Centennial Beach – Boundary Bay Regional Park

I got here quite early and got to enjoy the beach a bit before it was filled with people. It gets busy fast so get here early to secure yourself a nice spot!
Since I was early I also got to see flocks of blue heron enjoying the water. It was such a beautiful sight!
This is a great beach to spend the day. Parking is free and you can bring food and have yourself a nice picnic or bbq! Great for families too! The water is shallow and will be safe for the little ones!

Ok I didn’t know I could review a beach on here but lo (tide) and behold!
Had the opportunity to go out to Centennial Beach for a bbq over the weekend. The trek was a bit far from the city but wow so worth it! A beautiful spacious beach area with tables and bbq pits. Due to the fire ban the fire pits were closed up but they made for perfect propane bbq stands! One minute it was low tide and one minute it was water for days… and the water was warm!
A perfect out of the way place to go for some rest and relaxation.

I’m not totally sure why this place has such rave reviews to be honest… It’s big, which is great because there is a lot of room and everyone can space themselves out but when the tide is out you have to walk a good mile or so to even have water up to your knees. On the positive side, it’s kept very clean. If you want to just lounge around on the sand, I suppose it’s great. Probably not totally ideal for swimmers though.

Centennial is a great beach for families.
The water is always warm in spring, summer and fall.
The park is awesome and wheelchair friendly.
The facilities are brand new with big bathrooms and a great café.
The beach is big enough for a lot of people to find a patch of sand and a log to call home for the day.

I love this beach so much I plan on getting married by it!
My first job was working at the old concession stand (When Pajo’s was there). The new concession stand is a thing of beauty. I love their eco-​friendliness and their living roof. The food selection is a surprise, not your run of the mill concession food by any means.
Their new park equipment is amazing, I can’t help but play on it too. I love that it is accessible to children of all abilities. Inclusive = awesome.
If you’re looking to have a dinner cookout at one of the fire pits, you need to stake your claim early! They spaces are limited and families literally set up camp around fire pits and picnic tables all day. Heed my warning.
Please, just be considerate of the natural environment and clean up after yourselves. This park is amazing and I can’t wait to share it with my future children!

Great place for a summer evening with friends and family! Awesome beach for swimming at high tide. Sandy beach and large expanse of shallow water. Big hit with all age groups!
Happy swimming!

Wow. I love this beach!
I remember coming here when I was a child, but hadn’t been back ever since. It was Canada Day and my friend and I wanted to get away from the crowds. So… what do we do? Take a bus adventure to Centennial Beach!
From Vancouver one can take the Canada Line to Bridgeport Station and take the 601 South Delta bus to Tsawwassen. The bus will drop you in downtown Tsawwassen and then you’ll have to walk about 30 minutes to the beach. It’s really not the bad because you’re walking along the waterfront.
Anyways this is what I found:
— if you walk instead of taking your car, you will end up on the west side of the beach and not many people go there if they have driven and have a lot of stuff (coolers, umbrellas) with them. So this part of the beach is pretty much free of crowds with people scattered here and there. It’s a 10 minute walk from the parking lot/​café but it appears many people don’t want to walk that far in the sunshine (good for me!)
— when the tide is low like it was on Canada Day you can go swimming for miles and miles. I went about 20 minutes into the water and the water was just above my knees.
— bring your kayak so you can visit White Rock. I will be doing that next time… I just need a car to bring it. :D
— no cops taking away fun from the people (you know what this means)
— a good mix of people (us 20 year old delinquents, seniors, families, dogs)
— the Boundary Bay park is a good area to watch eagles. I was stalking a heron for a long time too.
So, this is where I will be if I feel like swimming and sunbathing because I don’t even want to think about swimming anywhere in Vancouver. Yuck.
Oh how I love summer days…

When the sun comes out in March, our family heads for the beach. What matter that it’s only 8 degrees outside and there’s a north-​wester blowing straight down from the mountains. With one son in a wetsuit and one in shorts and flip-​flops we took the surprisingly short trip from East Van to Tsawwassen this weekend.
The last time we came here, the concession was still under construction, but it’s done now and is a great facility. There’s an awesome playground too.
Once we arrive and saw the tide was out, the wetsuit was ditched for something warmer, but it was a perfect day for kite flying. Armed with two awesome stunt kites and something that resembles the flying beasts in Avatar, but which clearly was never built to get off the ground, we had a wonderful half hour of family frustration and tears over knotted strings, who got to fly and who had to throw, and why Avatar was as pile of crap anyway. From such times will the fond reminiscences of my dotage be drawn. Fortunately, the vast expanse of low-​tide sand offers countless alternative opportunities for exploration, discovery and unseasonable wading.
The whole afternoon was capped off by the late discovery of a fire in one of the fire pits left behind by an earlier visitor. Nothing brings a family together like a session round a camp fire, and the smell of smoke that permeated the van on the drive home made us all long for summer and camping.
All of this comes with a panoramic view from Bowen Island to Point Roberts by way of the North Shore, Cascades, Mount Baker and the Gulf Islands. What a spot.

Lovely beach and concession. Playgrounds and fields galore.
Why didn’t I spend my entire summer here instead of ‘discovering’ it on the last day of the labour day long weekend?

Time for a mini vacation, a picnic on the beach, a perfect breeze and a walk along the boardwalk in the marsh. Time to pick blackberries right off the bush. Time to breath the salty air, and listen to the sound under your feet as you walk while enjoying the mountain views across the water. Yup, it’s time to visit Boundary Bay and let go of your troubles, let them fly away and simply be in the moment.
Another great day at Boundary Bay Park. Thank you BC for this almost secret treasure.

The walking paths are a must. They give you a feel for what the area must have been like before the Eurooeans came.

This is a good beach if your not looking for the big crowds Kits and English bay get. As a result there is ample parking and beach space to go around. When the tides out it goes way out. The water depth never goes above your waist and you can pick up clams and shells for your collection.

I love this place. A different sort of vibe than your regular Vancouver/​White Rock beaches. Lots of families having bbq’s and picnicing!
The only downside was the little bastard kids throwing rocks at seagulls (hey kid, I hate them too, but c’mon).
Me and my Auntie came here to sit in the sun for a couple hours. A blanket, a book and some water. It’s all you need. I saw a lot of people skimming here too, it looks like lots of fun.

Do you love being a beach bum but hate all the crowds? Or maybe you are looking for an all day beach adventure with facilities to keep everyone entertained.
Centennial Beach is worth the drive to Tsawassen. Since this beach is significantly less busy than the other Lower Mainland beaches you do not have to fight for towel space (or parking usually). Did I mention the parking is free? Unheard of!
Your options are endless here… from laying out and baking until you are a crisp brown, this beach easily has the best tidal pools for skim boards… again you don’t have to fight for the good tidal pools either! Also available is a beach volley ball court, baseball diamonds, and a picnic area where you are allowed to barbeque.
While part of the beach is for people only, slightly off the main beach is a dog friendly area so you can bring your pooch to have a good game of frisbee or fetch. Just remember the cardinal rule… the ocean is not the dog’s toilet.
Or a people’s toilet for that matter!
For summer days stop off and grab some munchies, or if you fancy they have a concession stand which is very reasonably priced and has icecream!
Also worth noting this beach is incredibly clean, I usually avoid the ocean at our beaches as you end up covered with an unidentifiable substance, not at Centennial… and trust me, it is disgusting after a day skim boarding at White Rock scrubbing off oil and *other* substances from your skin.
A simply must do for a nice summer day!