Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast is a strip of mainland British Columbia that mountains and inlets cut off from the road network, so despite being on the mainland it can only be reached by ferry, and a second ferry is needed halfway along to continue north. Highway 101 runs about a hundred and fifty kilometres, ferry included, from Langdale to Lund, where the road ends at a dock. Gibsons was the setting for the long-running television series The Beachcombers. The coast is drier and sunnier than Vancouver, which is where the name comes from, and the sheltered water suits kayaking and diving.

What's there

• The ferry-only access - mainland coast reachable only by boat.
• Lund - the northern terminus of Highway 101.
• Gibsons - the harbour town of The Beachcombers.
• The sheltered water - inlets and coves for kayaking and diving.

When to go

May to September; the coast is quiet and wet in winter with reduced ferries. Summer weekend ferry queues at Horseshoe Bay can cost a sailing or two, so reservations help.

What to expect

Two ferries are needed to see the whole coast and they cost time and money. Summer sailings fill and reservations are advisable. Services thin out considerably north of Sechelt.

Nearby

Skookumchuck Narrows lies north; Princess Louisa Inlet is beyond it.

Key facts