This is quite the gem for any rock collector out there. It's a bit hidden so it's nice and quiet…read more LOTS of trails and beach to explore. Also, a TON of wildlife!

A beautiful beach on Vancouver Island, just north of Bowser, BC. You will descend a fairly narrow…read moreroad down to the beach, where there are a couple spots to park and there's a bench overlooking the beach and a great view towards the coastal mountains. It's mostly rocky, but you may find a lot of wildlife here (and will probably see some bald eagles).

Beautiful beach, stunning views. Fantastic at low tide to explore tide pools and plenty of sandy…read moreplaces to play and swim. Breathtaking place to spend the day. Picnic tables for your lunching needs and public bathrooms and rinse showers available.

Great family campground. We stayed here for two nights with our three kids. Lots of other families…read morethere and our kids made friends in the park right away. Not a wilderness campground but our site was far enough we couldn't see our neighbors on either side. Short walk to the beach, saw deer on the campground. Great weekend away.

Stopped in for a break in the day while we were traveling from Tofino to Ucluelet back to our lodge…read morewhere we were staying. Despite it being a cold day, it was packed with surfers ready to hit the waves. Thankfully, we claimed what I think was probably the last parking spot within walking distance. I needed to use the restroom, so I hit that first. Only one or two were in operation, sadly but at least they had them. There were also changing rooms available so that was nice for the surfers who were changing. The beach itself is cool. It butts up right against forest, so there were tons of old downed, sand-beaten trees that sculpted a beautiful backdrop for the mellow ocean waves. The beach itself was very clean & the walk was quite nice and serene. This beach is a nice little hidden (or maybe not-so-hidden treasure to find) and I welcome a return visit if we ever visited this area again.

Chesterman Beach was a nice stop for an evening walk. There were plenty of fire pits going with…read moregroups sitting around them on the driftwood. We saw a few people surfing as the sun was setting. It's perfect for an easy, long walk. It's a quick drive south of Tofino and we found it easy to park with a very short walk from the parking lot to the beach. There are restrooms near the parking lot as well. Overall, a great beach.

My parents live 5 mins from here, so it tends to be our go-to for one of our Island Beach Days!…read more They have a really great playground & water squirt park, clean change/rest rooms. The beach itself isn't bad, but it can be quite rocky so I would strongly suggest to wear a cheap pair of rubber flip flops on the beach and wear them in the water! Also, the water is COLD! You can swim in it, but it's a rough go on the way in! Another thing to be aware of is the tide. At times you can walk and walk and walk before you get to swim. However, the tide will come in quickly, so watch your bags, towels etc. When we were there the first week of July, we decided to go onto a rock mass that was above sea level by quite a bit and had a Tee Pee on it! It was quite private as there was only another coupon on it at the time. We swam (froze) but generally had fun. We had waded across below the knee level to get to it. When we decided to leave, it was no longer knee level- it came up past my chest (I'm 5-8) I slightly panicked as I didn't know how we were going to get back to the beach. Luckily my husband is 6-2, but he had to carry the bags above his head in order for him to safely get across without getting our phones etc. wet! Funny after the fact, not so much at the time !!

This is a huge park! There are plenty of parking all over. We parked somewhere in the middle near…read morethe children playground. Lots of families were there on the day we went. There is a green space in the middle where the arboretum is. It feels peaceful to walk in the greenery under the cover of the trees. During low tide, you can see the seabed as far as the eyes can see. Families will take the opportunity to be out there with their beach towels. I did not venture out there but I think you will also see shellfish in the seabed. The advisory was not to harvest them as they are contaminated. My favorite part of this park is at the end where there is a Legacy Labyrinth. It is quieter here. You can meditate while walking the labyrinth. There are also many cairns set on the logs. Pretty neat to see them.

If you are traveling on the highway along the Sunshine Coast, you get to see the same view of the…read moreSalish sea. I love this spot out at Davis Bay. The first time I drove past it was a few years ago and it was grey and dreary due to the rain. But I remembered it. So I decided to get a place to stay in the area when planning my trip to the Sunshine Coast after the pandemic. I got to appreciate the place more when staying here as I had the opportunity to walk along the coast in the morning (during sunrise), afternoon, evening (sunset) and night. There are always people fishing and crabbing on the pier. The pier is the iconic landmark of Davis Bay. The highlight was seeing several seals swim past just after sunrise when I was out at the pier. I saw probably 10 or more seals swimming in groups of 2-3 in the half hour period. One even breached the water. I was told it is also common to see grey whales swim here too. Besides the gorgeous sunset where you can literally see the sun go down, it is a lovely walk along the sidewalk, especially in the morning and evening. The beach is a bit too rocky to walk comfortably. Parking is available by the road. Across the pier, there are a few restaurants. Make reservations there as they are always busy, especially for dinner.

This is a beautiful beach along the seawall in Sechelt Coastline. There are plenty of free parking…read more H and I really enjoy watching sunset here and taking a stroll after dinner. Some parts of the beach are very rocky and not great to walk in. It is a beautiful beach and they have a viewing deck that extend out to the water for anyone who wants to go fishing. certain areas have stairs that you can walk down from the parking area to the beach. Yes parking is just right above the beach.

I'm going to let the secret out to everyone! Tonquin beach is the most beautiful small beach in…read moreTofino. Secluded, exclusive, and private, yet free access for everyone. I came here in October during the evening, and there was only one person sitting on the beach. I was expecting more people because it was so beautiful. It was so quiet and peaceful too. I could only hear the waves and the wind blowing. The sands were almost completely untouched by beachcombers; so pristine, and very clean. The sunset on the beach was like a Roy Henry Vickers painting.

Amazing little spot…read more It is a quick drive from the Tofino town center. I would even say within walking distance. The whole park has just recently been completely updated with new trails, walkways and beach access. Parking is pretty limited. Walk down the path, down some cool stairs to the beach. It is quaint and very much undiscovered from the general tourist population. Talk about stereotypical west coast beauty. The rocks and trees make for a beautiful little cove. When you get down to the beach from the path, another trail picks up to another set of wooden stairs up to a wonderful trail system through the park. The trail walk took my wife and I about an hour with lots of breaks to enjoy the views and explore the surroundings. It was a great pre-lunch walk to build up our appetite to eat at Sobo nearby (best food in Tofino... scratch that, one of the best places on the Island!) This was my first discovery of the park/beach after seeing it on Yelp and it did not disappoint. Tonquin Park will be one of the places I will visit every time I go to Tofino from now on.

Nice short hike for the kids. Gets you out to the ocean. Even have an outhouse along the way…read more Beautiful walk to a rock beach.

Qualicum Beach, a small town located on Vancouver Island near Nanaimo, is a popular local vacation…read morespot. However, until last week, when my husband and I were invited to join a friend at her parents' vacation home in Qualicum Beach, I had never had the opportunity to go. We were only there for a few days so we did not have the opportunity to see much, but it was a nice, relaxing, much-needed mini vacation. One of the things we did was walk along the beach, and we saw several eagles and a heron, in addition to many, many geese. There were also a ton of tiny crabs skittering about on the sand, and we had to be careful to ensure that we did not step on them. I would like to go back and see more of Qualicum Beach, although as a non-driver, I would need to get a ride with a friend who drives. There is technically transit in Qualicum Beach -- I saw some bus stops, and once, I saw a bus -- but essentially, you need to have access to a car to get anywhere.

As its name might suggest, Qualicum Beach is a seaside community centered around - prepare yourself…read morefor it - the eponymous beachfront. It's easy to see what originally drew visitors and settlers to the area, and what prompted world-weary retirees to stay. The Island Highway (Hwy 19) snakes up from Nanaimo and Parksville past some spectacular views of the Sunshine Coast, an endless parade of powder blue Coast Mountains and slate islands rising from the waters of Georgia Strait. As the long, pebbled shingle sweeps around in an arc, jagged peaks of the coastal Vancouver Island range scrape the clouds. Some of the prettiest mid-Island scenery is before you. Do as the Qualicum Beachers do, and pull out your trainers or your bike to enjoy the show. A long paved trail connects one end of Qualicum Beach up towards the other, though a few old-time motels have refused to provide connection points around their property (annoyingly requiring diversions). Lots of seniors walking their dogs or pushing grandkids in strollers regularly traverse the route. At least two ice creameries/cafés anchor the route, so you can enjoy a sweet treat after all that energizing fresh air. Anyone expecting a golden stretch of sand as far as the eye can see will be disappointed - you want Rathtrevor Beach or the public beach in Parksville for that. Qualicum Beach is stonier and laden with bleached driftwood shaped into intriguing forms. Sandy spots are snatched up by kids on beach blankets in the summer. The gentle slopes are ideal for a long, pleasant walk, and the north end of the beach seems to be better suited for splashing around and swimming. Several large shade trees provide a spot to get out of the sun or hide from the rain - this being the Pacific Coast, you can feasibly have both in an hour. Parking is provided all along the strand, but those spots are hotly contested and you may find yourself trying to back out into a line of highway traffic eager to snatch your spot up or bypass the person waiting. Exercise patience and caution along with your legs.

An amazingly peaceful and serene spot to anchor or stern tie. To get in or out of the chain of…read moreislands you must time the currents perfectly for the time of day or it will be too strong to get in or out. Once in its spectacular. You can hike up to Newton Lake, an elevated lake on one of the mountains with fresh crystal clear blue water to cool off! Warmer than the ocean. We took some time to drop the crab traps and enjoyed watching an abundance of wildlife.