There are beaches with gorgeous Pacific Ocean settings like in Vancouver and the Gulf Islands or beaches with calm fresh waters like in the Okanagan Valley and the Kootenays. With over 40,000 islands in BC alone, it would be nearly impossible to put a number on how many beaches there is or to actually know for certain which ones are the best. British Columbia has always been a much sought after destination and with all the beaches, lakes, and islands it’s not hard to see why.