Destination Cortes

Fall 2009

When wind keeps you off the water, the right venue makes all the difference

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: DOWNLOAD

A perfect spot to overlook Desolation Sound and the Sunshine Coast.

The timing looked perfect for a break. When the weather forecast shows three suns back to back in April, and on a weekend no less, you grab the opportunity and run.

One of the rustic beachfront cabins at T’ai Li Lodge.

Our choice for an off-season getaway was Cortes Island. With cool temperatures we weren't up for a camping trip, so we opted instead for the safety and security of a base camp. And lucky for us Steve and Carol London at T'ai Li Lodge were happy to open one of their waterfront cabins early. The setting was perfect – a small but picturesque cabin overlooking Desolation Sound. We celebrated our Friday evening arrival sitting on the rocks overlooking the ocean – a deceptively peaceful ocean.

The one factor we didn't account for in the forecast was strong winds. Overnight a slight breeze changed to galeforce, and in the morning we looked out onto whitecaps that precluded any chance of carefree kayaking.

That meant Plan B, staying on land, and an exploration of rustic Cortes Island.

Cortes is one of the two key islands serviced by BC Ferries in the Discovery Islands (often referred to now as the northern Gulf Islands, though the association is purely by political grouping, not geography). Getting here can be half the fun, and travelers should be in that mindframe, considering the amount of ferry travel involved. Visitors from the mainland of BC or Washington State will have to get to Vancouver Island, then take a ferry to Quadra Island from Campbell River, then another ferry from Quadra to Cortes.

Whaletown’s post office.

The Cortes Island library.

St. John the Baptist Church, Whaletown.

(The island may well appear significantly closer to the BC mainland than Vancouver Island, but for travel purposes it is much farther away.)

The result is the chance to enter one of the most charmingly rustic island communities remaining on the BC coast. Where other coastal islands such as Saltspring have been discovered, and subsequently gentrified, Cortes keeps its low-key appeal through a handful of parks, small shops, eateries, coffee shops and quaint village charm.

Plus there are the trails. If you can't paddle, hike! Arguably the best trail, and certainly the longest, leaves from mid-island through Klahoose First Nation territory into Ha'thayim Marine Park. We finished the trail with a picnic lunch overlooking Lewis Channel and Redonda Island.

A more casual stroll was possible at Smelt Bay Provincial Park on the island's west side. While the wind howled in from the southeast, we strolled the sand in the comfort of the lee. A smattering of shops and a charming bookstore provided another diversion.

Heading home on the ferry with our kayaks on the car, we probably didn’t fool too many. It was a kayaking bust – not one paddle stroke – but in the end it didn’t matter. Good weather in April is worth its weight in gold, even in the wind.<