Second Beach

With a myriad of beaches along the Seawall in Vancouver's Stanley Park and elsewhere throughout the city, there's no dearth of choices for great sunset viewing spots. Second Beach is the closest to the entrance of Stanley Park, just past Sunset Beach and English Bay, so it gets a disproportionate share of the attention. The beach itself isn't that large, but it backs up to the park (instead of a residential neighborhood), so there is a lot more room to spread out. The area behind the beach has a playground and some open areas for picnicking. In summer, lifeguards patrol the designated swimming area. If it's low tide, the sand can get a bit slimy, which is not so great for swimming, but great for shorebirds hunting for dinner. When the tide's low, or the water's too cold, the Second Beach Pool is available for more civilized swimming. It's heated and has a killer view of English Bay. A concession stand at Second Beach provides snacks and drinks. Continue down the seawall (heading counter-clockwise if on a bike) to Third Beach for a slightly more secluded feeling.