Best Beaches in Vancouver and Metro Vancouver: 25 Beaches to Visit

1. English Bay Beach – West End

Vancouver’s most famous beach, with the Inukshuk, a busy summer scene and some of the city’s best sunsets. It hosts the Celebration of Light fireworks each summer.

Best for: Sunsets, people-watching, the Inukshuk | Dogs: No | Lifeguards: Yes

2. Sunset Beach – West End

A calmer, sandy beach just east of English Bay on the Seawall, with one of the city’s few dog off-leash beach areas. Drinking is not permitted here.

Best for: Dog owners, Seawall walks | Dogs: Off-leash area | Lifeguards: Yes

3. Second Beach – Stanley Park

A family favourite on the Stanley Park Seawall, with a heated outdoor pool, playground and picnic lawns.

Best for: Families, outdoor pool | Dogs: No | Lifeguards: Yes

4. Third Beach – Stanley Park

A quieter, forest-backed beach further along the Stanley Park Seawall, famous for sunset views over English Bay.

Best for: Sunsets, quieter Stanley Park beach | Dogs: No | Lifeguards: Yes

5. Kitsilano Beach – Kitsilano

Vancouver’s liveliest beach, with volleyball courts, the saltwater Kitsilano Pool and views of downtown and the mountains.

Best for: Volleyball, Kits Pool, lively summer days | Dogs: Nearby at Hadden Park | Lifeguards: Yes

Tip: Dogs are not allowed on Kits Beach, but neighbouring Hadden Park has an off-leash beach area.

6. Jericho Beach – West Point Grey

A wide, grassy beach park with a sailing centre and lots of room for picnics and families.

Best for: Sailing, families, picnics | Dogs: No | Lifeguards: Yes

7. Locarno Beach – West Point Grey

A peaceful, sandy stretch between Jericho and Spanish Banks, popular with locals who want a quieter beach day.

Best for: Quiet beach days | Dogs: No | Lifeguards: Yes

8. Spanish Banks – West Point Grey

Long, natural shoreline with huge tidal flats at low tide, volleyball courts and an off-leash dog area at the western extension.

Best for: Low-tide flats, volleyball, dogs | Dogs: Off-leash area | Lifeguards: Yes

9. Acadia Beach – UBC area

A quiet, rugged beach below Pacific Spirit Regional Park, just west of Spanish Banks.

Best for: Solitude, rugged shoreline | Dogs: No | Lifeguards: No

10. Wreck Beach – UBC

A clothing-optional beach at the foot of a long staircase below UBC, with forest, driftwood and big sunset views.

Best for: Clothing-optional beach, sunsets | Dogs: No | Lifeguards: No

Tip: Wreck Beach has no lifeguards and requires a steep climb back up.

11. Trout Lake Beach – East Vancouver

Vancouver’s only Park Board freshwater beach, at the south end of Trout Lake in John Hendry Park.

Best for: Freshwater, families, farmers market | Dogs: Off-leash area (north end) | Lifeguards: No

Tip: Check water quality advisories before you swim. Lifeguards were not scheduled here in 2026.

12. New Brighton Park – Hastings-Sunrise

East Vancouver’s waterfront park, with a small beach on Burrard Inlet, a heated outdoor pool and mountain views.

Best for: Heated pool, mountain views | Dogs: Off-leash area | Lifeguards: No (pool lifeguards)

13. CRAB Park at Portside – Downtown

A hidden green space and small beach on Burrard Inlet near Gastown, with close-up harbour views. Not a swimming beach.

Best for: Harbour views, quiet lawns | Dogs: Off-leash area | Lifeguards: No

14. Ambleside Beach – West Vancouver

A long beach with a seawalk, views of the Lions Gate Bridge and Stanley Park, and an off-leash dog area with water access.

Best for: Seawalk, dog beach, ship-watching | Dogs: Off-leash area | Lifeguards: No

15. Dundarave Beach – West Vancouver

A small sandy beach with a historic pier and wading pool, at the start of the Centennial Seawalk and steps from Dundarave Village.

Best for: Pier, village, families | Dogs: No | Lifeguards: No

16. Whytecliff Park – Horseshoe Bay

A rocky cove beach in Canada’s first saltwater marine protected area, with Whyte Islet reachable at low tide.

Best for: Scenery, Whyte Islet, diving | Dogs: Leashed, not on beach | Lifeguards: No

17. Cates Park (Whey-ah-Wichen) – North Vancouver

The District’s largest waterfront park, with forest trails, pebbly beaches, a boat launch and paddling toward Deep Cove.

Best for: Kayaking, forest trails, picnics | Dogs: Leashed | Lifeguards: No

18. Barnet Marine Park – Burnaby

Burnaby’s only saltwater beach, below Burnaby Mountain, with a fishing pier, kayak launch and old mill ruins.

Best for: Swimming, crabbing, kayaking | Dogs: Off-leash area (not beach) | Lifeguards: No

19. White Pine Beach (Sasamat Lake) – Belcarra Regional Park

A sandy beach on Sasamat Lake, one of the warmest lakes in Metro Vancouver.

Best for: Warm freshwater swimming | Dogs: No | Lifeguards: No

Tip: Parking fills early on summer weekends, and dogs are not allowed on the beach.

20. Old Orchard Park – Port Moody

Port Moody’s only swimming beach, with calm water, a playground and the start of the Shoreline Trail.

Best for: Calm water, families | Dogs: No | Lifeguards: No

21. Garry Point Park – Steveston

A windswept park famous for kite flying and sunsets, a short walk from Steveston Village.

Best for: Kites, sunsets, Steveston | Dogs: On leash | Lifeguards: No

22. Iona Beach – Sea Island

A wild beach next to YVR with a 4 km jetty walk into the Strait of Georgia, dunes and bird-watching ponds.

Best for: Jetty walk, birds, stargazing | Dogs: Leashed, limited areas | Lifeguards: No

23. Centennial Beach – Tsawwassen

A sheltered, shallow sandy beach in Boundary Bay Regional Park, with warm water in summer and huge tidal flats.

Best for: Warm shallow water, families, kites | Dogs: Leashed | Lifeguards: No

24. Crescent Beach – South Surrey

A seaside village beach with Blackie Spit Park, two fenced off-leash dog areas and great bird-watching.

Best for: Village, dogs, bird-watching | Dogs: Fenced off-leash areas | Lifeguards: No

25. White Rock Beach – White Rock

East and West Beach, a 470-metre pier, a 2.2 km promenade and the famous white rock itself.

Best for: Pier, promenade, fish and chips | Dogs: Leashed on beach, seasonal on promenade | Lifeguards: No

Best Beaches for Families

Second Beach, Jericho Beach, Centennial Beach and Old Orchard Park combine calm water, playgrounds and facilities.

Best Dog-Friendly Beaches

In the City of Vancouver, dogs are only allowed at beaches inside designated off-leash areas, including Sunset Beach, Spanish Banks, Trout Lake and New Brighton Park (seasonal). Elsewhere, Ambleside and Crescent Beach have dedicated off-leash areas.

Best Beaches for Sunsets

English Bay, Third Beach, Wreck Beach, Garry Point and Iona Beach all face west over open water.

Warmest Water

For warmer swimming, try lake water at White Pine Beach or the shallow bays at Centennial Beach and White Rock.

Quietest Beaches

Locarno, Acadia, CRAB Park and Cates Park are good escapes from summer crowds.

What is the best beach in Vancouver?

English Bay and Kitsilano are the most popular, but the best choice depends on what you want: Spanish Banks for space, Second Beach for families, Third Beach for sunsets and Sunset Beach if you have a dog.

When is beach season in Vancouver?

Lifeguarded beach season runs from the Victoria Day long weekend in May to Labour Day in September. July and August have the warmest weather.

Which Vancouver beaches allow dogs?

Dogs are only allowed in designated off-leash areas at New Brighton Park (seasonal), John Hendry Park (Trout Lake), Spanish Banks and Sunset Beach, plus the Hadden Park dog beach near Kitsilano.

Where is the warmest water near Vancouver?

Sasamat Lake at White Pine Beach is one of the warmest lakes in the region. For ocean water, the shallow bays at Centennial Beach and White Rock warm up most in summer.

Which beaches can I reach by SkyTrain or bus?

English Bay, Sunset Beach, Kitsilano and the Stanley Park beaches are easy by bus from downtown, CRAB Park is a walk from Waterfront Station, and Trout Lake is near Nanaimo and Commercial–Broadway stations.