Hornby Island is a small island (approximately 30 square kilometres) off the West Coast of British Columbia, Canada. For such a small piece of land, it is a place of significant natural beauty with an exceptional variety of waterfront beaches and extensive forested hiking trails. In the summer Hornby boasts some of the warmest ocean swimming waters North of California and other recreation opportunities abound. From hiking and mountain biking to sea kayaking and diving, Hornby offers much for the multitudes of visitors that find this island home in the summer.

Located about five hours from Vancouver, you need to take three ferries just to get to the island. This isolation fosters a unique local culture with a thriving creative community of varied artists, musicians, and actors. In fact, the very presence of all these creative types draws serves as its own drawing card for many other artists, musicians, and actors to find their home among the 900 full-time residents.

The weather on Hornby Island is very moderate, not too cold in the winter, and not to hot in the summer. Summers are normally dry and sunny with daytime highs averaging about 22 C while winters are rainy averaging daytime highs of around 5 C. Long summer days, lots of music, and laid-back island living contrast the wet winter times of quiet solitude with the visiting sea-lions and eagles.

Although Hornby Island is home 900 people year round, the population swells to over 3000 on busy weekends in the summer. It's for this reason that experiencing Hornby's scenic charms is arguably best left for the off-season where you'll share an uncrowded island with only local's and wild life. In my opinion, few things are more beautiful watching than nature unfurl her beauty as the fall, winter, and spring seasons work their magic across the island. Everywhere you go during the off-season has a serene, spacious feel and offers some sort of unique flora and fauna for you to become enchanted with.

So if you are planning a waterfront vacation and want to visit a unique, special place I honestly can't recommend any place nicer than Hornby Island, BC.