02 The story
A village by the ferry docks
Horseshoe Bay sits where Howe Sound opens onto the Strait of Georgia, with steep forested mountains on one side and islands on the other. The sheltered, curved bay that gives the village its name has made it a natural harbour, and for decades it has been the main ferry port on the North Shore.
The Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal is run by BC Ferries, with sailings to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, to Bowen Island and to the Sunshine Coast. Many people pass through without stopping, but the village beside it is worth a look. A short main street of cafés, restaurants and shops leads down to Horseshoe Bay Park, a waterfront green with benches and views of the boats coming and going.
Beyond the village
A few minutes away, Whytecliff Park has rocky coves, tide pools and Whyte Island, which you can walk out to at low tide. The waters off the park are popular with scuba divers. Horseshoe Bay is also the western trailhead of the Baden-Powell Trail, which crosses the North Shore mountains all the way to Deep Cove, and the start of the Sea-to-Sky Highway to Squamish and Whistler.
The marina offers boat rentals and tours in season, and the waters of Howe Sound are known for their scenery.
Horseshoe Bay is a small residential community, with homes on the hillsides around the bay. It suits people who love boating and the outdoors and do not mind a longer trip into Vancouver. For visitors, it makes a fine half-day trip: take the bus or drive out, explore Whytecliff Park, then watch the ferries from the park. If you are catching a ferry, arrive early in summer and on holiday weekends, when vehicle line-ups can be long.
