Three-Day Getaway: BC's Sunshine Coast

Halfmoon Bay, Pender Harbour, and Egmont

Continue north along Highway 101 and detour onto Redrooffs Road (not a typo) for a scenic drive. Stop at the historic Halfmoon Bay General Store for coffee and baked goods before taking a short walk in Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park. Continue the detour in nearby Secret Cove, where you can take a water taxi to Thormanby Island. Spend time on Thormanby exploring beaches and trails.

Back on Highway 101, you’ll go through pretty Pender Harbour with its lake and ocean access before you detour again to Egmont. Along the stretch of road between these two communities, you may choose to accept the 10 Lake Challenge, which calls for participants to swim in all the region’s lakes in one day.

In Egmont, don’t miss the 4-kilometre (1.6-mile) hike to the Skookumchuck Narrows and watch from a safe distance as 200 billion gallons of water rushes through the narrow channel during daily ebb and flood tides. If you’re lucky, you’ll see kayakers riding the surf. And if you’re hungry, check out the Skookumchuck Bakery—tucked in the woods near the entrance to the park—for a pre- or post-walk snack.

Another Egmont must-do is a cruise up the Princess Louisa Inlet with Sunshine Coast Tours, a five-hour trip that takes you through a steep fjord surrounded by waterfalls (spectacular Chatterbox Falls is a highlight). Finish your day with a sunset dinner on the patio at West Coast Wilderness Lodge.

Getting There

There are plenty of ways to get to the Sunshine Coast. Beat the summer traffic (and enjoy stunning views while you’re at it) by flying into Sechelt with Harbour Air or Sunshine Coast Air. Or land farther north is Powell River with Pacific Coastal Airlines or Harbour Air.

Sail with BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale to reach the south coast (reservations are highly recommended if you’re driving), take the Earls Cove to Saltery Bay route to access the north coast. You can also get to the north coast from Vancouver Island via the Comox to Lund BC Ferries route, part of the larger Coastal Circle Route.