Hundreds of miles northeast of the Caribbean, in beautiful British Columbia, is a 19-kilometre stretch of some of Canada’s most beautiful beaches. Here, Canadians can dig their toes into the sands of their California-inspired daydreams.

The Pacific coastline offers more than just sandy shores, however. The waters here are sheltered by Vancouver Island’s Inside Passage, and protected by Mt. Arrowsmith. The mild climate (Canada’s warmest year-round) supplies happy beachgoers with a comfortable dip.

Arguably the most recognized stretch of coastline in British Columbia is Parksville Community Beach, featured as one of the “Top 10 Family Friendly Beaches in North America” by Better Homes and Garden. The Parksville community is centreed on the 5-kilometre coastline of Parksville Bay. It features the Lions Venture Playground, a playground and water park set in the Community Park that also plays host to numerous annual events and festivals. Look to the Lifestyle events page for information on the Parksville International Sandcastle Competition, a visually striking contest that draws more than 1,000 entries each year in a gritty battle for first place.

The legend of the sand dollar tells of five doves who, when released from their shell, spread peace throughout the world. To take part in this charming myth, there is no beach better than Rathtrevor Beach, located at the south end of Parksville. Here, the tide recedes an impressive kilometre with the tide, leaving sand dollars, shells and starfish in its wake. Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park is one of British Columbia’s most popular family destinations.

Perhaps the most charming example of British Columbia’s sandy shoreline is located in the aptly named town of Qualicum Beach. Known affectionately as “Canada’s Carmel,” Qualicum Beach is a four-kilometre stretch of pristine sand complete with a boardwalk atmosphere created by sidewalk ice cream vendors and beachside homes. It features a paved walkway for the majority of the 4km stretch to make for an easy transition from sandy toes to flip flops.

Though the beaches mentioned above are indeed the most popular beaches of the Parksville and Qualicum Beach region, visitors and avid beachgoers are encouraged to explore the region to discover the smaller, more remote pieces of equally stunning shoreline. 

Check back for further installments of Lifestyle’s featured beaches, covering Canada from coast to coast.•