velowallah

How long should I plan to bike from Courtenay to Vancouver via the Sunshine Coast? I imagine that my schedule and stops would have to be built around the ferry schedules. Where would you suggest I stop for the night?

I am planning to leave Courtenay on the 31st morning. Ideally I'd be back in Vancouver on the 3rd. Is that realistic or too rushed?

adventurepdx

I think three full days would be a good amount of time. I toured that route in 2008, though from Vancouver north to Courtenay. My itinerary was:

1. Vancouver to Roberts Creek Provincial Park
2. Roberts Creek to Saltery Bay Provincial Park
3. Saltery Bay to Powell River, ferry to Comox/Courtenay

Some things to note about this route:

• You'll have THREE ferries: Courtenay/Comox to Powell River, Saltery Bay to Earls Cove, and Langdale to Horseshoe Bay. Saltery Bay/Earls Cove is on the Sunshine Coast itself, and has a frequency of 2 to 2 1/2 hours during the day. I remember waiting over an hour for this ferry. So timing is crucial.
• Like someone mentioned in one of your other threads, there are some hills on the Sunshine Coast. Nothing super-big by any means (especially compared to going over mountains).
• You don't see much of the coast itself, as the route goes inland. If you want to see more water, you'll need to take some side trips. If I were to do this trip again, I would definitely budget more time for that.

Hope this helps.

velowallah

you don't see the coast? that's too bad. The road looks like it passes by some lakes though. Are there lots of good swimming spots?

adventurepdx

I didn't say you don't see the coast, but you don't see much of the coast itself. If you look at the map, you can see where the inland sections are. But even the sections that are closer to the coast don't exactly hug the shoreline either. You will get some coastal views, but don't expect to be seeing the coast all the time.

I didn't do much swimming, but I remember at least one lake that looked swimmable. Ruby Lake may be your best bet as it seemed most geared towards "recreation".