Vancouver Island’s west coast. Running parallel to the entire Tofino-Ucluelet highway the beach is easily accessible via car. It is one of the earliest and most famous surfing locales known for its consistent surf. The beach itself is covered in driftwood logs with some sandy patches revealing themselves at low tide. Several rocky “islands” are also exposed during low tide in the mid-tidal area of the beach. Visitors are welcome to explore the “islands.” However, its unwise to explore unsupervised. Visitors are cautioned to avoid the islands during turbulent weather and when it nears high-tide, as dangerous rip currents exist around the bigger islands.
2791 Pacific Rim Highway, Ucluelet, British Columbia, Canada, Phone: 250-726-3500
4. Skaha Beach
Situated in the south of Penticton, Skaha Beach spans a half mile along Skaha Lake, a popular spot for kite surfing and wind surfing. An ideal beach for families with children, the lake features a few slides and several floating docks. Several large spaces are available for picnicking. Washrooms, recreational watercraft rentals, and two beachfront concession stands are near the beach parking lot. Skaha Beach also has a hockey ball court, beach volleyball, basketball nets, a large playground, and a water splash park. The most interesting feature of the beach is the Skaha Solar Timepiece, an analemmatic sundial that tracks time by the sun’s position.
4145 Skaha Lake Road, Penticton, British Columbia, Canada, Phone: 236-422-1023
5. Sombrio Beach
Located near the Kilometer 29 marker of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, Sombrio Beach is accessed via an 820-foot pathway off the parking lot at the Sombrio Beach Trailhead, off Highway 14. This expansive cobbled beach offers three designated wilderness camping sections – Main Sombrio, East Sombrio, and West Sombrio. Known for its world-class surf, the beach attracts seasoned surfers as well as hikers who take advantage of their hiking trails along both east and west sides of the beach. As a part of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, it’s important that all campers, surfers, and explorers make way and give respect to the trail hikers.
Juan de Fuca, British Columbia, Canada, Phone: 250-474-1336
6. Wreck Beach
Located in Vancouver, Wreck Beach is an internationally-acclaimed, 49-mile-long nudist beach making it the largest naturist beach in North America. Conveniently situated just 15 minutes from downtown, it draws in visitors from more than 150 countries, appealing to tourists of all ages with roughly 14,000 daily visitors. The most visited beach in the country, the beach features a picturesque landscape and hippie-style atmosphere. There are beach vendors selling everything from frozen margaritas, burgers, and towels to haircuts, massages, and music. Several hiking trails surround or lead to the beach, so it’s just as common to see someone fully nude as it is in full hiking attire. Either way “no gawking” allowed.
NW Marine Drive, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Phone: 604-224-5739
7. China Beach
China Beach is situated along the Juan de Fuca Straight in the southeast town of Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island’s west coast. The trailhead to the beach can be found at the far end of the lower level of the China Beach day-use parking lot. It is a well maintained, wide trail that is pretty easy to use traversing past large Douglas-fir trees, and a wooden platform overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca before reaching China Beach. A family-friendly beach, common activities include sandcastle building, picnicking, wading, and exploring the beautiful waterfall located at the beach’s western end. During spring and fall, visitors will also be able to spot families of migrating grey whales.
12287 Hwy 14, Capital H, British Columbia, Canada, Phone: 250-642-5241
8. Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park
Encompassing nearly 8,000 acres Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park is located near Vernon. This mostly undeveloped park is an excellent example of North Okanagan grassland featuring groves of Douglas-fir and a smattering of ponderosa pines. Appearing to be different shades throughout the year ranging from indigo to cyan, Kalamalka Lake is known as the lake of a thousand colors. A glacial lake, its main inflow comes from Wood Lake. There are several beaches scattered throughout the park, the two most popular and most developed are Cosens Bay Beach and Kal beach; both are located in the heart of the park. There are several resorts along the lake, and it’s a popular destination for boating and waterskiing.
3004 39 Avenue, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, Phone: 250-542-1415
9. Grand Beach
Located on the northern edge of Grand Marais, Grand Beach is a beautiful white sand, beach on the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg along the historic La Verendrye Trail. With nearly two miles of sandy shores, the beach is backed by large sand dunes that rise up to 40 feet above sea level. There is a small boardwalk located on the western end of the beach that offers a variety of shopping and dining opportunities, plus washroom and changing areas. Swimming, boating, kayaking, sunbathing, and hiking along the Wild Wings Trail are popular activities here.
79 1st Street, Grand Marais, Canada, Phone: 204-754-5040
10. Hopewell Rocks
Open from mid-May to mid-October, Hopewell Rocks is one of the top attractions in New Brunswick. It’s situated along the coastal shores of the Bay of Fundy, the home of the highest tides in the world. Visitors can explore the park to learn the fascinating story behind this natural wonder’s, world famous tides. When the tide is low visitors can walk along the 1.25-mile beach meandering through several coves and sandstone formations. At high tide, these same rock formations become little islands surrounded by water, a truly unique sight to see. Activities are boundless at any time of day whether the tide is high or low. There are groomed walking trails, scenic picnic areas, and guided kayaking excursions.
131 Ch. Discovery Road, Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick, Canada, Phone: 877-734-3429
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