Places to Be: The Sunshine Coast

When I was told by The Ubyssey editors that no one had written a ‘Places to Be’ article on the Sunshine Coast, I was slightly surprised. Growing up in BC, the Sunshine Coast was an area I had always heard about for its stunning natural beauty. Its proximity to Vancouver makes it an ideal spot on the Lower Mainland to go for a beautiful weekend camping trip near the ocean. Having spent most of my youth on Vancouver Island, I had never had a chance to check out the Sunshine Coast and was keen to explore it.

Getting there

Strangely enough, you can’t drive by land to the Sunshine Coast even though it’s part of mainland BC. However, there is a ferry from Horseshoe Bay to the Sunshine Coast that leaves every few hours. There are transit busses in the Sunshine Coast, but having a car is highly recommended due to the rural nature of the area. Taking your car on the ferry costs $54 round trip and each passenger in the car costs $16.15.

The trip itself was stunning. It was pretty windy and rainy, so I didn’t venture outside. But, the giant glass windows on the ship ensured that I was able to see the coastal forests and mountains from the comfort of a heated, dry interior. The area is a home to orcas and they are often seen swimming by the ferries, although I didn’t see any on this trip.

Where to stay

There are hotels and hostels galore on the Sunshine Coast, but my partner and I wanted to stay somewhere more adventurous and low budget. Enter: the Tapp Road Treehouse in Halfmoon Bay. Like the name suggests, it is a tree house available for rent on AirBnB for $35 a night. It is located on a mountain overlooking the Georgia Straight and is close to the towns of Halfmoon Bay and Sechelt. It is small but very cozy and is equipped with electricity and WiFi. The hosts, Lauri and Pete, love having university students stay and are probably the friendliest AirBnB hosts I have encountered. They were happy to set up a campfire area and eager to give recommendations on nearby places to visit and things to do.

The tree house itself is insulated, but it still got fairly cold at night. Fortunately, my partner and I had two sleeping bags and a heated blanket so we remained cozy and warm. If you are going to stay here in the winter, I’d recommend bringing lots of bedding and an adventurous attitude.

What to do

The Sunshine Coast is a nature lover’s paradise. Paddle boarding, golfing, scuba diving, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, skiing and snowshoeing are all popular activities depending on the season. Fortunately, the Sunshine Coast got its name for a reason and gets less rain than Vancouver and other areas on the Lower Mainland. This makes activities like hiking accessible and fun all year round.

During my trip, my partner and I did two hikes. The first one was up Soames Hill in the Sunshine Coast town of Gibsons. It was fairly short, yet very steep. We were lucky enough that the weather cleared up for us at the summit and gave us an incredible view of Gibsons and the surrounding area.

Our second hike was to Smugglers Cove. It was more relaxed than the Soames Hill hike, but no less beautiful. The hiking path that leads to Smugglers Cove is a mix of dirt trails and long, thin bridges that zigzag through beautiful marshes and bogs. The cove itself was stunning, and we spent a while exploring the small beaches and rocky hills that overlooked the ocean.

Although my trip was hiking focused, I should point out that the area also hosts some amazing markets, art galleries, restaurants and microbreweries, if hiking is not your thing and you still want to check out the area during the winter.

Highlights

Since I was travelling on a student budget, my options for activities were limited in the winter. That being said, the hikes I previously mentioned were awesome and I managed to stay fairly dry the entire trip.

Another highlight of the trip was Persephone Brewing, one of my favourite microbreweries in BC. It’s located on a farm right next to the ferry terminal in Gibsons. It has a cute, cozy tasting room with lots of board games and a super relaxed atmosphere. The beer at Persephone is also exceptionally good — my partner and I managed to sample pretty much everything they had.

My final highlight was the Sunshine Coast’s amazing beaches. Like its name suggests, the area is one long coastline with beaches galore. My partner and I checked out some beaches recommended to us by Laurie and Pete and were not disappointed. They were picturesque, stretched on forever and, although a little rocky, were easy to walk on. They are also perfect places to watch the sun set.

All in all, the Sunshine Coast lived up to my expectations — and although it was fun to visit in the winter, I am excited to head back in the summer to check it out when more water activities are accessible.

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