Cortes Island

Canada

Cortes Island is part of the Discovery Islands off the coast of British Columbia.

  • Cortes Museum & Archives, 957 Beasley Rd, Mansons Landing, +1 250-935-6340. mid-June to mid-Sept: Tu-Su 10AM-4PM; mid-Sept to mid-June: F-Sa noon-4PM. Small museum with a mix of rotating exhibits and permanent exhibits focusing on local history, First Nations artifacts, a pioneer kitchen and a reading corner with local stories and photos. Outside there is a heritage garden and logging shed.

Cortes Museum & Archives, 957 Beasley Rd, Mansons Landing, +1 250-935-6340. mid-June to mid-Sept: Tu-Su 10AM-4PM; mid-Sept to mid-June: F-Sa noon-4PM. Small museum with a mix of rotating exhibits and permanent exhibits focusing on local history, First Nations artifacts, a pioneer kitchen and a reading corner with local stories and photos. Outside there is a heritage garden and logging shed.

  • Kw'as Park. Park set amidst old-growth and second-growth forest between two lakes. There are many hiking trails, some with moderate climbs and a number of viewpoints. Access is from one of the following two points:
      • Seaford Rd access. – at the sharp bend in the road near the Cortes Motel, look for the wooden mapboard
      • Kw'as Bay Rd access. – look for the "park trail" sign near Lowe Rd
  • Manson's Landing Provincial Park, Seaford Rd & Sutil Point Rd. Park spanning the ground between Hague Lake and Manson's Lagoon, with a day use area on each. The beaches are popular for swimming, particularly Hague Lake which is warm in summer. Canoeing and other water activities are also popular. There are some short hiking trails and beach walks.
  • Misty Isles Adventures, +1 250-935-6756. Sailing cruises, kayak tours and kayak rentals from May through September. Depending on the season, sailing trips go to Mittlenatch Island (May/June), Desolation Sound (July-Sept) or other parts of the Discovery Islands. Kayak tours are guided from one of the docks on Cortes Island or "mothership tours" where point-to-point travel is done by the Misty Isles ship and then you kayak at the destination. Sailing cruises $95-130, kayak mothership tours $680 (two days, one night), kayak rentals $50-60 for a day.
  • Smelt Bay Provincial Park, Sutil Point Rd (15 km south of Whaletown. 7AM-10PM. Park with a pebble beach, canoeing/kayaking, fishing, a small number of picnic tables in the day-use area and camping. At low tide, you can walk along the beach from the park south to Sutil Point. The park's name comes from the capelin fish that spawn in the area in the fall, which attracts other marine life and birds. Day use is free.

    • Kw'as Park. Park set amidst old-growth and second-growth forest between two lakes. There are many hiking trails, some with moderate climbs and a number of viewpoints. Access is from one of the following two points:

      • Seaford Rd access. – at the sharp bend in the road near the Cortes Motel, look for the wooden mapboard
      • Kw'as Bay Rd access. – look for the "park trail" sign near Lowe Rd

    Manson's Landing Provincial Park, Seaford Rd & Sutil Point Rd. Park spanning the ground between Hague Lake and Manson's Lagoon, with a day use area on each. The beaches are popular for swimming, particularly Hague Lake which is warm in summer. Canoeing and other water activities are also popular. There are some short hiking trails and beach walks.

    Misty Isles Adventures, +1 250-935-6756. Sailing cruises, kayak tours and kayak rentals from May through September. Depending on the season, sailing trips go to Mittlenatch Island (May/June), Desolation Sound (July-Sept) or other parts of the Discovery Islands. Kayak tours are guided from one of the docks on Cortes Island or "mothership tours" where point-to-point travel is done by the Misty Isles ship and then you kayak at the destination. Sailing cruises $95-130, kayak mothership tours $680 (two days, one night), kayak rentals $50-60 for a day.

    Smelt Bay Provincial Park, Sutil Point Rd (15 km south of Whaletown. 7AM-10PM. Park with a pebble beach, canoeing/kayaking, fishing, a small number of picnic tables in the day-use area and camping. At low tide, you can walk along the beach from the park south to Sutil Point. The park's name comes from the capelin fish that spawn in the area in the fall, which attracts other marine life and birds. Day use is free.