The Sunshine Coast is an 86km stretch of coastline dotted with the small communities of Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay, Pender Harbour, and Egmont. It is accessible by car ferry through BC Ferries, as well as via floatplane and private boats. A second ferry from Egmont takes visitors through to Powell River and area, also considered part of ‘the Sunshine Coast’.
Life on the Coast is dominated by a few major factors and characteristics:
- Dependence on ferry travel for the vast majority of visitors and locals
- Protection from urban sprawl facing other gateway communities surrounding Vancouver
- Easy access to a major metropolitan area but offering a small town feel
- Highly educated population
- One of the highest per-capita ratios of individuals making all or part of their living from arts & culture, leading to a rich cultural scene year round
- Diversity in the physical environment, with access to the ‘outside’ ocean (Georgia Strait), the protected waters of the Sechelt Inlet, access to both remote backcountry mountains and lakes and easily accessible major recreation areas.
- A wide range of activities, from water-based recreation like boat cruises, kayaking, windsurfing and swimming/skimboarding to well-established and uncrowded hiking and mountain biking trails ranging from novice to world-class challenges
Visitors to the Coast quickly recognize what a great secret this part of BC still is… reasonable ferry waits (most of the time, reservations recommended for peak summer or holiday weekend visits), and aside from a busy drive in with ferry traffic on the one highway, an extremely relaxed pace. Except for major festivals, it’s rare to find crowds on the Coast, and travelers accustomed to grabbing a towel’s worth of beach space, or having to navigate busy trails will marvel at the space and solitude to appreciate less than an hour from Vancouver.
The people of the Coast are very friendly, social, and welcoming, and the towns are each unique, offering their own special blends of character and convenience.
Pender Harbour, your home for the duration of your stay here, is even more special. The area offers long, winding drives to little hamlets and several easily accessible swimming and fishing lakes. An undulating and very protected harbour dotted with coves and government wharfs, visited by yachts and sailboats from around the Pacific Northwest is utterly captivating and endlessly interesting.
Pender is also too far for almost all but the most hardy of Vancouver commuters, so life is slower and you’ll really get a feel for what it is like to live here, with the tiny coffee shops and regular haunts for the true ‘locals’ from the hills of the harbour.
Great restaurants and eclectic shops (with very few big-box chain stores, even small ones) will take you back to a life before 4 lane thoroughfares in suburban communities, where it’s a pleasure to walk between stores and oceanfront, or linger over dinner.
Once you have your dates arranged with Pender Harbour Getaways, take some time to familiarize yourself with the area through the Official Destination Web Site at www.bigpacific.com. There’s suggested itineraries, town information, an events calendar – everything you need to get the most out of your visit here.