Spanish Banks

Read the 2019 Vancouver Water Monitoring Report By Fraser Riverkeeper

Spanish Banks beaches are sandy and a popular location for swimmers and sunbathers. The vast area of tidal pools available at low tide make Spanish Banks one of the best places in Vancouver for skimboarding.

Located along Northwest Marine Dr west of Tolmie St, Spanish Banks Beach is composed of three distinct sections, east, west, and extension. At low tide, the water is one kilometre off shore.

AMENITIES:

Spanish Banks East:
On the Seaside Seawall system
Concession
Public washrooms
Barbeques permitted
Picnic tables
Eight volleyball courts
Free parking
Lifeguards from Victoria Day to Labour Day (late May to early September)

Spanish Banks West:
On the Seaside Seawall system
Designated quiet beach (amplified sound is not permitted)
Concession
Public washrooms
Barbeques permitted
Picnic tables
Eight volleyball courts
Dog off-leash area (200m west of the building)
Free parking
Lifeguards from Victoria Day to Labour Day (late May to early September)

Spanish Banks Extension:
On the Seaside Seawall system
Barbeques permitted
Free parking
Lifeguards from Victoria Day to Labour Day (late May to early September) - weather permitting
Dog off-leash area

Get directions to this beach

COVID-19

Keep your distance from other people.

Practicing social distancing is essential right now. Follow the advice of the health experts. If your community has asked that you remain indoors and away from others, do so. Heading to the beach should only be considered an option if social distancing practices can be followed. Spending a day in any crowded place is the worst thing we can do for our most vulnerable right now and will counter the efforts to curb the virus’ spread.

For more information, please visit the World Health Organization public resource on COVID-19.

Water Quality

Passed water quality tests at least 95% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on September 30th, 2020. Fraser Riverkeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on October 5th, 2020 at 12:25 PM.

For water quality icon legend, click:

Report Pollution

Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) monitors the water quality at 31 Vancouver-area beaches. Sampling is conducted during the height of swim season (May – September) and for the annual Polar Bear Swim (December).

VCH follows the Canadian Recreational Water Guidelines. Recreational water is considered safe if the geometric mean result is under 200 E.coli/100mL based on the previous last five samples or a single sample limit of under 400 E.coli/100mL. Should the results exceed the guidelines or in the event of a known hazard or spill, the Medical Health Officer will make an assessment of the risk to human health. If there is a risk to human health, a warning sign will be posted at the beach stating “This Water is Contaminated and Unsafe for Swimming.” Results are communicated on the Vancouver Coastal Health website. Data is shared on Swim Guide according to these results, as soon as they become available. Data is typically available on Thursdays or Fridays

Recreational water quality for a beach is determined by E. coli counts from the Greater Vancouver Regional District Water Quality Laboratory.

A beach is marked Green when geometric mean results are under 200 E.coli/100 mL and single sample results are below 400 E.coli/100mL.

A beach is marked Red when the geometric mean results are equal to or above 200 E.coli/100 mL water or single sample results are above 400 E.coli/100 mL.

A beach is marked Grey when there are no current results or there is no available information

Water Quality Graph