It’s obvious: British Columbia in general, and the Sunshine Coast in particular, is a hiking enthusiast’s paradise, with no less than 180 km of excursions to do in the region. For a more modest journey, three suggestions: Smuggler Cove (from Halfmoon Bay, about twenty minutes of walking in the forest, to reach a breathtaking view of the bay, mountains and steep shores included); Pender Hill (departure further north via the village of Egmont), this more demanding and rocky walk (allow a good hour round trip), all uphill, once again offers a truly spectacular finale; finally, and this was the highlight of our stay, hiking in Skookumchuck Provincial Park (still in the Egmont area), in the heart of a tropical forest. This 4 km wetland walk ends at the Skookumchuck Rapids (and offers two distinct viewpoints, both are worth a look), a unique and spectacular natural phenomenon: depending on the tides, the current changes direction here, causing big whirlpools, which are a delight for ducks, but also kayakers, and, if you’re lucky… seals! Allow a good two hours to get there, appreciate the phenomenon, then return to square one.
