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Hornby Island: Tribune Bay, the 'Little Hawaii' of BC

Day Trips & Getaways

Hornby Island: Tribune Bay, the 'Little Hawaii' of BC

Two ferries past Vancouver Island to BC's warmest saltwater beach, which happens to look exactly like Hawaii.

Tribune Bay is the beach that makes people question whether they actually live in British Columbia. A kilometre of fine white sand, shallow turquoise water that actually warms up, and an 'it looks like Hawaii' reputation that is not, for once, exaggerated. Getting there is part of the fun: drive up Vancouver Island, take the ferry from Buckley Bay to Denman, drive across Denman, take the next ferry over to Hornby. Arrive, exhale, repeat. Once you're on island there's swimming and floating at Tribune, whale-watching from the Helliwell cliffs, mountain biking the Mount Geoffrey trails, browsing the famously good co-op and artisan studios, and a Strait-of-Georgia sunset to close the whole thing out. It is two ferries and several hours from Vancouver, and it earns every minute of the commute.

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Duration
Full day
Best time
Daytime
Price / person
~$170–380 / person
Setting
Outdoor
Neighbourhood
Tribune Bay
Best season
summer

Estimated ~$170–380 / person for per person for a weekend (travel, a night's stay, food), as of 2026-06-22. A ballpark, not a quote. Call ahead or check the website for exact pricing.

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Plan your getaway

Hornby Island (Tribune Bay), BC · from Vancouver

door to door

~1.5-hr Tsawwassen-Duke Point ferry + ~1 hr drive + two ~10-min island ferries

from Vancouver

175 km

how long

Weekend

best window

July-August (warmest water

Getting there

BC Ferries Tsawwassen - Duke Point (~1 hr 50 min; reserve at bcferries.com), then ~1 hr up Hwy 19 to Buckley Bay. Buckley Bay - Denman Island (~10 min, ~17 sailings/day), drive across Denman, then Gravelly Bay - Hornby Island (~10 min). The two inter-island ferries are first-come, first-served - arrive early on summer weekends to beat the lineup.

You need a car to drive up-Island and cross Denman; bring your own or rent in Nanaimo after Duke Point. Once on Hornby, a bike covers the small island happily.

No car? There's a route for that↓

No practical transit chain for this one - it's a car (plus the two car ferries) trip. On Hornby itself, bikes and the small road network make car-light days easy once you're settled.

books out

Stays book out far ahead (Sea Breeze and Tribune Bay Getaway often sell out for summer by spring) and Tribune Bay has no overnight camping - lock your room early. The Duke Point ferry is reservable; the two island ferries are first-come, so go early on weekends.

Don't miss

  1. 1Swim and float in the warm turquoise shallows of Tribune Bay
  2. 2Walk the Helliwell Provincial Park cliff loop and scan for orcas
  3. 3Ride the Mount Geoffrey bench trails along the cliffs
  4. 4Browse the Hornby Island Co-op and artisan studios
  5. 5Picnic and sunset on the white sand at golden hour
  6. 6Kayak or hydrobike the bay on a calm afternoon

Where to eat

Hornby Island Bakery & Pizzeriabakerylunch or dinner★ 4.8

Wood-fired pizza and proper pastries at the Ringside Market, minutes from Tribune Bay. Islanders queue like it is a civic duty, and the reviews read like love letters. Order a whole pizza and share nothing. Summer lineups; get pizza orders in early

~$10-25/person
Vorizo Cafécafelunch★ 4.7

A Mexican cafe in the middle of a Gulf island, which sounds implausible until the breakfast tacos arrive. Organic local ingredients, a pesto cheese quesadilla with genuine devotees, and a lineup that suggests the whole island already knows.

~$12-20/person
The Thatch Pub and Restaurantpub fooddinner★ 4.1

The island's one and only pub, its deck cantilevered right over the bay beside the ferry dock. Have a local craft beer, watch Denman Island do absolutely nothing, and declare it the best table in the strait.

~$18-30/person
Fossil Beach Farmfood trucklunch★ 4.6

An 80 acre waterfront farm cidery above the Salish Sea, pouring flights of its own apples alongside barbecue burgers from the outdoor kitchen. You will plan to stay an hour and somehow leave at closing. Food served during seasonal tasting-room hours only

~$15-30/person
The Table at Hornby Heart Vineyardrestaurantdinner★ 4.5

Dinner on a vineyard on a small island, where a Cordon Bleu trained chef runs an authentic Neapolitan pizza oven and the patio sits right beside the vines. Yes, that is showing off. Order accordingly. Seasonal; closed off-season, confirm reopening and book ahead

~$25-45/person

Where to stay

Sea Breeze Lodgewaterfront cottage resortromantic; books far ahead

17 rustic-charming cottages on 12 secluded waterfront acres with a cliffside hot tub; July-Aug all-inclusive meal option. Often fully booked for summer - join the waitlist early.

see this spot →book / details →
from ~$200/night (off-season)
Tribune Bay Getawayrenovated waterfront cabinromantic, steps to the beach

Newly renovated cabin right on Tribune Bay - 50% deposit at booking, balance due April 1; books out for summer.

see this spot →book / details →
from ~$550/night (off-peak); ~$6,000/week in summer
Ford's Cove Marina cottageswaterfront cottages & campingbudgetsolo

Simple cottages and tenting at the marina on the island's far side - the value pick, with weekly rates and a more rugged, solo-friendly feel.

see this spot →book / details →
from ~$165/night (winter); ~$210 shoulder

Trip details as of 2026-06-22. Prices and ferry schedules change, so confirm when you book.

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