This tiny town in B.C. is the peaceful escape everyone needs in their life, and one trip on BC Ferries got me there.
I've always romanticized the idea of getting in a car, driving, and not looking back. Realistically, I would never actually do this. I'd last about two hours before the small yet demanding Type A portion of my personality required a plan. But recently, I attempted the most responsible version of this fantasy: driving to the very end of Highway 101.
Turns out, (spoiler if you're a flat-earther), you don't fall off the edge. You do end up in one of the most quietly blissful places in all of British Columbia.
If you happen to have been dreaming of escaping to a seaside town with fewer than 400 residents where everyone knows each other by name and makes actual, meaningful eye contact, look no further...
Meet Lund
A tiny seaside town sitting at the northernmost edge of the Sunshine Coast. It's all colourful cottages, marina views, and charming cafés that feel pulled straight out of an Emily-Henry-swirly-titled-coastal-rom-com-book.
Getting there
Getting to Lund from Vancouver requires a small amount of commitment (which is exactly why it still feels like a secret).
First, you'll take a BC Ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale and officially enter Sunshine Coast time. From there, it's about a two-and-a-half-hour drive north along Highway 101, passing through Gibsons, Sechelt, and Powell River — as civilization slowly, and pleasantly, thins out.
Eventually, the road quite literally ends. (Excellent news for the directionally challenged, like myself. You physically cannot go the wrong way).
Jjust like that, you've arrived.
Explore the village
Start the day with a Lund essential: the famous blackberry cinnamon bun at Nancy's Bakery (from what I've gathered, it's less of a recommendation and more of a local rite of passage).
From there, drift into the tiny shops, poke around the galleries, and slowly make your way along the marina. Everything has that effortless coastal charm that makes you remember to take real deep breaths and put away your phone.
Eat shellfish
Lund is the shellfish capital of the West Coast!
I realize the fact that this excites me is a clear sign I've aged out of my early twenties (my 21-year-old self would've skimmed right over this type of information).
My current self, however, is genuinely delighted — telling friends and family about it unprompted and already eyeing a return trip in May for the annual Lund Shellfish Festival.
Take in the great outdoors
You can hike, kayak, paddleboard, scuba dive, swim (Divers Rock is the best swimming hole), boat, and tan (yes, those last two count as taking in the great outdoors). If wildlife is more your thing, keep an eye out for humpback whales, orcas, dolphins, seals, sea lions, and porpoises (if anyone can confidentially explain what a porpoise actually looks like or is, please let me know).
Notably, Lund is the gateway to Desolation Sound, one of B.C.'s most stunning marine parks. My favourite fun fact as a chronically cold person: the water here can reach around 25°C in the summer (which is, by definition, ideal swimming pool temperature).
If you've got a little extra time on your hands, you can also take a water taxi over to Savary Island, known for its white sand beaches and clear enough water to make you feel Hawaii-adjacent.
Lund is the kind of perfect hidden gem that makes you wonder why you ever planned complicated getaways when something this good was quietly waiting at the end of Highway 101 the whole time.
The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
