Bookended between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and with numerous lakes throughout, Canada is home to many beautiful beaches. And during the hot summer months, these beaches become havens for tourists looking to bask in the sun after the long winter.
If you’re planning your next road trip to a Canadian beach, we can help you plan it with our list of the nine best beaches in Canada.
9 Best Beaches in Canada
Canada has over 243,000 km of coastline, making it home to countless great beaches. Here are the nine best beaches in Canada to consider for your next vacation.
Long Beach - Tofino, British Columbia
On Vancouver Island, you’ll find a wonderful, 16-km-long stretch of wide open beach known as Long Beach. While its waters remain rather chilly year-round — 8 degrees Celsius in the winter and 12 degrees Celsius in the summer — there’s no shortage of folks donning thick wetsuits looking to tackle its waves on their surfboards.
Likely the best spot on Long Beach is the section in Pacific Rim National Park, though the entire beach is quite a treat in itself.
While the water is consistently cool, Long Beach is a wonderful strolling beach. The sand is hard, making it easy to walk on with a dog or even a stroller. If you’re up for finding sand dollars, you can easily get your fill during low tide at Long Beach.
Grand Beach Provincial Park - Manitoba
Grand Beach Provincial Park is consistently ranked as one of the best Canadian beaches – and for good reason. It boasts sand dunes over 12 metres tall and kilometres of warm sand to stroll along. Plus, the sand is perfect for sandcastle construction, keeping the kids entertained for hours.
The beach is located on Lake Winnipeg's shores — the sixth-largest lake in Canada. When you’re not up for walking barefoot in the warm sand, there’s also a wooden boardwalk with concessions to keep your belly full with all types of snacks.
Wading is also a favourite at this beach, as the water remains shallow for quite a distance, and natural sandbars make it even more shallow in some areas. These extra-shallow waters make it great for hybrid watersports, like football or frisbee.
Plus, the water is perfectly warm in the summertime, making it easy to enjoy for extended periods. And if you want to stay overnight, the campground in the park is among the best in Manitoba.
Wasaga Beach - Ontario
Wasaga Beach is more than just a beach — it’s an entire town filled with fun things to do. The beach itself is within Georgian Bay and is known as the longest freshwater beach in the world. Because of its length, there is lots of variation from one stretch of beach to the next, ranging from the trendy and touristy in Sections 1 and 2 to more secluded portions in Sections 3 through 6.
In Sections 1 and 2, you’ll find a boardwalk with stores and other fun things to do, like beach volleyball. In Sections 3-6, you can pick your plot of sand, set up your umbrella and supplies, and dive into a great book or even meditate.
Sections 3-6 are also dog friendly, so your fur-kid can dive into the water with you or have a good roll in the sand.
Parlee Beach Provincial Park - New Brunswick
Parlee Beach Provincial Park is located in the beach town of Pointe-du-Chene and boasts what most believe to be the warmest salt water in Canada, making it perfect for those sensitive to cold water. This beach boasts 1 km of beige sands and shallow water that extends well into the ocean.
As low tide sets in, the beach widens, but the ocean leaves behind large, warm pools of water for the kids to play in. The beach is protected by on-duty lifeguards in the summertime, making it a great and safe vacation destination for families.
Want to stay overnight? Beautiful campgrounds are nearby with over 200 sites to pick from — some with electricity and some without. So, you can either rough it without electricity or go the glamping route with electric hookups.
Bennett Beach - Yukon
On the border of British Columbia and Yukon is Lake Bennett, which is also home to one of the most beautiful beaches in Canada, Bennett Beach. This is a 1-km white sand beach that provides a glorious view of the Bennett Lake Volcanic Complex and snowy mountaintops.
Summertime is the ideal time to visit this beach, as Yukon bathes in up to 20 hours of daylight and temperatures reach upward of 30 degrees Celsius, making it a comfortable spot to spend your vacation and giving you warm water to frolic in.
If you tire of the sandy beach, you can always explore Carcross village, which is home to many of the oldest buildings in Yukon.
Sauble Beach - Ontario
Sauble Beach, Canada's top-ranked freshwater beach, offers 11 km of sandy beach and is a top destination for teens and twentysomethings. It offers a wide range of attractions, including a collection of testy restaurants, kite surfing, golf, fishing, and even an amusement park. It has something for virtually everybody.
On top of this, Sauble Beach has events throughout the summer, including Tuesday dance nights, Canada Day, and more.
There is truly something for everyone at Sauble Beach.
Brackley Beach - Prince Edward Island
Just 15 minutes outside the provincial capital city of Charlottetown is Brackley Beach, which is a part of the Prince Edward Island National Park (PEI National Park). This beach offers impressive sand dunes and beautiful sites, drawing visitors from all over Canada.
On top of the wonderful beach, there is also a multi-use hiking trail for running, biking, rollerblading and walking. Plus, this trail connects to other beaches in the area.
Brackley Bead is wheelchair accessible too, and you can book a fat-tired wheelchair ahead of time if needed.
Îles de la Madeleine (Magdalen Islands) - Quebec
The Magdalen Islands are an archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence with over 300 km of sandy beaches for you to explore. The islands boast a maritime climate, so you get mild winters and summers, making for warm, swimmer- and surfer-friendly waters all the way through September.
On top of the beautiful beaches, mother nature has also carved out wonderful architecture on the islands with its gorgeous sand dunes and cliffs along the coastline.
Singing Sands Beach - Ontario
Located in Bruce Peninsula National Park in Ontario, Singing Sands Beach is a small first-come-first-serve location on the Lake Huron shoreline. It includes a natural beach and a vast ecosystem that includes four species of carnivorous plants, orchids, and other rare plants.
The beach gets its name from the unique sound from the sand as you walk that sounds a lot like someone singing. This is due to the rounded shape of the quartz sand that makes up this amazing beach.
This beach is often referred to as the best in Ontario, so it’s worth a look — and a listen.
Hit the Beach in a Quality Pre-Owned Vehicle From Clutch
Ready to make the long trip to your favourite beach this summer? Make sure you get there without any issues by picking up a quality pre-owned vehicle from Clutch, Canada’s premier online used car retailer.
All our vehicles pass through a 210-point inspection and reconditioning process to ensure they’re ready for your trip. And if something should happen, you can rest assured you’re backed by our free 90-Day (or 6,000 km) Protection Plan and nationwide roadside assistance. And if you want even more coverage, you can opt for one of our nationwide Extended Warranties.
Apprehensive about buying a car online? Enjoy peace of mind knowing that every car from Clutch includes a 10-Day (or 750 km) Money-Back Guarantee. This means that if you don’t love your new ride during this time, you can return it for a refund or exchange it for a different one. No questions asked.
Check out our vast online used car inventory, choose the car that suits you, and start the online purchase process. You can buy the car, set up financing, and even evaluate your trade-in vehicle 100% online — no need to set foot in a car dealership. It doesn’t get easier than this.
