Where to Find the Best Beach on
Vancouver Island
Our Personal Top 5 Favourite Beaches

Wondering just where is the best beach on Vancouver Island?

If you're looking for some holiday beach locations, check out some of the fantastic Vancouver Island beaches that await!

We're proud to say that Long Beach on Vancouver Island made Canadian Geographic magazine's "Top 25 Beaches in Canada," Canadian Automobile Association magazine's "Top 10 Beaches," and the National Post's "Best Beaches in Canada."

From the main Inland Highway on Vancouver Island, look for the signs that exit to Port Alberni.

Highway 4 is the one you'll want. It takes you out to the Pacific Rim National Park and to tons of fab beaches!

It's impossible to pick out the one best beach on Vancouver Island. We've narrowed our picks down to the Top 5 best beaches that merit a visit. Here they are...

#5
PACHENA BAY (Western Island)

It's sandy, it's quiet, and it's really off the beaten path. The sunsets? Unforgettable. And for those reasons, Pachena Bay makes our list as number 5 on our Top 5 Best Beaches on Vancouver Island.

Pachena Bay is bordered on one side by a rocky shoreline (it’s the northern trailhead for the famous West Coast Trail), and on the opposite side by Pachena River. Sometimes you can even hear sea lions barking in the morning. This is a great walking beach. As mostly only local Islanders know about Pachena Bay, this is the perfect beach destination to get away from almost everyone and everything. Follow the signs to Bamfield, leading to the campground. Note: the road to Pachena Bay is gravel and not great (full of potholes) take the drive easy.

#4
TRIBUNE BAY - Tribune Bay Provincial Park (Hornby Island, BC)

Just a short ferry trip east off Vancouver Island (it's close! really), the beach of Tribune Bay will have you thanking us we even mentioned it. The sand is white, the water is shallow and it's warm (claims to be the warmest ocean water anywhere in BC). This is an excellent place for a family beach vacation.

Tribune Bay is actually divided into two sandy beaches: Little Tribune is the small nudist beach. Head around the cove head over to Tribune Bay, where you'll find the "regular" beach and it's glorious expanse. Children are found all over on the beach here, but you'll have no trouble finding your own little piece of sand and surf. Looking for cheap family beach vacations year after year? Tribune Bay Campground is an excellent place to bring the family tent and park it for the summer.

#3
PARKSVILLE BEACH - Parksville, BC (Eastern Island)

When the tide goes out, the sand at Parksville Beach seems endless. Here the beach is flat and silent and downright huge. Although the Parksville annual sandcastle competition (every August) takes place here drawing a fair number of people, the long-stretching flat sands and shallow waters make Parksville Beach one of the best romantic walks this side of the Equator. Visit the Paradise Fun Park in Parksville for mini-golf and rummage through the shops within walking distance. In our opinion: one of the best family ocean vacation spots in North America.

#2
SAN JOSEF BAY - Cape Scott Provincial Park (Northern Island)

Incredibly wild, secluded wilderness, and empty beaches (even in July and August), makes San Josef Bay one of our top beaches on Vancouver Island. The white sand beaches within the bay are puctuated with rocky outcroppings and fascinating sea-stacks. Access to this fab beach is beyond Port Hardy on the northern Island. Follow the signs to the park's main entrance. From the parking lot, you've got about a 45 minute easy walk out to San Josef Bay on a good trail. If you want remote, this is the beach. When you get there, you'll know why it made our list.

AND... our #1 BEST BEACH on Vancouver Island...

LONG BEACH - Pacific Rim National Park (Western Island)

Long Beach is our #1 pick for best beach on Vancouver Island. We've been awestruck by this glorious beach for 16+ years! That's because it's a stunning beach both for summer and winter adventures. Whether it's surfing or winter storm watching, this is the place. Long Beach is actually part of a series of beaches along the western coast and is the most expansive. Follow the highway signs for access points. It's nothing but miles and miles of sand and the rushing noise of Pacific rollers.

Note a couple of things: The water isn't terribly warm to swim in (ocean temperature hovers around 9°C) - but you can still frolic around and put out a towel and do the "beach thing." The warmest time of year for a beach vacation here: July and August. Also... be prepared to pay an exorbitant Park Entrance Fee - the amount will leave you gasping!Caution: surfers and swimmers at Long Beach should be very careful - large waves, rip currents and rolling logs can be lethal.

Our Other Favourite Pacific Rim Park Beaches

Florencia Bay - a neat, hidden little beach with plenty of forest all around. Feels slightly more secluded. A really good spot to launch your boogie board/kayak. Want to stay? Florencia Bay Hideaway is a small cabin resort that we'd recommend nearby for family beach vacations or for romantic beach getaways.

GETTING HERE... You're looking at approximately a three-hour drive from Victoria, past Nanaimo. Head onto Highway 4 (the Pacific Rim Highway). Be prepared for a twisty, winding road all the out, and fill up the gas tank in Port Alberni. Scenery on this drive is gorgeous.

Hope we helped you find the best beach on Vancouver Island to enjoy! Have a good time out here and drop us a line!


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