Egmont · Powell River · Desolation Sound
Closer than it seems. Further than it feels.
BUILD YOUR ADVENTURETHE REGION
The Sunshine Coast is surprisingly close to Vancouver. From the city, it takes about 30 minutes to reach Horseshoe Bay, and from there we take the ferry to Langdale, a crossing of about 40–45 minutes. Once you disembark, Gibsons is a few minutes away by road.
And yet, from the moment you cross the water, everything starts to feel a lot further away.
As we head north, small communities appear, along with temperate forest, fjords, islands and kilometres of coast that we can explore on foot, by kayak or by following the road almost to its end.
What we like most about this region is precisely that combination. You can start by walking through ancient forest, spend several days crossing mountains from hut to hut and end the trip loading a kayak to paddle among the islands of Desolation Sound.
On land, the Sunshine Coast Trail runs roughly 180 kilometres from Sarah Point, in Desolation Sound, to Saltery Bay.
On the water, Desolation Sound changes the journey completely: mountains falling into the ocean, small bays, islands and campsites reachable by sea where everything you need for the next few days travels inside the kayak.
Between the two lie places like Egmont and Powell River, which we use as starting points to keep exploring.
It all begins less than two hours from Vancouver. But the further you go along the Sunshine Coast, the less it feels that way.
To see the force of the ocean.
The road practically ends here. We walk through forest to Skookumchuck Narrows to see how the change of tide turns the channel into huge currents, whirlpools and rapids. From Egmont we can also continue by water towards Jervis Inlet and Princess Louisa Inlet.
To start walking.
It is one of the main gateways to the Sunshine Coast Trail. From here we can reach different sections of the route, spend a night in one of its huts or turn the trail into a multi-day crossing. Forest, lakes, mountains and kilometres of trail make this the part of the region where we leave the car behind and start moving on foot.
To leave the road behind.
Lund marks practically the end of Highway 101 and the beginning of another way of travelling. From here we take to the water to explore Desolation Sound, moving between islands, small bays and campsites by the sea. You can come to paddle for a few hours, but for us the best way to get to know it is to stay several days.
The Sunshine Coast is for those who want to get close to nature in their own way.
The trip can start by travelling the coast and stopping in Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt and Madeira Park, combining small towns, trails, beaches and time by the ocean before continuing to Egmont and, if we want to go further, to qathet/Powell River, Lund and Desolation Sound.
You can walk for a few hours through temperate forest, head out kayaking on calm waters, watch the force of the tides at Skookumchuck Narrows or turn the trip into a multi-day adventure along the Sunshine Coast Trail or Desolation Sound.
And that is precisely what we like about this region: there is no single way to live it.
You can come looking for a demanding adventure or simply drive along the coast, stop wherever you like, discover small communities and spend a few days between forest and Pacific.
We adapt the trip to your pace, experience and way of travelling.
EXPERIENCES
6 matching experiences
OUR VISION
The Sunshine Coast is one of those places we have discovered little by little. We have returned again and again, visiting good friends who live here and making the most of each trip to explore a new corner of the coast.
Over the years, we have travelled its roads between forest and ocean, discovered small coastal towns, hidden coves and trails that often go unnoticed. We have stopped in places like Secret Cove without much of a hurry, found local restaurants we would return to just to sit on their patio again, and ended the day by the ocean after completely changing our plans along the way.
We have also headed out to sea in search of whales, seen sea otters among the rocks, paddled through calm waters and followed trails through some of the coast's most incredible forests.
And perhaps that is what we love most about this region: not every stop has to be a famous place to be worthwhile.
KEEP EXPLORING
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