Port Stanley Beach — Attraction in Central Elgin

Love this beach!! Even though the water isn't the cleanest- it is Lake Erie- I still enjoy chasing the waves..lol. The beach area is usually pretty clean with lots of families. It would def be classified as a family beach. One of my pet peeves is the amount of music people play nice & loud on the beach. Every family is playing their own music at non respectiveful volumes. With the advancements in headphone technology, why aren't we all wearing them? And whatever happened, to enjoying the peaceful sounds of the waves. Ah...to each their own, I guess - it is a public beach. There are lifeguards that are on duty complete with water safety flags. If you're driving, you have to pay for parking in the new lot. I paid 20$ for the day. I do appreciate the latest addition of matts that have been placed from the entrance of the beach down to about halfway to the water. This makes it very easy for wheelchairs, wagons, etc., to get to the beach area less unemcombered by the sand. Awesome idea!! Mackies is still great for fries & their famous 'orange drink'. There are public washrooms as well as change areas and showers. Overall - Port Stanley is a great family beach that is...

This was our first time at Port Stanley. Well to be honest, I was very disappointed. I agree it is not very crowded BUT it wasn't clean at all, the water was clearly dirty and cold. For all those people who say it was warm, they are wrong. Besides that, no amenities, nothing except one or two bars. They should increase the public amenities like washrooms etc, may be get Tim hortons. Also, the washrooms had no changing table. I didn't know where to change my 5 month olds diaper. Also, it was just 3 am and I was looking around for a place in the wash/changing area to change my baby, when a guy pops up and locks all the doors on the washrooms and everything. I asked him if there is a changing table, he said sorry we don't have it and then just locks every thing. I told him that I need to change my baby. He simple told me, you have to do that somewhere else because I am locking. So I left, completely shocked. Also, the parking rates are insane. I understand it's a tourist spot but parking is really high. They really need to open up spots for food, drinks and probably easily...

Nice beach but horrible parking. Been going to this beach about once a year for the last five years. Sand is pretty good, and water is relatively clear for Ontario. It’s a nice beach. Main difference between this and Grand Bend is size, and that also explains all the pros and cons of the place. It’s nice because the city is quaint, the beach is relatively small and clean, and there are lifeguards on duty for what it’s worth. But with all that also comes the main issue: PARKING. The parking is absolutely horrible. There’s no parking garage, only a few outdoor lots, and they fill up really fast. There’s street parking enough for maybe 40 cars at best. If you’re going on a holiday or long weekend, make sure to go early. We went last weekend, arrived at noon, drove around for 45 minutes trying to find parking, and actually had to leave because there was no parking anywhere! Overall a nice beach with expected limitations due...