FREE beach in Old Montreal reopens for the summer season this weekend

If you’re a city dweller who wants all of the sand and tan without getting off the island, you’re in luck, because Old Montreal’s riverside beach is reopening this weekend.

Clock Tower Beach is reopening on June 19 at 11 am and will stay open every day until September.

The popular Clock Tower — which opened in 1922 — has been closed for the past 14 months because of you-know-what, but Old Port officials say all necessary protocols will be put in place to ensure beach-goer safety.

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Located an easy 10-minute bike ride from downtown, the Clock Tower Beach offers sunshine, sand, a bistro, colourful parasols, lounge chairs, and a wooden boardwalk — for free.

The one caveat is that there is no access to the Saint Lawrence River and you’re not allowed to swim. There are refreshing mist stations set up to take the edge off the spring and summer heat.

🏖️ Good news! Clock Beach opens this Saturday and will welcome you all summer long until September 6. And it’s free! pic.twitter.com/u4rlFANWYk

— Vieux-Port Montréal – Old Port of Montréal (@vieuxportmtl) June 16, 2021

Besides being a prime spot for sunbathing, the beach offers spectacular views of the river, Old Montreal, the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, and Île Sainte-Hélène.