Cortes Island, Gulf Islands, BC
Cortes Island is one of the archipelago islands known as the Discovery Islands on the BC coast. The island is located at the northern end of the Gulf of Georgia and lies between Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast on British Columbia Mainland. Cortes Island is accessed via ferry from Heriot Bay on the east coast of Quadra Island. Campbell River is the departure point for ferry access to both Quadra Island and Cortes Island. These islands are sometimes included in with the Gulf Islands, and sometimes not.
Cortes Island is roughly halfway between Powell River and Campbell River. The island is 25 km (16 mi) long, 13 km (8 mi) wide and 130 km (50 sq mi) and 13,000 hectares in area.. It has a population of approximately 1000 permanent residents. Cortes has the largest community. Whaletown, Squirrel Cove and Mansons Landing are communities on the island.
Quiet and hospitable Cortes Island is one of the most inspirational of the islands of the Discovery Islands, with its lakes, beaches, and jagged gorges. Cortes also has a prosperous arts and crafts industry. Drum makers, potters, painters, carvers, and other artisans all live and work on the island. Cortes Craftshop in Squirrel Cove, a co-op of island artists and craftspeople, showcases local work.
The island offers the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. The land and sea are home to bald eagles, many species of seabirds, shore birds and marine mammals, as well as deer and other smaller creatures. Boating, sailing, kayaking, scuba diving, fishing, swimming, bird watching and hiking are some of the many outdoor activities available to all.
The island offers many recreational activities. There are hiking trails, parks and beaches to enjoy. The island's trails are great for hiking and mountain biking, and there is a campground and beautiful beach in Smelt Bay Park. There are many beautiful beaches and lagoons that are great for bird watching.
Cortes is at the entrance to world-famous boating destination of Desolation Sound. Gorge Harbour has a marina, and there are government wharves at Cortes Bay, Whaletown, Squirrel Cove, Manson's Landing, and Gorge Harbour for boaters to use as their jumping off point.
Salmon fishing in the region is legendary. The waters around Quadra and Cortes Islands have yielded some of the largest salmon ever caught in the waters off the BC Coast. There are local charter boat operators available for fishing or wildlife viewing excursions.
This is a place where there are Saturday night dances, Friday markets, summer festivals, general stores and a local craft store. There are no fast food franchises, no malls and no night clubs. You'll find friendly people who make you feel welcome and give you the same sense of security that you might have felt as a child in a small rural town. Come and experience that again!
Now the question that you may be asking yourself is, where do I find more information on this? Click here if you want to learn more about the Cortes Island? To widen your exploration to the coast of BC in general go here! Around Vancouver Island