The call of the ocean. The feeling of the sand between your toes, the fresh salt spray in the air, and … 200 other people on the beach. Not picture-perfect, right? The problem is there are SO MANY beaches on Vancouver Island it can be difficult to know where to go.
While on our honeymoon road trip across B.C, we spent a week on Vancouver Island, exploring all the sights with our besties Iris and Kevin. Kevin is a local, and Iris a quick study that gave us all the lowdown on the best places to check out and an insider’s track on where to go. Having never been to the island before, let alone ever truly seen the ocean, one of the big-ticket items on my bucket list was to walk in the ocean (and see a starfish).
Not wanting to have my first real ocean experience be on a crowded beach, Iris and Kevin brought us to East Sooke Regional Park via the Aylard Farm Parking Lot. This hidden beach is known mostly only to locals and those who have spent significant time on the island. It features soft, powdery sand, crystal clear water, and fun tree swings hung by past visitors. While a bit of a drive if you’re coming from Sooke or Victoria, you’re taken through some of the most gorgeous old-growth forests and persevered areas.
There were rocks with tiny tidal pools, lots of driftwood to explore, and plenty of rocks to climb on. This quiet spot is a favorite of photographers and families alike. The perfect place to have a picnic and a great place to bring the pups and the kids.
Before you head down a semi-steep hill with some steps cut in, you walk through a large field of grasses where there is a wheelchair-friendly outhouse. The beach itself is not particularly wheelchair/stroller/wagon friendly, but it’s totally doable by tiny humans and a few people carrying in supplies.
We visited this beach a few times, so I will add photos to this post as I edit them. This is a gorgeous beach and needs to be seen! Be sure to tag us if you make a trip out here so we can share them in our feed!
