Porteau Cove at Sunset

Porteau Cove Provincial Park is another popular stopover between Vancouver and Whistler, mostly for campers and scuba divers. But day trippers, like us, also go there to enjoy the fantastic view of Howe Sound and the mountains beyond.

Nestled at the foot of the Brunswick Mountain along a crescent-shaped pebbled beach, there are picnic tables, waterfront campsite grounds, and a facility for divers. It also features a couple of sunken ships and artificial reefs for the divers to explore and to attract marine life to the area. There are information signs that provide details on the locations of the vessels scuttled offshore, and a large billboard that describes how the artificial reef was constructed from chains of tires, hollow concrete piles, concrete blocks, and steel beams. It may not be as beautiful as the Great Barrier Reef, but hey, these wrecks still attract the fish.

The provincial park is situated in the most southerly fjord of North America and is known to be an excellent place for water activities, such as canoeing, windsurfing, and boating. In fact, it has two paved boat launches and we did see moored small boats with colourful sails bouncing off the waves. We heard that it is also a popular spot for fishing…but not within the park itself. Sole, salmon, cod, flounder, greenling, and sculpin abound in its waters. The area is said to be teeming with a good diversity of tidal and inter-tidal marine species, both along the shore, and underwater. Nearby, there is a parking lot for trailers and small cabins available for rent.

I would usually go there in the morning. When with relatives, we stop there for a quick walk and some coffee or ice cream on the way to Squamish or Whistler. When on a tour bus from Vancouver, it is a staple part of the itinerary. That is to say, during the day, it is teeming with tourists and picnickers.

On my last trip there, however, we stopped in the late afternoon, on the way back to Vancouver from Whistler, so we had the place all to ourselves, save for another small family strolling along the beach.

We just sat there and enjoyed the tranquil waters dotted by large timbers, floating driftwood, and plastic buoys swaying with the waves. The water is exceptionally clear, that you could almost count the fish. We decided to stay longer to wait for the sunset, which was, of course, stunning with this backdrop. I recalled a friend who once mentioned that he goes there at night for stargazing. On some nights, he told me, you could even get a good view of the Northern Lights because the area has relatively limited light pollution. I can only imagine!

We traversed the jetty around the pier and climbed a small tower at its end, but we did not go up the stairs leading to a lookout. Behind the lookout is a cliff, which, I heard serves as a launch pad for cliff-jumping into the cove. But in all my visits there, I do not remember seeing an actual jumper in action.

There is also a railroad track that runs through the park, so this area must be along the Via Rail or the Rocky Mountain route. I wondered how much the train noises disturb the campers. But being already so close to the highway, I doubt if the additional noise would be a deal-breaker.

With a view like this, I wouldn’t mind the occasional disturbance. And come to think of it, it is a lot safer than having bears lurk around your tent!