Treat yourself to a driving tour around the Island with sun and sand as your destinations: from west to east, north to south, it doesn't take long to find yourself beachside again. For the budding zoologist, Botanical Beach Provincial Park, just west of Sooke, is the perfect place to observe tidal pools at low tide and find octopus, mussels and starfish flourishing in plain sight.
Just a short ferry ride north of Victoria, Sidney Spit Provincial Marine Park is one of the best beaches near the capital city. This tiny island features a sandy beach, snorkelling and, perhaps best of all, gloriously warm water. For freshwater swimming, fishing and boating, West Shawnigan Lake Provincial Park is a family destination. Located about 30 kilometres north of Victoria, the lake has boat rentals – and boat launches, if you've already got the canoe. If you’ve got the time, paddle the one-kilometre distance over to Memory Island Provincial Park, a tranquil spot for a picnic.
Renowned as the top surfing destination in Canada, Long Beach is a magnet for adventure seekers. The wetsuit-clad surfers brave 12-degree-Celsius water (which drops to 7 degrees in the winter!) to tackle some of the best breaks on the West Coast. Last year, Outside magazine named Tofino the best surf town in North America. The gorgeous 25-kilometre sweep of sand that is the Long Beach unit – made up of Long Beach, Radar Beach, Combers Beach and Wickaninnish Beach – is a gem of a vacation spot, even for those who don’t surf. There’s sand and sun for the kids, tidal pools to explore, and a dynamic artistic community in Tofino.
A short ferry ride from Nanaimo, Newcastle Island Provincial Marine Park entices with a retreat away from the more bustling beaches. With sheltered waters, pebble beaches and walking trails, a day on Newcastle (or overnight, if camping is your thing) is a perfect escape for a hike, a picnic and a cool-down in the water.
Just a few miles north of Nanaimo, the community of Parksville, on the sheltered eastern side of the Island, has become a preferred destination for families, and for a growing retirement population, drawn to the mild temperatures and great weather. And of course, the beach: Rathtrevor Beach offers the warmest ocean swimming temperatures in Canada and tidal flats perfect for beachcombing and birdwatching. Parksville itself drapes around one of the best public beach parks on all of Vancouver Island – the Parksville Community Beach. This beach is an activity hotspot and is the setting for many festivals, including the three-week Parksville Beach Festival held mid-July through mid-August. The Canadian Open Sand Sculpting Competition is part of the fun.
Nearby Qualicum Beach, just north of Parksville, is one of the most popular family-oriented beaches. The seaside community offers a great sandy beach for sand sculptures and swimming, along with a sweet small-town atmosphere.
Thinking of journeying off-island for the weekend? Nearby Hornby Island offers its own shallow, warm-water beach and provincial park at Tribune Bay. If you're arriving under your own steam by way of a boat, you won't be alone: the beach is a popular spot to drop anchor.
Finally, if your journey takes you further north on Vancouver Island, Miracle Beach Provincial Park is between Courtenay and Campbell River. There's a family atmosphere here, with a wide and safe sandy beach, winding trails leading through the adjacent forest and campsites for those looking to stay longer. Saratoga Beach is also popular for its wide stretches of sand at low tide, perfect for tidal pool exploration and sand castle building. Oyster Bay Shoreline Regional Park is a terrific spot for those who enjoy walking the waterline: a shoreline walking trail winds from the southern perimeter to the central harbour.
