Only 10% of Vancouver's annual rainfall occurs during June, July, and August; 60 days of summer sunshine is not uncommon. In addition to being a great place for viewing sunsets, English Bay Beach, at the end of Davie Street off Denman Street and Beach Avenue, has an interesting history. It was Joe Fortes's front yard for more than 35 years. Fortes was a legendary Caribbean-born lifeguard and bartender who made English Bay Beach his home. The bathhouse dates to the turn of the 20th century, and a huge playground slide is mounted on a raft just off the beach every summer.

South of English Bay Beach, near the Burrard Street Bridge and the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, is Sunset Beach. Running along False Creek, it's actually a picturesque strip of sandy beaches filled with hulking sections of driftwood that serve as windbreaks and provide a little privacy for sunbathers and picnickers. There's a snack bar, a soccer field, and a long, gently sloping grassy hill for people who prefer lawn to sand.

On Stanley Park's western rim, Second Beach is a quick stroll north from English Bay Beach. A playground, a snack bar, and an immense heated freshwater pool (tel. 604/257-8371) -- C$4.25 (US$3.20) for adults, C$3.25 (US$2.45) for seniors and youth 13 to 18, and C$2.25 (US$1.70) for children 6 to12 -- make this a convenient spot for families. Farther along the seawall lies secluded Third Beach, which is due north of Stanley Park Drive. Locals tote along grills and coolers to this spot, a popular place for summer-evening barbecues and sunset watching. The hollow tree, Geographic Tree, and Siwash Rock are neighboring points of interest.

Kitsilano Beach, along Arbutus Drive near Ogden Street, is affectionately called Kits Beach. It's an easy walk from the Maritime Museum and the False Creek ferry dock. If you want to do a saltwater swim but can't handle the cold, head to the huge (135m/450 ft. long) heated (77°F/25°C) Kitsilano Pool. Admission is the same as for Second Beach Pool, above. The summertime amateur theater, Kitsilano Showboat, attracts a local crowd looking for evening fun.

Farther west on the other side of Pioneer Park is Jericho Beach (Alma St. off Point Grey Rd.). This is another local after-work and weekend social spot. Locarno Beach, off Discovery Street and NW Marine Drive, and Spanish Banks, NW Marine Drive, wrap around the northern point of the UBC campus and University Hill. (Be forewarned that beachside restrooms and concessions on the promontory end abruptly at Locarno Beach.) Below UBC's Museum of Anthropology is Point Grey Beach, a restored harbor defense site. The next beach is Wreck Beach -- Canada's largest nude beach. You get down to Wreck Beach by taking the very steep Trail 6 on the UBC campus near Gate 6 down to the water's edge. Extremely popular with locals, and maintained by The Wreck Beach Preservation Society, Wreck Beach is also the city's most pristine and least-developed sandy stretch. It's bordered on three sides by towering trees.

At the northern foot of the Lions Gate Bridge, Ambleside Park is a popular North Shore spot. The quarter-mile beach faces the Burrard Inlet.

For information on any of Vancouver's many beaches call tel. 604/738-8535 (summer only).