Escape into Sweater Weather on the Sunshine Coast
Written by Sylvia Dekker
For frigid Canadians needing to go somewhere to get away, who aren't keen on migrating south anymore and who want to support fellow Canadians, heading west until the land crumbles into salt water and hemlock covered islands is a phenomenal choice. Because even though BC's laid back coast was muffled under a rare snowfall when I arrived, the -25C I left behind melted into distant memory between steaming mugs, plates, and tubs of cedar scented water.
In many of the sprinkling of harbour towns along British Columbia's stunning Sunshine Coast, it's cozy season. Life's overwhelming chaos and Canadian winter blues melt away with a laid-back, quiet vibe framed by lush greenery—a sight for white weary eyes—and coastal beauty.
Frigid Canadians thaw here. Between mild temperatures and to-do lists left shivering in the cold, where the land crumbles into salt water and hemlock covered islands is the perfect place to extend sweater weather. Watch bobbing boats and seabirds while sipping warm drinks, tuck into plates of steaming seafood, and sink into tubs of hot cedar scented water under the stars.
When locals say, "Come to the Sunshine Coast, there's nothing to do around here," it's a good thing.
Spanning 180 kilometers of the southwest coast of British Columbia, the Sunshine Coast is a rugged length of mainland accessible only via ferry, air, or private boat. Long term temperature averages are all positive, and even though the area looked like a snowglobe when I visited, locals say normally this place beckons with green fronds, moss and vines year-round.
Arriving here is like landing on an island: relaxed remote ocean vibes mix with endless natural beauty and potential which inspires artists, slow travel tourists, adventure seekers, and business owners alike. Whether from a table loaded with comfort food, from a boat, or from a warm room begging for a nap, a Sunshine Coast getaway will involuntarily seep into your bones to rest, refuel and recharge.
EAT
If you’re escaping the cold and busy buzz of landlocked Canada on the saturated coast, you’ll want to indulge in some fresh, mouthwatering seafood. There are plenty of welcome signs to pull up a chair behind here. For warm flavour your belly will thank you for, and peak ambiance, you can’t go wrong at the cozy Joe’s Cabin Restaurant and Marine Bar in Gibson’s.
If there’s one thing that bring locals together here besides a table loaded with marine cuisine, it’s sipping something spritzy, tipsy and cold. Sunday Cider will fill your glass with delicious small-batch craft cider in fruity shades. Even the bubbles are local—no yeasts or additives are used to make these crisp sips, just the slow, natural fermentation of pure pressed British Columbia apples.
STAY
Create a basecamp for your activities (or inactivity) from one of the rooms, trailers, or cute A-frame mini cabins at The Stonewater. The location is smack in the middle of all the best scenery and activities the Sunshine Coast has to offer; all while being tucked away in the woods. The place and people are a treat and there’s all or nothing to do with the peace. During my stay I spent some time under the covers, sketching marine life and seabirds we saw on our boat tour. Later we padded to the Stonewater’s Moonshine Spa under stars and cedar branches and rotated through the locally made cedar hot tub and sauna, cold-water plunge, giving those last clenched muscles the boot.
EXPLORE
Get a taste at what the Sunshine Coast has to offer, and you’re bound to get the itch to immerse yourself deeper into the culture, history and stunning environment both on and off shore. The best way to explore this layered place—from the mossy forest floor to the soaring heights of the bald eagle—is from one of the many beautiful trails or from a boat.
Take a walking tour with Talaysay Indigenous Tours learn about ethnobotany, coastal ecosystems, stewardship and interconnectedness from the most knowledgeable guides while wandering the lush traditional territories of the shíshálh (Sechelt) and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nations.
Cozy season happens to be ideal birding season too. With a variety of birds heading to the area to ride out winter, the coast is alive with feathered friends flitting on mossy branches and bobbing in the salt water.
Get Sunshine Coast Tours to take you beyond the shoreline, past preening seabirds and sleepy seals, and into an experience as thrilling as it is relaxing. Explore the stunning inlets, fjords and waterfalls, or book a tour to the glaciological wonder of the Skookumchuck Narrows.
Just keep any lurking chills at bay and fully savour sweater weather and fresh air adventure by wrapping your hands around a steaming drink from the Beachcomber Coffee Co. or Sea Monkey Coffee.
Getting to the Sunshine Coast as a tourist is easy: board a BC Ferries from West Vancouver to Langdale. The forty minute ferry ride is most relaxing if booked in advance.
Beyond thawing and opportunities for deep inhale-exhales, visiting the Sunshine Coast during the “off-season” is an opportunity to support the many small Canadian businesses and companies adding flavour and life to the coast during the off season. Come, stay, eat, explore, and do cozy season right.
All I know is, in contrast with the dry, extreme Albertan cold I left behind, the drinkable moist sea air certainly felt like a tropical adjacent treat.
Images from The Stonewater.