Sunshine Coast

Although I've been to the Sunshine Coast many times, those trips were mostly hiking day trips focusing on the Lower Sunshine Coast. This Labour Day long weekend gave me a good opportunity to explore the Upper Sunshine Coast, check out some tours and do some light hiking along the way as well.

Sep 5, 2026
Vancouver to Lund

There are frequent ferries from Metro Vancouver to Langdale on the Lower Sunshine Coast. To explore the Upper Sunshine Coast, a car is almost certainly needed (unless you only go to Powell River). To save money, I first took the relatively frequent bus 90 from Langdale Ferry Terminal to Sechelt, then picked up a car from Coast Car Co-op (a car-share organisation of which I'm a roaming member).

On the way to Earls Cove, I first checked out Francis Point Provincial Park, where I did a 3 km return hike to a lighthouse, giant arbutus trees and nice views of the Salish Sea. Along the way, the reindeer lichen formations were amazing too. The trail itself consists of rooty and rocky sections but overall is not difficult.

When I reached Earls Cove Ferry Terminal, it was about half an hour before the next mid-afternoon sailing, and I was still able to make it. The scenery from Earls Cove to Saltery Bay is among the best on BC Ferries' shorter routes.

It appears there are only three restaurants in or around Lund serving dinner. I made a reservation in advance at the Laughing Oyster Restaurant, which turned out to be a good choice. Yes, it's quite expensive, but the food is good (though the portions are on the smaller side). Best of all is the unbeatable view of Okeover Arm right from your dining table!

Francis Point Provincial Park

Sep 6, 2026
Lund to Egmont

I took a 3.5-hour Zodiac tour to Desolation Sound, and it was interesting. Everyone was provided with a heavy-duty flotation suit that covers the top half of the body. I was glad that I had put on my rain pants, as it can be quite windy and cold on the Zodiac. During the tour, we saw a lot of reindeer lichen on the shore, some sea stars and a petroglyph site. We also saw harbour seals and sea lions from a distance, not as close as in the Galápagos Islands, but still exciting.

Driving back to Saltery Bay, I stopped for a short hike to Stillwater Bluffs. The trailhead is kind of hidden, but when you see the "Stillwater Bluffs Trail" sign, you know you've found the right place. After a short hike, there appear to be three routes, all supposedly leading to Stillwater Bluffs. I first tried the eastern route along the shore but couldn't get through (perhaps due to high tide). I then used the middle route and reached Stillwater Bluffs in less than 15 minutes. The view was not bad, though nothing spectacular.

Again, when I reached Saltery Bay Ferry Terminal, it was about half an hour before the next sailing, and I had no problem catching the ferry. On the Sunshine Coast, ferry rides are charged one way. You don't pay when travelling from Earls Cove to Saltery Bay, but you do when travelling in the opposite direction.

I stayed in Egmont for the night. The only restaurant serving dinner in the village, Inlets Restaurant, was way too expensive ($119+), so I drove 15 minutes south to La Trattoria Italiana at Ruby Lake Resort for dinner. The restaurant seems very popular among tourists, and the service was quite slow. The food is good but still expensive (much cheaper than Inlets Restaurant, though).

Sea Lions

Sep 7, 2026
Egmont to Vancouver

In the morning, I took a 5-hour Zodiac tour to Princess Louisa Inlet (this time, they provided full-body flotation suits). Most of the time, the tour actually travels through Jervis Inlet (only the last 20 minutes is inside Princess Louisa Inlet). Although it wasn't raining, it was very cloudy, which diminished the scenery somewhat. We did see some harbour seals from a distance and visited two petroglyph sites. We stopped at our destination inside Princess Louisa Inlet, Chatterbox Falls, for an hour. Some people returned by seaplane, while the majority returned on the same boat. On the way back, we checked out a smaller waterfall, Soda Creek Falls.

Immediately after the Princess Louisa Inlet tour, I checked out the XL big waves at Skookumchuck Narrows in the mid-afternoon. It was dramatic. What made it even more interesting was the number of whitewater kayakers riding the waves.

Back in Sechelt, I returned the car and took bus 90 to Langdale, where an evening ferry took me back to Metro Vancouver.

A Petroglyph Site

Overview

The long weekend trip to the Sunshine Coast was relaxing. The Zodiac tours are not cheap, but they were interesting. Weather does affect the overall experience and the quality of the photos, but unfortunately it's not easy to predict far in advance, while advance booking for these tours is recommended, especially on long weekends. I had an easy hike every day, which was quite rewarding, and I was especially glad that I could time the Skookumchuck Narrows hike to see the XL big waves, which were quite exciting.