Willows Beach, Sandy beach in Oak Bay, Canada.

Willows Beach is a 2-kilometer sandy shore in Oak Bay with shallow waters and views of Discovery Island and Mount Baker. The beach provides changing facilities, restrooms, picnic tables, a children's playground, and a seasonal food stand along its length.

The area was originally called Sitchanalth and served for thousands of years as an ancient Salish Sea port with a permanent Coast Salish settlement. European arrival in the 19th century brought major changes to the region and its people.

The name comes from the Willows Fairground, a horse-racing venue built in 1891 about a kilometre inland, named for the willow trees that grew there. Each year Willows Park hosts the Oak Bay Tea Party, with rides, shows, games and a parade through Oak Bay.

The beach welcomes visitors year-round, though warmer months draw larger crowds. Access from parking areas is easy and flat, making it perfect for a leisurely stroll along the shoreline.

At the north end of the beach, Cattle Point marks the start and end of the Salish Sea Walk of the Planets, a scale model of the solar system described as the world's largest orrery. Mercury stands by the Kiwanis Tea Room, and the full inner-solar-system route takes about two hours on foot.