Discover unforgettable natural beauty on a Sunshine Coast road trip
Hike Smuggler Cove and explore Princess Louisa Inlet along this picturesque coastal route from Halfmoon Bay to Egmont
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Capt. George Vancouver probably had a few choice words to share with his crew when he reached the terminus of Jervis Inlet on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast. It was the late 1700s, and the British Royal Navy officer’s search for the elusive Northwest Passage had just failed.
It gets worse. While exploring Jervis Inlet, Canada’s deepest glacial fiord, Vancouver mistook the dangerously fast tidal currents of Malibu Rapids for the mouth of a river, and sailed on by. But the rapids are, in fact, the gateway to Princess Louisa Inlet, a spectacular fiord carved by ancient glaciers into a narrow and deep gorge with towering granite walls and low rumbling waterfalls.
The poor captain. Talk about a missed opportunity.
These historical tidbits are on my mind as Courtney Dorrington, skipper of a Zodiak cruiser for Egmont Adventure Tours, cuts the engine near Jervis Inlet’s Vancouver Bay to share its namesake’s tale of woe. Our small group had met an hour earlier on the dock beside Egmont’s West Coast Wilderness Lodge, where we zipped into bulky full-body flotation suits before jetting off through the surging waters of Skookumchuck Narrows.
Over the next five hours, Dorrington guides us, pausing occasionally to share her knowledge of the Shíshálh people, the first to call this area home. Neolithic pictographs painted on granite walls rising more than 600 metres above the waterline tell ancient stories of hunting and fishing.
Three humpback whales surface in the distance.
“Congratulations,” Dorrington says. “You’re the first tour I’ve taken out this year that’s been lucky enough to see whales.
“Let’s give these beautiful creatures the respect they deserve,” she adds, keeping a distance.
Our luck continues when, later in the day, a sprightly pod of orcas dart past.
Eventually, our guide manoeuvres us through the churn of the Malibu Rapids, and we glide into Princess Louisa Inlet. We make our way ashore to tour the pristine wilderness surrounding the thundering Chatterbox Falls, faces and cameras drenched from its fine mist.
The day on the water caps a Sunshine Coast road trip that began an hour up the road from Gibsons in Halfmoon Bay. This quiet seaside town is a prime entry point to the northern Sunshine Coast and only a couple of hours from Vancouver, including a 40-minute ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale and a scenic drive along Highway 101.
Halfmoon Bay General Store, a one-stop shop for groceries, liquor and local crafts, has been a community hub and general store for over 85 years. It has changed hands a few times, and a freshly reimagined, spacious storefront with a café and bakery opened in July. It’s handy for road-trip provisions or a coffee out back on the General’s waterfront deck overlooking its namesake bay.
Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park is another detour worth considering. Once a rum-runner’s hideaway, this network of forest trails and lagoon boardwalks is relatively easy to traverse, and a short hike leads to rocky bluffs with sweeping ocean views.
Further up the Sunshine Coast is Rockwater Secret Cove Resort. We stay in a tented oceanside suite with luxurious comforts, including jetted tubs, heated floors and million-dollar ocean views. When the weather’s fine, Secret Cove is a great launching point for an ocean kayak excursion. Or take a water taxi across the cove to Buccaneer Bay Provincial Park for a picnic on its sandy beaches.
The two-lane Highway 101 winds its way past Madeira Park, Garden Bay and Ruby Lake — the resorts and marinas of Pender Harbour — leading to the quaint, historic village of Egmont.
The Egmont Heritage Centre tells the stories of the Shíshálh people, loggers and fishers who worked the sea and forests, shaping the area now renowned as one of B.C.’s best outdoor adventure hubs. Egmont Adventure Centre offers Jet Ski and kayak rentals, as well as tours of Princess Louisa Inlet and Hotham Sound. Every small town needs an old-school pub, and you can’t beat the affordable burgers and tacos served at Egmont’s Backeddy Pub, perched above a bustling gateway marina to Sechelt Inlet and the surrounding waters.
Egmont’s West Coast Wilderness Lodge has been offering some of the best lodging and fine dining in the area since 1997. The resort recently expanded its footprint to include townhouse villas styled in a West Coast modern-meets-rustic esthetic. Our walk-up unit is one of 20 new one-bedroom units built into the bluff. Like the suites at the original Heritage Lodge, each villa has a jaw-dropping view of the Skookumchuck Narrows and Sechelt Inlet.
No visit to Egmont is complete without taking a walk along the forest trail to Skookumchuck Narrows. The hike takes roughly two hours (depending on how long you stop at the well-positioned — and hugely popular — bakery along the way) and takes you to a bluff with unobstructed views of the world-famous tidal rapids that reach speeds of 16 knots, or 30 km/hour. Keep an eye out for daredevil surfers and kayakers riding the swirling waves.
Beauty and drama define the northern Sunshine Coast. Capt. Vancouver couldn’t quite discover it all. But the modern explorer certainly can.
If you go
Rockwater Secret Cove Resort, Secret Cove
At this oceanfront property, raised forest boardwalks lead the way to tented suites. Family cabins and modern lodge rooms are also available. Resort amenities include a spa, heated swimming pool and complimentary kayak bookings at the Paddle Centre. Day visitors and locals can purchase day passes for pool access, lawn games, beach and a firepit with s’mores. Standard room rates from $199 per night include in-room Nespresso and tea, Beekind bath and body products, plush robes and slippers.
TuBird Restaurant opened in 2024, and owner Michelle Boyd has incorporated her own happy childhood family vacation photos and a mix of reclaimed dishware and vintage furniture sourced locally and from the old Bengal Lounge at the Empress Hotel in Victoria. Try the 36-hour slow-cooked chuck steak or the Dom DeLuise prawns puttanesca, tagged “Eat this! It will make you feel better.” The resort and restaurant are open year-round.
West Coast Wilderness Lodge, Egmont
This longtime coastal retreat has expanded with townhouse villas that feel like private residences. Or book a cosy guest room at the Heritage Lodge featuring private decks and king-sized beds. Villas are now available year-round, while rooms at the lodge are available from May until mid-October. Friendly staff will help arrange experiences, including fishing, kayaking, Jet Ski outings, Zodiak tours, surfboat rentals and float plane tours. Princess Louisa Tour packages start at $475 per person, per day (based on a two-night stay) and include the tour, meals and accommodation. Standard rooms start at $750 for two people with breakfast and a multi-course dinner. The villas start at $550.
Award-winning Inlets Restaurant offers fine dining: an elevated, set four-course dinner menu, breakfast and brunch. Unwind après jet ski with a refreshing Paloma at happy hour on the deck. There’s even a ‘Fly N’ Dine’ package where a float plane flies you to the resort’s private dock and you stop in for brunch or dinner. Inlets is open from May until mid-October.
Visit sunshinecoastcanada.com for more information.
The writer was hosted by Sunshine Coast Tourism, which neither read nor approved this article before publication.
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