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English Bay Beach

Waterfront & Beaches · West End · Free

Described by the City as the most populated beach area in downtown Vancouver, this West End beach sits beside the Stanley Park Seawall. It has a swimming raft with a large slide, two sand volleyball courts, kayak rentals and seasonal lifeguards, and hosts the New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim.

Place type

Waterfront & Beaches

Area

West End

Price

Free — Public-land basis (explicit): City of Vancouver publishes English Bay Beach (also called First Beach) as a public city beach with no admission product. Pay parking at the beach is not admission.

Address

Along Beach Ave between Gilford St and Bidwell St, Vancouver, BC

Accessibility

Mobi-Mat accessible beach pathway; 2 water wheelchairs available (2 attendants needed to operate, available Victoria Day to Labour Day).

Allow

2–3 hrs

Official Site ↗ View on Map ↗

Source of record: City of Vancouver (official page) · Last reviewed 2026-11-03.