COMOX VALLEY BEACHES
The Comox Valley is rich with a number of fresh and salt water beaches. There is no shortage of places to swim in the summer time. Along the Puntledge River there are a number of swimming holes including Lewis Park, Puntledge Park, Condensory, Stotan Falls, Barbers Hole, and a number of others.
Comox Lake is perfect for a family outing or picnic, and a great place to bring the boat and do some water skiing. There is also a privately run campground with reasonable prices perfect for those who want to get away, but still have amenities like showers, flush toilets, and a nearby concession.
There are ample salt water beaches surrounding the Comox Valley. Some of the most common are Goose Spit and Kye Bay in Comox and Miracle Beach in Black Creek. All offer a vast sandy beach perfect for a day of fun. Miracle Beach is part of a provincial park and offers camping and all the services one would expect. If you are looking for a rocky ocean beach to explore, Point Holmes is a great place to check out with the kids.
Popular Beaches & Swimming Holes
Ocean
- Miracle Beach
- Seal Bay
- Goose Spit
- Kye Bay
- Kin Beach
- Point Holmes
- Saratoga Beach
- King Coho (Singing Sands)
River
- Lewis Park (Puntledge River)
- Puntledge Park (Puntledge River)
- Condensory (Puntledge River)
- Stotan Falls (Puntledge River)
- Nymph Falls (Puntledge River)
- Barbers Hole (Puntledge River)
- Medicine Bowls (Browns River)
- Browns River
- Tsolum River
- Palm Beach (Puntledge River)
Lake
- Comox Lake (Cumberland Side)
- Comox Lake (Courtenay Side)
Puntledge River Swimming Holes
There are numerous spots along the Puntledge River suitable for Swimming. The Puntledge River runs from Comox Lake at the dam and ends at the confluence of the Tsolumn River, here the two rivers merge to become the Courtenay River which flows down into Comox Harbour. The confluence at the Tsolumn is just a short ways up stream from Lewis Park – this spot, commonly referred to as “The Bend” is a popular swimming hole suitable for all ages, but does require a short 10 min hike.
Lewis Park
Lewis Park is located in downtown Courtenay. While this is a fresh water river spot, it is close enough to the ocean to be effected by tides. At lower tides it offers a small but family friendly gravel beach with easy access via newly added aluminum stairs.
Puntledge Park
Located just off of 1st Street in Courtenay, Puntledge park includes some swimming areas suitable for most, but there is a current to watch out for. This is also a great place to launch tubes for a great river float down ending at Lewis Park. The park also has paths for short walks in the trees and a new playground added in 2019. (More Info on Puntledge Park)
Condensory
Condensory offers two areas to swim. One popular spot is right at the Condensory bridge on Anderton Road in Courtenay. The other, commonly referred to as “The Bend” is a short ways down stream, about a 10 minute walk down a well maintained trail starting near the bottom of 1st street hill (Just to the right of the town home complex)
Stotan Falls
Currently closed to the public, Stotan falls offers incredibly bowls for swimming, falls for jumping from and incredibly scenery. Hopefully this magical spot along the Puntledge river reopens to the public soon! (More Info on Stotan Falls)
Nymph Falls
Nymph falls is similar to Stotan falls in that it offers many swimming (lounging) bowls and some falls for jumping from. There are numerous spots along this stretch of the river where you can get in for a quick dip. (More info on Nymph Falls)
Barbers Hole
Barbers Hole is just a short walk up stream from Nymph Falls and offers a large boulder for jumping from, and a deep swimming hole with little to no current. Scaling down a slight cliff is required in order to reach the water, so this spot is not for everyone.
Palm Beach
Located a short ways down the trail from the dam, or from Bevan, in the upper part of the Puntledge River, Palm Beach is small but offers a beautiful spot to swim with very little current. A trail runs along this stretch of river offering several great spots to jump in for a swim.
Ocean Beaches
The Comox Valley offers several great spots along the ocean to go for a swim or launch a kayak for a great paddle. There is a mix of sandy and rocky beaches and most are a short drive from town with some located very close to downtown Comox.
Goose Spit
Goose Spit is located very close to downtown Comox just a short drive away, and even walkable for many. Goose Spit offers an inner harbour which is generally very calm, and an outer beach which can see bigger waves on windy days. The outer beach has vast areas of sand as you move further to the west, and some rocky beach areas as well. This is a great swimming beach. (More info on Goose Spit)
Kye Bay
Kye Bay offers vast areas of sandy beach and shallow waters. Often you can find numerous shallow tidal pools perfect for young kids to play in the water or to explore a variety of sea life. Kye Bay is about a 5-10 minute drive from downtown Comox. (More info on Kye Bay)
Point Holmes
Point Holmes is primarily a rocky beach but does have a small sandy area to the North of the boat launch. This beach is great for exploring wildlife or for launching a smaller size boat, kayaks or stand up paddle boards. Point Holmes is about a 5-10 minute drive from downtown Comox. (More info on Point Holmes)
Miracle Beach
Located about a 20 minute drive North from Courtenay, Miracle Beach offers a vast sandy beach as part of Miracle Beach Provincial Park. A campground with more than 200 provincial campsites can also be found at this park. (More info on Miracle Beach)
Saratoga Beach
Saratoga beach offers one of the nicest sandy beaches in the Comox Valley. The sand here is largely free of rocks and shells offering an almost tropical experience. At most tides you will find the water shallow for quite a ways out. Saratoga offers a great experience for families and is great for young kids. Parking is limited so arrive early!
Coast Surf Shop
Coast Surf Shop is a little family owned Surf, Paddle Board and Clothing shop with big selection located in Comox and Cumberland B.C. on Vancouver Island. We opened our business in the Spring of 2012 and keep growing! Come visit us down at the far end of Comox Ave in “the building with the boats”, and now in historic downtown Cumberland too.
1101-1705 Comox Ave
Comox BC, V9M 3M1
250-941-1600
2718 Dunsmuir Ave
Cumberland BC, V0R 1S0
250-400-7873