
If you want to visit a true water-centric community, Pender Harbour is a must.
Travellers from Vancouver take a ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale (Gibsons), and then drive a scenic 50 kilometres northwest on Highway 101. Small communities, including Madeira Park and Garden Bay, form a “horseshoe” around the harbour, and a 5 minute boat ride from one tip to the other could take an hour to drive the whole way around. This unique harbour community is all about the water. Experience the true Pender Harbour Spirit, or just enjoy the 5 freshwater lakes scattered around the ocean harbour.
With fewer than 3000 residents, Pender Harbour offers a surprising array of amenities. Resorts, a golf course, cafes, pubs, shops, and art galleries are scattered around the harbour. Next to Powell River, Pender Harbour boasts more large accommodations than any other community on the Sunshine Coast. It is the resort centre of the region.
You haven’t truly been to Pender Harbour until you see it from the water. The harbour is the vibrant, beating heart of this community. We highly recommend taking advantage of the unique opportunity offered to arrive in this region by personal watercraft.
For boaters, there are multiple marinas available in the area, both close to the convenience of the village shops, or in more relaxing locations away from the hustle and bustle.
Enjoy relaxing walks down easy paths, or take more difficult hikes through the area surrounding Pender Harbour. The routes to Pender Hill and up Mount Daniel are popular with experienced hikers, their summits providing spectacular views overlooking the harbour.
Pender Harbour is one of the most popular diving spots on the Sechelt Peninsula. Hire a guide or rent a boat and go exploring around Fearney Bluffs, Nelson Rock, and the Anderson and Charles Islands.
Pender Harbour is well‐known for its salmon fishing. Other fish to be caught here include cod, flounder, and snapper, as well as surface‐feeding trout in many of our freshwater lakes.
Music thrives in the Harbour! The Pender Harbour Blues Festival in June, the Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival in August, and the Pender Harbour Jazz Festival in September all feature concerts held in all three local communities, Garden Bay, Madeira Park and Irvines Landing.
Egmont is a one of a kind waterfront community, offering up laid back coastal days or one of a kind adventure pursuits; just take your pick!
Egmont sits on the Sechelt Inlet, a 1.5 hour drive up the Sunshine Coast from the ferry port city of Langdale, or a quick 10 minutes from the Earls Cove ferry terminal near the north end. It is a gateway to Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park – Skookum is a Chinook word for strong and chuck means water. The Sechelt Rapids surge through the narrows during a 3 m (10 ft) tide change twice daily, causing 200 billion gallons of water to explode upwards into standing waves and be sucked into bottomless whirlpools, creating an extreme destination for experienced kayakers and surfers.
History buffs won’t want to miss the Egmont Heritage Centre, which opened in 2006 and is located across from the Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park. The Centre tells the story of the First Nations and early European settlers of the area with emphasis on the logging and fishing heritage. There are special collections of Vivian and Easthope engines, antique bottles, Depression era glass and a gift shop featuring local books, arts and crafts.
A boater’s paradise, the nearby Princess Louisa & Jervis Inlets have been called the “most scenic natural anchorage” in the world, and is home to the powerful Freil and Chatterbox Falls, as well as many other waterfalls cascading down into these fjords. You’ll find everything you need at one of the local marinas to get you stocked and fuelled up for your trip. You also have the option of a guided boat or float plane tour to explore the Inlets and Skookumchuck Narrows!
Need a place to stay? How about a bite to eat? Many of the accommodations in Egmont will fill your plate, too, whether that’s at a campground paired with a food truck (or shall we say, food bus!), a luxury resort and restaurant with views beyond compare, or mouthwatering pub fare next door to your A-frame cabin.
Just passing through? Hikers & bikers rejoice, because here you can get off the highway and enjoy the SunCoaster Trail — 37km of multi-use trail winding through old growth forest, around mountain lakes and through multiple communities until you reach Halfmoon Bay. You’ll find the trailhead at the corner of Highway 101 and Egmont Road. And don’t miss beautiful Ruby and Sakinaw lakes en route either to or from Egmont. Ruby Lake also has a great sandy beach for kids.