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
More infoDay Trips & Getaways
Two ferries past Vancouver Island to BC's warmest saltwater beach, which happens to look exactly like Hawaii.
Tribune Bay
More infoTribune 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 genuinely warms up, and a 'looks like Hawaii' reputation that isn't, for once, exaggerated. Getting there is the ritual, two ferries via Denman to Hornby. Once there, swim at Tribune, watch for whales from the Helliwell cliffs, and close on a Strait sunset.
From Vancouver, take BC Ferries Tsawwassen - Duke Point (Nanaimo), then drive ~1 hr up Highway 19 to the Buckley Bay terminal. From there it's two short island ferries: Buckley Bay to Denman Island (~10 min, ~17 sailings/day), a quick drive across Denman, then Gravelly Bay to Hornby (~10 min). Reserve nothing on the inter-island ferries (first-come), but go early on summer weekends - the lineups are real, so this is a stay-the-night, not a same-day-rush, trip. Make a beeline for Tribune Bay: swim and float in the warm shallows, then walk Helliwell Provincial Park's cliff loop and scan the Strait of Georgia for orcas. Riders: bring or rent a mountain bike for Mount Geoffrey's bench trails along the cliffs. Browse the Hornby Island Co-op and the artisan studios, grab a coffee and a slice, and chase sunset back at Tribune. Couples: it's a sun-and-sand romance - pack a picnic and a blanket. Solo me-time? Tribune at golden hour and a Helliwell walk are perfect alone. Short on time? Tribune Bay plus Helliwell is the can't-miss core; everything else is a bonus.
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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
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.
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