How to have an epic getaway on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast in the off-season

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For Vancouverites and Sea-to-Sky locals, the Sunshine Coast is a simple ferry journey away and offers a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. Though connected to the mainland, Sunshine Coast operates on “island time,” moving at a pace that allows for relaxation, rejuvenation and unplugging from the daily grind.

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Despite its name, it’s not always sunny on the Sunshine Coast and off seasons — fall through spring — guarantee cost savings and unique experiences with fewer crowds. An opportunity to enjoy the area’s rugged coastline, vast beaches and a large network of hiking and biking trails including Canada’s longest hut-to-hut and a vibrant art scene — in relative solitude.

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With tourism to the Coast rapidly expanding post-pandemic, now is the time to visit. Let us do the planning for you; enjoy a three-day weekend itinerary covering some of the best activities, accommodations and dining the Sunshine Coast (fondly known as “The Coast”) has to offer during shoulder season. Below, we suggest lodgings in each town, but you could easily choose one place as a jumping-off point to travel up or down the coastline.

Friday: Travel from the mainland and enjoy Gibsons

The Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) to Langdale (Sunshine Coast) ferry crossing sails multiple times per day and costs between $49 to $89, depending on whether you book a reservation or score a saver fare. The 40-minute journey is beautiful — even on the greyest day — taking travellers between Bowen and Gambier Islands and may even end with a whale sighting. Ferries offer food, kids’ zones and lots of seating.

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What was once a hub for commercial fishing and forestry, Gibsons remains a quaint, coastal town and the portal to the Coast. Known as the back-drop for CBC’s longest-running show The Beachcombers, Gibsons offers fresh seafood (often purchased right off the public docks) and ocean adventures, year-round.

Where to stay in Gibsons

• The Bonniebrook Lodge has seven suites overlooking the lapping waves of Bonniebrook Beach. Pet-friendly options are available and the adjoining restaurant offers a lovely oceanside dining experience.

• The Cidermaker’s Cottage is an open-concept cabin tucked away on a 20-acre property that happens to house one of the coast’s top cideries, Sunday Cider. The cabin overlooks sprawling gardens and trees and sits amongst the top five per cent of rental homes on Airbnb.

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Where to dine in Gibsons

• Beachcomber Coffee offers delicious sips and donuts in a laid-back setting. Bright and welcoming, the cafe offers organic, Fairtrade coffee that’ll keep you fueled for the adventure ahead.

• Persephone Brewing is always one of our first stops off the ferry and only a few short minutes away by car. The family and pet-friendly beer emporium integrates onsite farming (with chickens aplenty, much to my toddler’s delight) to support local food security and is a certified B corp.

What to do in Gibsons

• Gibsons Public Market is known as the community gathering place, featuring local produce, fine cheeses and meats, bakery goods and fresh seafood — perfect for putting together a charcuterie board to share amongst friends. The aquarium is a must-visit for families, with “touch tanks” full of local sea stars and anemones. Catch local musicians and artists upstairs entertaining happy crowds.

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• Gibsons Seawalk is a 1.2-kilometre stretch between the Public Market and Armours Beach. This easy, stroller-accessible trail is a mixture of pavement and gravel and offers lovely views of the coastline along with front-row seats to seal sightings.

Saturday: Journey north to Pender Harbour and Egmont

Affectionately called the Wild West of the lower Sunshine Coast, this stretch of land is host to small, unincorporated communities including the ever-charming Madeira Park. With colourful names like Whiskey Slough, Gunboat Narrows and Hospital Bay, the coves and inlets that make up this little “untouched” patch have a storied past and seem to morph into something new every time we visit.

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Come to fish, bike, hike or just take in the views of the harbour.

Where to stay in Pender Harbour and Egmont

• The Stonewater, a long-standing trusted motel in the small community of Madeira Park, has been reimagined by new, hip ownership with a vision of bringing people together to connect with one another and their natural surroundings. With a variety of thoughtfully designed, accessible accommodations from suites to glamping trailers to Instagram-worthy A-Frame cabins, each space has been styled to reflect the new energy present on the Coast. The Moonshine Spa is onsite and open even during rough weather patches known to strike during the off-season. Watch your favourite film projected on the side of your trailer and up the nostalgia factor with classic Jiffy Pop and s’mores over the fire pit.

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• Villas on the Inlet are brand-new one-bedroom self-catering vacation rentals conceptualized by (and next door to) Egmont’s West Coast Wilderness Lodge (WCWL). Created for year-round visitors but catering to the off-season crowds — WCWL shuts its doors September to May — the new villas offer the same unmatched views of Sechelt Inlet, with added space to cook and host small dinners for family and friends. If returning during peak season, be sure to enjoy the five-course menu at what will be WCWL’s newly renovated Inlets Restaurant.

Where to dine in Pender Harbour and Egmont

• Budabing Burgers is an unpretentious food truck you’d likely drive right by. Don’t. Join the locals on Madeira Park Road for a beef, veggie, chicken or salmon burger and thank yourself for trusting this hidden gem. We suggest calling ahead to ensure they’re open and operating.

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• The Lagoon Restaurant offers fine dining in a relaxed environment, with lovely views of Pender Harbour. Arrive by boat and receive complimentary moorage during your “dock and dine” or wander down during your stay at the equally charming Painted Boat Resort and Spa. The West Coast-inspired menu features an array of shareable plates such as shrimp and scallop cakes, sauteed garlic prawns on a bed of squash ravioli and classic avocado and ahi tuna tartar.

• Backeddy Marine Pub is a no-fuss, family-friendly establishment with pool tables and classic pub grub with an exceptional waterfront view of the Sechelt Inlet. Order favourites like beer-battered fish and chips and salt and pepper chicken wings and check out the neighbouring geodesic oceanfront domes and rustic A-Frame cabins for a unique coastal experience. 

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What to do in Pender Harbour and Egmont

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• Sunshine Coast Tours offers year-round boat charters of the Princess Louisa Inlet and Skookumchuck Narrows.

Sunday: Spend the day in Sechelt before heading home

Where to stay in Sechelt

• Cozy A-Frame Getaway is a picturesque cabin tucked amongst the trees on a quiet street, a stone’s throw away from a peaceful pebble beach in Halfmoon Bay, just west of Sechelt. A cozy wood-burning fireplace and board games await.

• Stay Wilder in eco-glamping domes nestled in Sechelt’s lush forestlands. Pre-book prep-ready meals you can cook onsite or upgrade to a private chef experience. Ten trees are planted for every stay.

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Where to dine in Sechelt

• Bricker Cider Company taproom is located on a family-owned and operated five-acre orchard in West Sechelt. This lively spot is ideal for families — pets are welcome, too — with a large playground behind ample outdoor seating that’s both covered and heated. The regularly scheduled live music is almost as good as the craft ciders, with rotating, seasonal sips like a warm mulled, brett barrel aged or blackberry crisp. Onsite, The Shed offers tasty pizzas with creative toppings or build-your-own charcuterie boards, complete with accoutrements.

• El Segundo brings bold flavours and a bright, lively vibe to the coast, reminiscent of a funky bar you’d expect to see in Vancouver’s east side. The menu is a true fusion, drawing inspiration from Hawaii, Mexico, California and Southeast Asia. Don’t miss the Pok Pok wings or curry shrimp tacos; don’t be shy to make your way through the inventive cocktail list.

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• Middlechild is an unassuming coffee counter located within Elphi Cycles, pouring house-roasted beans that’ll please your everyday coffee snob.

What to do in Sechelt

• Local Tourist is a lovely little gift shop that offers locally designed clothing and goods that according to to one local, “really encapsulates the newer vibe of the Coast.”

• Purple Banner Tour lets travellers visit local galleries and art studios across the Coast. Many renowned artists and musicians call the Sunshine Coast home — look for the flying purple flags and embark on a self-guided journey through the creative cultural enclaves that dot the coastline.

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ltaveroff@postmedia.com

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