Just saying – the best beaches to check out in British Columbia – might sound a bit strange. And, it’s possible that Canada is not the first state that comes to your mind when you think of the sun, sea, and beach. However, Canada boasts thousands of coves, bays, and stunning sandy beaches that are part of the world’s longest coastline – British Columbia.
British Columbia (BC), the only province in Canada with both a Pacific Ocean shoreline and a coastal temperate rainforest, is bordered by Alaska to the north and Washington to the south. The extraordinary 29,000 km of coastline, which includes roughly 6,500 islands, is dominated by valleys and fjords that fall to rocky coasts and rare gravel and sand beaches.
Don’t worry, there’s no need to travel the whole country to find beautiful beaches. You just need to read this text till the end and find some of the nicest, hidden jewel beaches that will take your breath away!
Best Beaches in British Columbia
Here are our top choices for the Best Beaches in British Columbia.
Nels Bight, Vancouver Island
Fantastic windswept and wild sandy beaches on the Pacific coast can be found throughout the northwest of Vancouver Island. Due to the fact that it can only be reached by boat or a 30-kilometer roundtrip journey, Nels Bight is certainly one of the top beaches in British Columbia.
At low tide, Nels Bight stretches more than 2,400 meters long and 210 meters wide, making it one of the park’s most popular camping spots. San Josef Bay, Guise Bay, Experiment Bight, Lowrie Bay, and Nissen Bight are also notable beaches.
Visitors can explore the sandy beaches, rainforests, lowland bogs, and muskeg of this wilderness park on a day hike or a backpacking trip. Actually, Nels Bight is a beautiful surprise for trekkers with tired (and perhaps wet) feet. Additionally, it is a great starting point for visiting the Cape Scott Lighthouse and other local beaches.
Swimming is popular on the beaches of Nels Bight and San Josef Bay. But be aware of potentially dangerous riptides and sometimes intense surf conditions. Provincial parks have no lifeguards on duty! When it comes to fishing, anyone fishing in BC must have an appropriate license.
Jericho Beach – Vancouver
It was challenging to choose just one beach because Vancouver is home to a surprisingly large number of great beaches for such a big city. But we choose one special. Jericho Beach, located between Kitsilano and Locarno beaches and home to Vancouver’s July Folk Music Festival, is one of the city’s favorite beaches.
Jericho Beach offers views of the mountains, the ocean, and the city. Kitsilano, which is close by, has a ton of fantastic take-out joints and grocery stores where you can get ingredients for a beach picnic or a barbecue. Jericho Beach is spacious enough for everyone to watch the sunset or simply hang out because it is long and broad and has lots of driftwood to sit on and relax on.
There is also a park at Jericho Beach with a small pond, grassy lawns, trees, and picnic tables, making it an ideal spot for a stroll and a picnic. Sports fields, tennis courts, and beach volleyball courts are also available.
The beach at Jericho is always crowded in the summer, but especially in mid-July when it hosts Vancouver’s popular Folk Music Festival. Jericho Beach is one of several lovely sandy beaches that line the southern shores of English Bay in Vancouver. The sand appears to stretch on forever, especially at low tide.
The biking trails along the water are excellent and highly recommended. It’s flat the entire way, making it suitable for people of all ages all year round.
Best Beaches in British Columbia – Goose Spit, Vancouver Island
The sandy Goose Spit, which extends into Comox Bay for a little over two kilometers, is a favorite among residents of the Comox Valley. The sights across the Strait to the Coastal Mountains and back toward Vancouver Island are nothing short of magnificent. Bald eagles, loons, and gulls are frequent residents, and it is also a popular site for birds. There are several fire pits on Goose Spit beach, and fires are permitted there from the beginning of May to the end of September, giving you the chance to have possibly the most picturesque (legal!) campfire you’ve ever experienced.
Goose Spit Park has spectacular views to the south, east, and west. A sheltered lagoon on the inside provides food and habitat for many migratory and resident waterfowl. Every year from March to May, Brant geese use the park as a migratory stopover. Pets must be leashed in the park during those times. The park is located within the provincially rare coastal sand ecosystem and is home to a variety of plants and animals that are listed as blue or red in the province.
During winter storms, a log wall in the high tide area helps keep the road from being washed out. It also aids in the trapping of sand and the establishment of vegetation. Goose Spit is a popular kiteboarding spot in the fall and winter. Many people enjoy paddling and swimming on the beaches during the summer.
Botanical Beach, Vancouver Island
Botanical Beach, part of Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, is a beach for geological and wildlife exploration rather than sunbathing. Likewise, this beach unquestionably deserves its name, but it is unlike any botanical garden you have ever visited, as the majority of the colorful flora and fauna await you underwater. In fact, Botanical Beach is justly famous for being one of the best places on the West Coast to see intertidal marine plants and animals in their natural habitats!
Black basalt rocks and tide pools replace sand here, revealing intertidal life at the Pacific’s edge. Visit at low tide to see the shoreline and tide pool wildlife at their best, while high tide allows you to feel the true power of the ocean (but keep your distance from the surf!). Keep an eye out for orcas and grey whales as they migrate past these shores.
The Botanical Beach tide pools are fascinating because of their inextricable relationship to the ever-changing tide movements. Because of these movements, the organisms there must adapt their lives to the changing rhythms of food availability, predator risk, temperature, and water salinity. Unfortunately, this also means that if you want to make the most of your visit to Botanical Beach, you must plan ahead of time.
The beautifully convenient Botanical Beach Loop Trail is the best way to ensure that you see everything that the rich area of Botanical Beach has to offer. Even if you’re not a hiker, this lovely 2.7 km hike is not too strenuous and is well-maintained. There will be some slopes, but there will also be lush stretches of atmospheric rainforest and unforgettable ocean views. As a loop trail, the entire thing starts right where you left off.
Long Beach, Vancouver Island
We couldn’t make a list of beaches without including Vancouver Island’s most popular – Long Beach. This great place is 16 kilometers long and part of the Pacific Rim National Park. As the longest sand beach on Vancouver Island’s west coast, there is a fee to visit. If you wonder if is it worth it, we must say – it is!
The sand is immaculate, the views are breathtaking, and the surf is consistently good. Swimmers, kayakers, surfers, walkers, talkers, thinkers, sand castle builders….they all come to this beach to be inspired by its sights and sounds. The most important tip you should follow is – to bring plenty of food for lunch and stay for dinner around a beach fire.
A trip to the west coast is incomplete without seeing some wild animals. Bear, deer, and wolf prints are common, but cougar prints are extremely rare. Visitors should follow the advice to prepare for a truly wild experience.
This breathtaking beach is known for having the longest stretch of surf swept sand on Vancouver Island’s west coast. This breathtaking beach draws surfers and tourists from all over the world. During July and August, surf guards are on duty, but you must exercise caution in the cold, powerful surf. Please also be mindful of the fragile beach environment. Only leave footprints and take photographs. The beach has two parking areas for day use. WHEELCHAIR accessible.
