Saint-Zotique Beach

GENERAL NOTE FOR ALL BEACHES: For all information, rates (if applicable), reservation details, and more, make sure to visit the official website BEFORE going. Water quality, maximum capacities, and staffing issues change often and may affect openings. 


Another spot that’s been less than 30 minutes away from me my whole life, and I’ve never been, though it’s been on my to-do list for many summers. 
To make up for this horrible lapse, I invited my brother and nephew along on this trip, both to share in the fun, and for some parental moral support. 

Though the beach opens at 10am, we arrived earlier so that I could take pictures***, and we had a quiet stroll through the whole place. Besides the summer day camps (which we barely saw the whole time), there were mayyyybe three other cars there. So, if you want some peace AND to snag one of the cool permanent beach umbrellas, come a little early and park yourself on the sand. 

Besides the long soft sand beach, there is:
-a nearby playground with adult swings and two large play structures,
-a fenced wading pool
-hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of picnic tables, most of which are shaded under the gorgeous towering trees.
-spots to put your bbq ashes (so yes, you can bbq)
-another small playground with the fun rocket ship and baby swings
-the miniature buildings of some nearby attractions (we’ve been to three of them!)
-a canteen on the beach (pics of the menu & prices in the photo gallery)
-clean bathrooms and changing rooms
-faucets to clean the sand off your feet
-watercraft rental (stupid pedal boots, kayaks etc)
-The Aquazilla inflatable water obstacle course ($$)
-beach volleyball, soccer field, and tennis courts
-and the fantastic new splash pad from Waterplay. The boys loved it, and though they’d been complaining just before of being tired, once they were in the water and under the sprays we couldn’t get them out for half an hour. Only the promise of two-bite brownies convinced them. You’ll find the splash pad on the opposite of the parking lots from the beach, near the mini buildings. 

We had such a lovely day here playing in the sand, searching for “special” rocks and mussel shells in the water, strolling along the beach, splashing in the splash pad, and exploring the playgrounds and mini buildings. 
If you’re looking for a half or full day of relaxing AND playing, this might be a good fit! 
We splurged and bought hot dogs, fries, burgers and drinks at the canteen (all were very good), but you can bring your own picnic or bbq and save yourself some money. 

I like beaches. I like splash pads. I like playgrounds. But I don’t usually like them so much when they’re all smushed together like a mini theme park. 
So I was a little wary before going that it was going to be bananas, or rather Disney-ish. But not so! I really, really enjoyed the whole day, and the kids loved it. In fact, I think we’ll come back again this summer. 

THINGS TO NOTE:
-The site is open from 9am-8pm, but swimming at the beach is only allowed from 10am-7pm when lifeguards are on duty.
Find all the rules HERE. There are the usual “no dogs”, “no glass”, and I’d like to add “no spraying sunscreen when someone’s face is 5 feet downwind from you” 
-The whole website with all the details is here. PLEASE read through it before you go. You can also check their Facebook page in case of funny weather or for up-to-date announcements. 
-Our Waze and Google Maps had a bit of trouble finding the place, and despite the signs we took one wrong turn. The actual address is: 1250 Rue Principale, Saint-Zotique, QC, J0P 1Z0
It should be correct in the map below. It was about a 30 minute drive from Pointe-Claire.
-If you want to visit some more parks on the way home, you can look in the MAP feature and we’ve done some parks in Les Cedres, Coteau-du-Lac, and others. 

***DISCLAIMER! I don’t generally enjoy crowds, and don’t photograph other people, so my very serene, free-of-any-people photos in the gallery below are probably not what you’ll find when you come. I took the pictures on a weekday morning around 9:30am, and by noon it was a busier, (though in no way packed). 
I imagine weekends, holidays, and event days are rockin’.

1 Comment

  • Tanya says:

    Hi StrollerMom,
    Thank you for all you do, we have helped me, and my 7, 6 and 2 yr old discover so many new places!

    Just something you may want to mention about Plage St-Zotique (we were there today) is the wasps are out of contrôle. We moved from the picnic area near the water bouncy structure, to the picnic areas on the other end, we went on to the beach and even into the water to attempt to eat our food in peace and the wasps would not leave us alone. The beach and water there were 2-3 circling at all times, and in the picnic areas there were at least a dozen. For someone with wasp allergies, this location needs to be avoided.

    Take care,
    Tanya

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.