Beaches in Canada

Three oceans and the longest coastline of any country, almost all of it cold. The Pacific side at Tofino is temperate rainforest running to the sand, with winter storm watching sold as an attraction. The Atlantic side has the Bay of Fundy and the largest tidal range measured anywhere. Between them, the Gulf of St Lawrence is shallow and enclosed enough to warm into the low twenties in August, which makes Prince Edward Island the warmest saltwater swimming in the country and a genuine surprise to visitors. Almost every Canadian beach season is eight to ten weeks long. Practicalities are seasonal in the extreme. Most beach facilities operate for eight to ten weeks; outside that the parking lots are gated and the water is unswimmable. Tides on the Atlantic coast are large enough to strand people, and the Bay of Fundy's range requires planning around published tables. On the Pacific coast, much of the shore is First Nations territory with tribal park systems that visitors increasingly engage with directly.

Each is a different kind: three shores across three beach worlds. All are locally built. Together they account for 11 km of shore. · computed from the 3 records below