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Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast
Town in British Columbia, Canada

Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast

Gibsons is a town on the Sunshine Coast in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, on the northwest shore of Howe Sound.

Plan a trip to Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast→From Victoria

Located within the Pacific coastal rainforest and serving as the gateway to the rest of the Sunshine Coast, Gibsons is a regional tourist destination.

Get in

Getting to Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast

BC Ferries, toll-free: +1-888-223-3779. Operates ferries connecting coastal British Columbia communities.

  1. 01
    Sunshine Coast
See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Nicholas Sonntag Marine Education Centre

    473 Gower Point Road (inside Gibsons Public Market, see Buy listing), info@gibsonsmarine-ed.org.

  2. 02
    Gibsons Public Art Gallery

    A small art gallery featuring temporary exhibitions of art by local and BC artists.

  3. 03
    Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives

    Small museum showcasing the local history.

Do

Things to do

Kayak or canoe - explore the waters off Gibsons Harbour, venturing over to local islands like Keats Island and Gambier Island. Alternatively, kayak up Sechelt Inlet, watching out for dolphins and deer. Fishing - Gibsons offers prime salmon fishing: coho, chinook, chum, pink, and sockeye. Further up the coast, anglers love the trout fishing at Trout Lake, Sakinaw Lake, and Ruby Lake.

Eat

Where to eat

  1. 01
    Friendly Thai

    Not only are the staff friendly, but the authentic Thai food is delicious.

  2. 02
    Smoke On The Water BBQ Shack

    All meat products are smoked on site with hardwood to create the southern flavours for pulled pork, chicken, fish and brisket sandwiches.

  3. 03
    Smitty's Oyster House

    Oysters and seafood, burgers, chicken wings and steaks.

  4. 04
    Mike's Place

    Mike's Place is well known to locals and tourists for their large summer selection of gelato flavours, but they also have delicious fresh baked goods, sandwiches and soups.

How locals move

Getting around Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast the local way

The Sunshine Coast is on the British Columbia mainland but has no road connection to Vancouver at all, so every arrival is a BC Ferries sailing, a seaplane or a water taxi, and reaching Powell River means a second ferry on top of the first.

  1. 01
    No road connects the Sunshine Coast to Vancouverservice status

    Highway 101 from Langdale through Gibsons, Sechelt and Pender Harbour to Earls Cove, then again from Saltery Bay to Powell River and Lund

    Where
    There is no road to drive. Highway 101 starts at the Langdale ferry ramp, runs 80 km to Earls Cove and stops at the water. It restarts at Saltery Bay on the far side of Jervis Inlet and runs to Lund. Mountains and fjords, not distance, are the reason: Gibsons is 40 minutes by sea from West Vancouver and unreachable by land.
    When
    permanent, there is no seasonal or tidal workaround
    Takes
    Vancouver to Powell River by road and ferry is two crossings and roughly five hours end to end
    Season
    year-round
    Booking
    Plan every trip around sailing times, not driving times. A missed sailing is one to two hours, not ten minutes.

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high

  2. 02
    BC Ferries route 3, Horseshoe Bay to Langdaleferry

    West Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) to Sunshine Coast (Langdale), across Howe Sound

    Where
    Horseshoe Bay terminal is at the west end of the Trans-Canada Highway, 25 minutes from downtown Vancouver, and TransLink routes 250, 257 and 262 run to it. Drivers join the holding lanes and pay at the toll booth; foot passengers use the ticket booth and the overhead walkway. At Langdale the terminal is 10 minutes by road from Gibsons.
    When
    Ten sailings each way daily, roughly every two hours, first out of Langdale 06:20 and first out of Horseshoe Bay 07:30; last departures 22:30 from Langdale and 23:30 from Horseshoe Bay
    Fare (2026)
    Westbound only, three tiers. At terminal, no booking: C$16.45 adult, C$58.40 for a standard vehicle up to 20 feet, C$6.95 per extra foot, C$29.20 a motorcycle. Prepaid with a booking: C$11.50 adult, C$63.35 vehicle. Saver, booked and paid in advance: C$9.00 to C$11.50 adult, C$30.00 to C$47.50 vehicle. Add a 5% fuel surcharge. Langdale to Horseshoe Bay is C$0.00 for everyone, so you pay one way and ride back free. BC Seniors travel free Monday to Thursday. An Experience Card cuts C$3.35 off the adult and C$12.85 off the vehicle at-terminal fare.
    Takes
    40 minutes
    Season
    Year-round, with seasonal timetables; the busiest direction is toward the Sunshine Coast on Friday afternoons and back on Sunday evenings
    Booking
    Bookable, and worth it in summer. Booking check-in opens 60 minutes and closes 30 minutes before departure, after which you lose the guarantee and are treated as a drive-up. Without a booking it is strictly order of arrival, and ticket sales close 10 minutes before the sailing. A reservation without prepayment costs a separate C$20. Assured Loading cards are not accepted on this route. Sailings marked 'Reservations sold out' online often still have drive-up space.

    Sources: bcferries.com (2026-06) · bcferries.com (2026-09) · bcferries.com (2026-09) · confidence high

  3. 03
    BC Ferries route 7, Earls Cove to Saltery Bayferry

    Sechelt Peninsula (Earls Cove) to Powell River (Saltery Bay), across Jervis Inlet

    Where
    Earls Cove is the end of Highway 101 on the lower Coast, 27 km north of Madeira Park and about an hour and a half of winding driving from Langdale. No booking desk, no reservation lane, just the holding lanes and the toll booth. This is the second hop that the Sunshine Coast forces on anyone heading to Powell River.
    When
    Eight sailings each way daily, first out of Earls Cove at 06:30 and last at 22:00
    Fare (2026)
    Return fare, charged once. C$16.00 adult, C$8.00 child 5 to 11, C$53.80 for a standard vehicle up to 20 feet, C$6.85 per extra foot, C$26.90 motorcycle, plus the 5% fuel surcharge. Experience Card saves C$3.35 on the adult and C$11.95 on the vehicle. BC Seniors free Monday to Thursday.
    Takes
    50 minutes
    Season
    Year-round; seasonal timetable changes
    Booking
    None possible. BC Ferries lists it as a non-bookable route, so a long weekend queue at Earls Cove can cost you a sailing.

    Sources: bcferries.com (2026-06) · bcferries.com (2026-09) · confidence high

  4. 04
    BC Ferries route 13, Langdale to Gambier and Keats islandsferry

    Langdale to Gambier Island (New Brighton) and Keats Island (Keats Landing, with some trips to Eastbourne)

    Where
    Same terminal as the big ferry but a separate small passenger vessel and a separate ramp. Ask at the Langdale administration office. The boat shuttles back and forth all day in short legs, Langdale to New Brighton and back, then Langdale to Keats and back, so read the timetable as a series of loops, not a line.
    When
    Roughly hourly through the day from about 07:25, more frequent in the morning and late afternoon; Eastbourne is served on only a few trips
    Fare (2026)
    C$7.85 adult one way, C$3.95 child 5 to 11, or C$5.40 and C$2.75 on prepaid tickets. BC Seniors free Monday to Thursday. Students resident on Gambier or Keats travel free. Baggage stowage free.
    Takes
    10 minutes to New Brighton, 15 minutes to Keats Landing
    Season
    Year-round, with a busier summer timetable
    Booking
    None. Bring cash: only cash and prepaid paper tickets are accepted on board, no cards and no Experience Card. Ticket books are sold at the Horseshoe Bay foot passenger booth, the Langdale administration office and the Passages shop on some larger ferries.

    Sources: bcferries.com (2026-09) · bcferries.com (2026-06) · confidence high

  5. 05
    Sunshine Coast Transit routes 1 and 90, Langdale to Gibsons and Secheltbus

    Langdale ferry terminal to Gibsons and Sechelt; route 1 is the local, route 90 the express

    Where
    The bus waits in the terminal lot at Langdale and leaves 15 to 25 minutes after each ferry docks, so walking on is a real option. Read the headsign carefully: route 90 trips marked 'via Marine Dr' drop you in Lower Gibsons at Marine Dr and Jacks Lane, seven minutes from the terminal, while 'via North Rd' trips bypass the harbour entirely and only serve Upper Gibsons on Gibsons Way. Route 1 always runs down Marine Drive.
    When
    Route 90 about 13 departures a day from Langdale, roughly 07:12 to 21:25; route 1 about nine, 06:05 to 00:30, including one that meets the last boat
    Fare (2026)
    C$2 single ride, C$4 DayPASS, C$60 for a 30-day adult pass, C$30 for a 30-day senior pass. Children 12 and under ride free, and Sunshine Coast youth 13 to 18 ride free on the S-PASS. Pay cash on board or with the Umo app or card.
    Takes
    Langdale to Lower Gibsons 7 minutes on the 90 and 12 on the 1; Langdale to Sechelt 43 minutes on the 90, about 66 on the 1
    Season
    Year-round, same timetable seven days a week; reduced on statutory holidays
    Booking
    none

    Sources: bctransit.com (2026-09) · bct.tmix.se (2026-09) · bctransit.com (2026-09) · confidence high

  6. 06
    Sunshine Coast Connector, Sechelt to Earls Covebus

    Sechelt (Trail Bay Mall) to Secret Cove, Madeira Park, Garden Bay, Ruby Lake, Egmont and Earls Cove ferry terminal

    Where
    A 14-seat shuttle, not a coach. It picks up at the BC Transit stop by the Sechelt visitor centre and drops at the Earls Cove terminal car park. Several stops are flag stops on Highway 101 and Secret Cove, Madeira Park and Egmont must be booked online in advance or the driver will not stop. The bus deliberately waits for particular ferry sailings, so it runs late when the ferry does.
    When
    One northbound departure from Sechelt at 11:35 and one southbound from Earls Cove at 12:40, on the 9 September to 20 December 2026 timetable
    Fare (2026)
    C$40.00 plus 5% GST, C$42.00 total, Sechelt to Earls Cove. C$20.00 plus GST Sechelt to Madeira Park, C$25.00 plus GST Earls Cove to Madeira Park. Prepaid driver gratuity of C$10.00 is offered as an option. C$25 change fee.
    Takes
    About an hour Sechelt to Earls Cove
    Season
    Timetables run in blocks of about three months and change with the season; it also runs on statutory holidays
    Booking
    Book online at least a day ahead. Tickets cannot be bought online on the day of travel, but the driver takes cash on the day. Online buyers get priority seating and everyone else is first come first served. Fares under C$10 are not bookable online at all. Bicycles need prior booking and e-bikes are refused.

    Sources: sunshinecoastconnector.ca (2026-09) · sunshinecoastconnector.ca (2026-09) · confidence high

  7. 07
    Sunshine Coast Air, Sechelt to Vancouver airportseaplane

    Sechelt (YHS) to Vancouver International south terminal (YVR) and back, over the Strait of Georgia

    Where
    The Sechelt base is on Porpoise Bay; from Gibsons it is a 30 to 45 minute drive or the route 90 bus to Sechelt. The same operator also flies Sechelt to Nanaimo Harbour and Sechelt to Victoria airport. Call +1 604-740-8889 or 1-888-436-7776.
    When
    Twice daily each way. Depart Sechelt 09:15 and 16:30 weekdays, 10:00 and 16:30 weekends; depart YVR 10:10 and 17:25 weekdays, 10:55 and 17:25 weekends.
    Fare (2026)
    C$209.00 per person each way, or C$177.65 on the Saver fare, both including port fees and taxes. Tariff period 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027.
    Takes
    25 minutes
    Season
    Year-round, with the timetable republished in short blocks; floatplanes do not fly in fog or heavy wind
    Booking
    Book online. The Saver fare must be booked seven or more days ahead and is non-refundable with no flight credit. No age-based discounts on this route, and unaccompanied minors are not carried.

    Sources: sunshinecoastair.com (2026-09) · confidence high

  8. 08
    Cormorant Water Taxi, Howe Sound and the Gambier dockswater taxi

    Horseshoe Bay and Sunset Marina to Bowyer Island, Halkett Bay, Long Bay, Sea Ranch, Centre Bay, West Bay and Gambier Harbour, with Keats Island, Anvil Island, Pasley Island and the Sunshine Coast on request

    Where
    This is how you reach the Gambier and Keats docks that the BC Ferries passenger boat does not serve. Scheduled Gambier runs can be booked online; everything else, including Keats and Sunshine Coast drops, goes through dispatch on +1 604-250-2630. Pickup is on the Vancouver side, at Horseshoe Bay or Sunset Marina, not at Gibsons.
    When
    Scheduled Gambier sailings year-round, more in summer; everything else on demand
    Fare
    Per-trip fares and 10-trip or 20-trip eCards are sold online; a fuel surcharge is applied on top and is under ongoing review. Rates were not confirmed for this entry.
    Takes
    15 to 40 minutes depending on the dock
    Season
    Year-round. Watch their advisory board: Sunset Marina was closed for pickup for part of September 2026 and the BC Parks dock at Halkett Bay is closed.
    Booking
    Online for Gambier, by phone for everything else. Rebook or cancel online up to 12 hours before; no show means no refund, and refunds carry an 8% non-refundable booking fee. If you can carry your luggage in one go, so can they, otherwise it is freight and must be cleared with dispatch.

    Sources: cormorantwatertaxi.com (2026-09) · cormorantwatertaxi.com (2026-09) · confidence medium

  9. 09
    Taxi, ride hailing and the Langdale parking problemprivate hire

    Langdale terminal to Lower Gibsons, Upper Gibsons, Roberts Creek and Sechelt

    Where
    Sunshine Coast Taxi on +1 604-885-3666 and Coastal Rides on 1-855-921-2226 both meet ferries, and a limousine and shuttle operator works the terminal too. Book ahead for late sailings. If you are driving, note that Langdale long-term parking is tiny, independently run by Robbins Parking and was showing 15 spaces free when checked, so leaving the car at Horseshoe Bay and walking on is usually the better plan.
    When
    on demand, around the clock by phone; ferry arrivals are the busy moments
    Fare
    Metered taxi and app-priced ride hailing; fares were not confirmed for this entry
    Takes
    10 minutes Langdale to Gibsons Landing, 30 to 40 minutes to Sechelt
    Season
    Year-round
    Booking
    Phone ahead if you are arriving on a late sailing. BC Ferries warns that public transport may not be running for the last boats.

    Sources: bcferries.com (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

  10. 10
    Winter storms, mechanical days and a one-vessel routeservice status

    Horseshoe Bay to Langdale, and the Earls Cove crossing

    Where
    Route 3 normally runs on a single ship, so one fault takes out the whole link rather than half of it. Check Current Conditions on the BC Ferries site or app before you leave; it lists each sailing with a cancellation reason. The third-party mirror at bcferriesapi.ca returns the same sailings as JSON with car, oversize and passenger fill percentages, which is the quickest way to see whether the deck is already full.
    When
    Southeast gales and winter storms cause the weather cancellations; mechanical stoppages are unpredictable and Langdale berth works have caused loading restrictions
    Takes
    A cancelled sailing costs one to two hours; an all-day suspension means the next morning
    Season
    Worst from late autumn through winter
    Booking
    A booking does not survive a cancellation on its own terms, so leave slack on either side of a flight or a connection, and do not plan the last sailing of the day as your only option

    Sources: bcferries.com (2026-09) · bcferriesapi.ca (2026-09) · confidence high

Not yet confirmed: Cormorant Water Taxi's published fares could not be read; the price table sits behind their booking login. Phone dispatch on +1 604-250-2630.; The Sunshine Coast Connector's own schedule and rates pages are empty product categories on their OpenCart site, so times and fares here come from querying their live booking engine on 28 September 2026 rather than from a published timetable. The northbound category is still labelled 'Langdale to Earls Cove', but the booking engine sold no Langdale or Gibsons legs on any date tested, only Sechelt to Earls Cove. Wikivoyage still describes a Langdale to Earls Cove run at C$60 as of 2022. Confirm with the operator before relying on a Langdale pickup.; No scheduled passenger ferry or water taxi was found running directly between Gibsons Landing and downtown Vancouver. Everything goes via Langdale and Horseshoe Bay, or via Horseshoe Bay by water taxi.; Coast Reporter, the Sunshine Coast newspaper, and The Local Weekly both return 403 to any fetch, so no local reporting on specific winter ferry cancellations could be cited. The cancellation evidence here is BC Ferries' own per-sailing notices instead.; Car rental on the Sunshine Coast itself was not confirmed with a named operator. Wikivoyage says rentals exist at several locations but are cheaper in Vancouver; check before you assume you can pick up a car at Langdale.; BC Ferries lists a 'Horseshoe Bay & Langdale Infrastructure Program' service notice affecting both terminals. The full notice could not be opened, and one page carried a Langdale Berth 1 restriction dated to an earlier period, so the current state of the berth works should be checked on the day..

The field note on Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast reads this entry in full, one option at a time, with every source beside it.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.