Only 10% of Vancouver's annual rainfall occurs during June, July, and August; 60 days of summer sunshine is not uncommon, although the Pacific never really warms up enough for a comfortable swim. Still, English Bay Beach, at the end of Davie Street off Denman Street and Beach Avenue, is a great place to see sunsets. The bathhouse dates to the turn of the 20th century, and a huge playground slide is mounted on a raft just off the beach every summer.
On Stanley Park's western rim, Second Beach is a short stroll north from English Bay Beach. A playground, a snack bar, and an immense heated oceanside pool (tel. 604/257-8370), open from May through September, makes this a convenient and fun spot for families. Admission to the pool is C$4.85 (US$4/£2.25) for adults, C$3.40 (US$2.80/£1.50) for seniors, C$3.65 (US$3/£1.50) for youth 13 to 18, and C$2.45 (US$2/£1.10) for children 6 to 12. Farther along the seawall, due north of Stanley Park Drive, lies secluded Third Beach. Locals tote along grills and coolers to this spot, a popular place for summer-evening barbecues and sunset watching.
South of English Bay Beach, near the Burrard Street Bridge, is Sunset Beach. Running along False Creek, it's actually a picturesque strip of sandy beaches filled with enormous driftwood logs that serve as windbreaks and provide a little privacy for sunbathers and picnickers. A snack bar, a soccer field, and a long, gently sloping grassy hill are available for people who prefer lawn to sand.
On the West Side, Kitsilano Beach, along Arbutus Drive near Ogden Street, is affectionately called Kits Beach. It's an easy walk from the Maritime Museum and the False Creek ferry dock. If you want to do a saltwater swim but can't handle the cold, head to the huge (135m/443-ft.) heated (77°F/25°C) Kitsilano Pool. Admission is the same as for Second Beach Pool, above.
Farther west on the other side of Pioneer Park is Jericho Beach (Alma St. off Point Grey Rd.), another local after-work and weekend social spot. Locarno Beach, off Discovery Street and NW Marine Drive, and Spanish Banks, NW Marine Drive, wrap around the northern point of the UBC campus and University Hill. (Be forewarned that beachside restrooms and concessions on the promontory end abruptly at Locarno Beach.) Below UBC's Museum of Anthropology is Point Grey Beach, a restored harbor defense site. The next beach is Wreck Beach -- Canada's largest nude beach. You get down to Wreck Beach by taking the very steep Trail 6 on the UBC campus near Gate 6 down to the water's edge. Extremely popular with locals, and maintained by its own preservation society, Wreck Beach is also the city's most pristine and least-developed sandy stretch, bordered on three sides by towering trees.
At the northern foot of the Lions Gate Bridge, Ambleside Park is a popular North Shore spot. The quarter-mile beach faces the Burrard Inlet.
For information on any of Vancouver's many beaches, call tel. 604/738-8535 (summer only).
