Bennett Bay, Mayne Island

The beach is such an integral part of summers in the Gulf Islands.  Mayne’s definitely got it’s share of beautiful places to worship the sun.  Bennett Bay is hands down the biggest and most popular.  We’re not talking wall to wall people, but you’ll definitely find a couple of dozen people there on a sunny afternoon.

Bennett Bay

Bennett Bay offers a great combination of sand and warm waters as well as natural beauty; it overlooks a part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, and you can even see as far as Mt. Baker in the States on a clear day.  When I’m out and about with the kids, Bennett is definitely the beach of choice.  It’s generally sunny all day long (southeast exposure).

Campbell Bay

Campbell Bay early morning

Campbell Bay is extremely sheltered and has a smallish beach.  It’s mostly gravel, but does have some sand.  It gets a ton of sun in the morning, and is a great swimming spot in the afternoons as the sun warms the surrounding sandstone throughout the day.  There is a sign indicating the presence of a clothing-optional beach (Boulder Beach) at Campbell Bay, but it doesn’t seem to see a lot of use.

Campbell is a great choice if you’re looking for a quiet spot for a picnic.

Piggott Bay

On the south side of the island, you can find Piggott Bay.  It’s one of my personal favorites for scenery, but in all honesty, the beach isn’t the greatest.  There is usually a ton of driftwood washed up on shore, and there’s a quite a bit of seaweed.  It gets great afternoon exposure, so it can be nice for an afternoon swim.

Miner’s Bay

Marine life from one of the many tide pools

Not a bad spot to sit and watch ferries go by.  It borders on Active Pass which can have some crazy currents, so if you’re swimming with children, keep on eye on them.  The beach isn’t very sandy, but is mostly small gravel, so it’s still not a bad place to lie around.  It’s close to town (just down from the library), so if you’re making a day of it, it’s really convenient to be able to run up to the grocery store/bakery for supplies.

This is by no means an exhaustive list.  In addition to those listed here, there are a great deal of rocky beaches with great tide pools for a leisurely stroll and some fun exploration.  There are a ton of “hidden” beaches too, but what fun would it be if I gave away all of their locations? (okay, maybe in a later article)