The Sunshine Coast is one of British Columbia’s not-so-hidden “hidden gems”. While it is only a short ferry ride from Vancouver or Vancouver Island, this short trip allows you to escape the crowds and experience one of the most funky and beautiful parts of the West Coast. And if you are planning a trip to the Sunshine Coast, make sure you take the time and go all the way up to Powell River.
The northern part of the Sunshine Coast is home to an awesome Farmers’ Market tucked in amongst the forest, as well as amazing restaurants, like Supercharger Pizza, great hikes, and lots of great camp spots for your tent or RV.
We took our Sprinter van for a long weekend trip in May and explored as much as we could of the Sunshine Coast Passport Tour. Below is our itinerary so you can make the most of a trip to this beautiful part of the coast and experience a more rugged and remote part of British Columbia.
How to get to Powell River
The most common way to get to Powell River is by taking two ferries with a bit of driving in between. Take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale (be sure to make a reservation as the ferries get busy, especially on the weekends) and then drive up the coast to Earls Cove. From here, you can jump on your second ferry to Saltery Bay before making the final stretch of the drive to Powell River.
If you have the time, we highly recommend stopping in at the Davis Bay Farmers’ Market in Sechelt as well as checking out Skookumchuck Narrows, where you may get to see some surfers riding a natural wave made by the changing tides as up to 200 billion gallons of water flow through the narrows connecting Sechelt and Jervis Inlet.
Where to Stay
There’s nothing more enjoyable than a camping trip with your friends, family, or other half, and we highly recommend taking your tent or your camper when coming to visit Powell River. It is an outdoor lovers paradise and there are lots of camping options to choose from.
Willingdon Beach Park – If you want a campsite right in town this is the spot for you. If you get lucky, there are a small handful of sites right on the beach with stunning views over to Texada and Vancouver Island. From here you can easily walk into town and if you are here between June and October you will be right next to the Central Farmers’ Market.
Haywire Bay Regional Campground – A short drive from town will take you into the forest and to the shores of Powell Lake. If you want to get away and fully immerse yourself in nature, this is a great option and it has a great beach and swimming area for the warmer months.
Inland Lake Provincial Park – Almost the same distance from town as Haywire Bay Regional Campground you will find another nature lover’s paradise. Set on the shores of Inland Lake you will be surrounded by dense forests and this is where we stayed on our trip, snagging one of the many first come first serve sites.
Day 1
Morning – Central Farmers’ Market/Powell River Farmers’ Market
Most people will likely be arriving later in the evening on a Friday so we recommend getting to camp, setting up, cooking up some good food, and having a good time sitting around the fire.
If you are here between June 14th and October 18th 2025 then we recommend that you start your Saturday morning with a trip to Central Farmers’ Market which is located at Willingdon Beach Old Arena Site on the edge of town. It is a beautiful spot overlooking the ocean and it runs from 10am – 1pm.
If you arrive outside of these months, as we were on our trip in June, then don’t fret, as the Powell River Summer Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays 10:30am-12:30pm May through September. We started our day here and having been to a lot of farmers’ markets we can confidently say this is the coolest setting!
It is a short drive out of town, located at 4365 McLeod Rd, and is set in amongst the forest so it feels like you are in the middle of nowhere which is really cool. You’ll find lots of fresh local ingredients, artisan crafts, baked goods (DO NOT miss out on the homemade cinnamon buns), art, and much more. We gathered ingredients so we could cook a carbonara, with fresh focaccia bread, and a side salad and our full recipe is below.
As well as all of the local vendors, there is also live music to enjoy and a ride on the miniature train with the kids. We had a great morning here, grabbing breakfast and taking in the atmosphere and live music.
Afternoon – Hike Tin Hat Hut
One of our favourite hikes in all of BC is located in Powell River and that is the Tin Hat Hut hike. This hut is part of the Sunshine Coast trail but you can do it as a day hike or overnight hike as well. It’s less than an hour drive from Powell River and from the top you’ll get epic views over Tin Hat Hut and the surrounding mountains, lakes, and ocean.
Make sure you hike the extra few minutes to the summit as these are where the best views are. Plus you get views from the backside over to Goat Island and Frogpond Lake. This is a moderately difficult hike with 650 metres in elevation gain over around 10 kilometres, but it is worth every step. You should plan to take 4-5 hours to complete this hike.
Evening – Cook a delicious meal at your campground
You’ll be tired and hungry after your hike so head back to camp and cook up a delicious meal with all of the items you bought from the Farmer’s Market. We grabbed farm fresh eggs, bacon (Yes, we know authentic carbonara uses guanciale but it tastes almost as good with bacon), homemade pasta, green leaf lettuce, and focaccia bread to help put our amazing camp dinner together.
Carbonara Recipe
Here is our recipe for serving 4 people:
- 14 x slices of thick cut bacon
- 3 x egg yolks
- 1 x whole egg
- 1 cup freshly grated pecorino romano (parmesan can be used as a substitute)
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 450g of spaghetti or linguine pasta
- Chopped fresh italian parsley for garnish
Instructions:
- Cook bacon in a large frying pan until crispy. Keep the cooked bacon and the fat in the pan.
- Whisk the egg yolks, egg, and pecorino cheese in a mixing bowl, adding black pepper to taste.
- Bring water to a boil and add salt to the water. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
- Add the pasta into the frying pan and toss so it gets covered in the bacon fat, ensuring it is off the heat. Stir in the cheese and egg mixture, stirring quickly to ensure the egg doesn’t scramble. If the sauce seems too thick or dry use the reserved pasta water.
- Serve the pasta immediately with more grated pecorino cheese and fresh chopped parsley on top.
We added in the fresh baked focaccia with a plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar as well as a side salad with a balsamic dressing.
This meal massively satisfied our grumbling stomachs and it is such a fun date night to cook a delicious meal with local ingredients that you bought at the farmers’ market that very same day.
Day 2
Morning – Year Round Powell River Farmers’ Market
If you visited the Central Farmers’ Market on Saturday then make a visit to the Year Round Powell River Farmers’ Market on Sunday morning. Sunday is typically the busier day and there are more vendors and people at the market on the Sunday. You’ll be heading to Savary Island shortly, so be sure to grab some food so you can make a packed lunch.
We went for gourmet sandwiches so we picked up fresh bread and spicy salami at the market. With the leftover garden lettuce from the previous day, some fig butter, and some brie cheese, we were all set. Savary Island doesn’t have much on the island so we recommend packing a lunch and you’ll have lots of options to choose from at the Powell River Farmers’ Market.
Morning/Afternoon – Savary Island
Make the short drive north to Lund where you can take the water taxi over to Savary Island. The island is so cool, with no paved roads, one main road through the middle of the island, and so many beautiful beaches for you to explore. You can rent bikes to explore more of the island or on foot you can get to South Beach in less than 15 minutes.
It’s rare that you will find such spectacular beaches with almost nobody on them which is one of the reasons Savary Island is so special. We enjoyed a day lounging on the beach, which we had completely to ourselves, with a tasty sandwich full of fresh, local ingredients.
If you are looking for explore more of the waterways around the Sunshine Coast then check out Terracentric Coastal Adventures. They offer boat tours, whale watching, and kayak tours and it is an amazing way to see more of the coast.
On your way back to town, make sure to stop in at the Powell River Historic Townsite District. This used to be home to the largest pulp and paper mill in the entire world and still has over 400 original buildings from 1910 so it feels like taking a step back in time.
We’d also highly recommend a quick stop in at Townsite Brewing Inc. to check out their selection of beers, and you can even grab some to take back home with you.
Evening – Dinner at Supercharger Pizza
What better way to finish off an epic weekend exploring the Sunshine Coast than with some amazing pizza. This is our absolute favourite food so we feel well placed to tell you that you can not miss out on their pizza.
They have done an awesome job creating a funky and retro pizzeria setting so you can eat in like we did, or if the weather is nice, take it to go and sit at Willingdon Beach and enjoy the views. We had a couple of their pizzas but the Killa Bee is the one you have to go for, although I’m sure you won’t be disappointed whatever you order.
Final Thoughts
Powell River is such an epic place to explore, and you’ll get a mix of great food, local markets, and outdoor adventure when you explore this more remote part of the coast. We recommend planning your next trip here and you can use this post, as well as the Sunshine Coast Passport Tour as your guide.