Cortes Island

BC Ferries runs a ferry from Heriot Bay on Quadra Island to on Cortes Island. Ferries leave roughly every two hours with six sailings daily, except Tue, which has five. The ride usually takes 45 minutes and costs $12.45 per passenger (age 12 and up), plus $24 for a car or $12 for a motorcycle (return).
If you need to get on or off the island outside of the ferry times, a water taxi from Campbell River or Lund can be arranged.

• Cortes Museum & Archives

  phone: +1 250-935-6340
  address: 957 Beasley Rd, Mansons Landing
  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 ParkPark 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:

• – at the sharp bend in the road near the Cortes Motel, look for the wooden mapboard
• – look for the "park trail" sign near Lowe Rd

Manson's Landing Provincial Park

address: 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

phone: +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.

Smelt Bay Provincial Park

address: Sutil Point Rd

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.

• Cortes Craft Shop Co-op

  phone: +1 250-935-6635
  address: Forrest Rd, Squirrel Bay
  Small shop featuring crafts and textiles from local artisans.

• Cortes Market Coffee & Deli

  phone: +1 250-935-6626
  address: 809 Sutil Point Rd, Mansons Landing
  Grocery store with cafe serving coffee and deli sandwiches.

• Cortes Natural Food Co-op, Cafe & Bakery

  phone: +1 250-935-8577 (store), +1 250-935-6505 (cafe)
  address: 800 Sutil Point Rd, Mansons Landing
  Grocery store, cafe and bakery. The cafe and bakery serves breakfast sandwiches, wraps, pizza, sandwiches and a variety of freshly-made breads and baked goods.

• The Floathouse

  phone: +1 250-935-6433
  address: 1374 Hunt Rd, Whaletown
  Restaurant that serves fresh seafood, burgers, fajitas and breakfast. Overlooking the harbour, it has some nice views with indoor and outdoor seating.

• Cortes Island Motel

  phone: +1 250-935-6363
  address: 1078 Seaford Rd, Manson's Landing
  Ten room motel in a forest setting. Rooms options range from one double or queen bed to rooms with two beds and a pull-out sofa, and eight of the rooms have a full kitchen. Amenities include free Wifi, satellite TV, and use of communal outdoor spaces including BBQs, picnic tables, a swing and green space.

• Gorge Harbour Marina Resort

  phone: +1 250-935-6433
  address: 1374 Hunt Rd, Whaletown
  Marina with a number of accommodation options. The lodge has four rooms (2 with one queen bed, and 2 with two double beds), a two bedroom cottage, two trailers with one bedroom and tenting and RV campsites (some RV sites are full serviced). The lodge has a common room downstairs with cooking facilities, a deck and shared BBQ. The grounds include an outdoor pool, hut tub and playground. Motorboats, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards are available for rent.

• Smelt Bay Campground

  address: Sutil Point Rd
  Seasonal campground with 22 vehicle accessible camping spots. The sites are generally spacious and in a forest. There are pit toilets and cold water but no electrical hookup. The pebble beach and day-use area are a short walk away. The gates are open 7AM-10PM and the campground operates from early May to the end of Sept.