Three-Day Getaway: BC's Sunshine Coast
Written by: Destination British Columbia | April 22, 2025
When it comes to relaxing seaside getaways, the Sunshine Coast has it all. Long stretches of sandy shorelines, expansive ocean vistas, and cozy communities? Check, check, and check. But there’s more to experience here than West Coast scenery. Along your journey, you’ll find a robust food and drink scene, a vibrant arts community, and exciting outdoor adventures.
The area consists of a north and south coast, connected by a fifty-minute BC Ferries trip from Earls Cove to Saltery Bay. Depending on your preferred style of travel, three days will allow you to explore one or the other, or maybe both if you don’t sleep.
Here are a few getaway ideas to get you started.
Enjoying the outdoor seating at Banditry Cider | Sunshine Coast Tourism/Shayd Johnson Gibsons, Roberts Creek, and Sechelt
From the Langdale Ferry Terminal, your first stop is Persephone Brewing Company, where you can taste award-winning craft beer—some of it made with hops grown onsite. Continue sampling coastal brews at Tapworks and The 101 Brewhouse and Distillery in the town of Gibsons, or cider lovers can check out Sunday Cider and Banditry Cider.
Head to nearby Gibsons Landing to browse local shops, including the Gibsons Public Market with its local food merchants and on-site bistro. Other options from a growing list of culinary gems include Buono Osteria, Smitty’s Oyster House, and Lunitas Mexican Eatery.
Once you’re sated, make your way up the coast to Roberts Creek to take a gentle stroll along the pier, explore the wooden bridges and waterfall views in Cliff Gilker Park, or photograph forest mushrooms (foraging is prohibited here) along the mossy trails in Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park.
For mountain bikers, Roberts Creek is a great place to pedal; the fast, flowy Mach Chicken trail is one of the area’s most well-known rides. Worked up an appetite again? Post-hike (or bike), settle into The Gumboot Restaurant for a locally sourced meal on their sunny garden patio.
Farther north, Sechelt is home to great beaches with a number of access points along the oceanside roads around town (tip: Porpoise Bay Provincial Park boasts views up the Sechelt Inlet). If you want to take it up a notch, the area has some of BC’s best year-round mountain biking. The Coast Gravity Park—a nearby shuttle-serviced bike park—promises the perfect adrenaline fix for gravity junkies. If you don’t have your own bike, rentals are available from Elphi Cycles.
Wind down your adventure with a bite at Batch 44 Brewery and Kitchen or a custom charcuterie board at The Bricker Cider Company.
Persephone Brewing Company | BC Ale Trail 
Sechelt | Destination BC/Brayden Hall 
Roberts Creek | Destination BC/@dolfvermeulen 
A patio at West Coast Wilderness Lodge in Egmont | Destination Canada
*Additional photos from this shoot are available at www.brandcanadalibrary.ca 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.
Whitewater kayaking in the Skookumchuck Narrows near Egmont 
Walking through the forest in Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park | Destination Canada 
Pender Harbour marina | Albert Normandin 
Sunset over the Tin Hat Hut along the Sunshine Coast Trail | Andrew Strain Powell River and Lund
From Earls Cove, another BC Ferries crossing to Saltery Bay takes you to the north coast and the city of Powell River. Spend time exploring the historic Townsite, including The Patricia Theatre, Canada’s longest continuously running movie theatre. While you’re here, sip local beer at Townsite Brewing, caffeinate at 32 Lakes Coffee, and book a stay at The Old Courthouse Inn. In the downtown waterfront area, Costa Del Sol Latin Cuisine and Coastal Cookery are great spots to grab a bite.
Continue island hopping with a ferry to Texada Island and walk along Shingle Beach or Shelter Point (great for beach camping). Or cruise to the sandy beaches and warm waters of Savary Island by way of the Lund Water Taxi. From Lund, the small seaside town at the end of Highway 101, you can also book a boat or kayaking tour into Desolation Sound with Terracentric Adventures, or go with Powell River Sea Kayak, who offer glamping in the wilderness at Cabana Desolation Eco Resort.
Prefer to stay on land? Explore Canada’s longest free hut-to-hut hiking network along the Sunshine Coast Trail. Explore a section of the trail on a day trip and get inspired to come back and tackle the full 180-kilometre (119-mile) route.
Townsite Brewing, Powell River | Local Wanderer 
Desolation Sound | Andrew Strain 
A contemplative moment on a misty morning along the Sunshine Coast Trail in Inland Lake Provincial Park, BC. 
Ferry arriving to Langdale with snow capped North Shore mountains towering behind | Dolf Vermeulen 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.
Originally published in July, 2018.
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Credit: Destination BC | Abby Cooper