Canada Guide
Southern British Columbia
The Sunshine Coast
A mild-weathered stretch of sandy beaches, rugged headlands and quiet lagoons running northwest of Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast receives heavy promotion – and heavy tourist traffic as a result – though in truth its reputation is considerably overstated and the scenic rewards are slim compared to the grandeur of the BC interior. Even as a taste of the province's mountain scenery it leaves much to be desired, and the best that can be said of the region is that in summer it offers some of western Canada's best diving, boating and fishing. If you are just coming out for the day, the best parts of the trip are the various ferry crossings en route: the first is from Horseshoe Bay at the western extreme of West Vancouver to Langdale and Gibsons Landing, where you pick up Hwy 101 for the 79-kilometre run along the coast to Earl's Cove, and the beautiful (and slightly longer) crossing to Saltery Bay, where the boat provides views of some fine maritime landscapes. The road then continues 35km to Powell River before coming to an abrupt conclusion 23km later at the village of Lund.