Go West to Cortes

While other 20-year-olds were heading for the all-night discos of the Mediterranean, Hannah Abbott chose to Go West…

Cortes

A Mecca for East-coast Canadian travellers partial to a bit of peace and love, the islands off the West coast of British Columbia would have remained undiscovered for me were it not for a friend of a friend of a friend. Well, one island in particular: Cortes.

I spent a month there, variously staying with old friends, crashing at new friends’, sleeping under the stars, and living in a refurbished 1955 school bus. It’s just that kind of place.

We certainly got there in style. Bleary-eyed on arrival at Vancouver Airport, the nearby Flying Beaver Bar proved our salvation – overlooking a stretch of river, we enjoyed steaks in the blazing sunshine against a backdrop of seaplanes taking off and landing.

Revived, the sunset flight to Campbell River, Vancouver Island, was a delight, as we took in magnificent golden-hued views of the island-dotted straits. It was getting late, and though we were lucky to make the last ferry to Quadra island, how we would get beyond there to the considerably more remote Cortes was another matter. Fortune prevailed by throwing us an amphibious taxi driver! Crossing Quadra by car, we were then ushered into his speedboat and concluded our journey bouncing across the water at a thrilling pace, wind in our hair and spray in our faces beneath a burning orange full moon.

After the intensity of the journey, days spent relaxing on the shores of Hague Lake at Manson’s Landing felt well-deserved. Staying with local friends, and adhering closely to the adage “when in Rome…”, much of this time was spent soaking up the sun on the large rocky outcrop that is the nudist area of the beach, occasionally launching off to cool down in the crisp water.

If it weren’t for the friendly and generous locals, to go much further afield than this without a vehicle would have been a challenge – I certainly didn’t see any buses! But as it happened, many an exciting distance was covered whizzing around in the back of pick-up trucks in a community where hitch-hiking is the norm.

If you are a nature lover, Cortes has it in abundance. The mountainous landscape, pebble beaches and sapphire waters are reminiscent of the West coast of Scotland and its loch-speckled Highlands, though on a much vaster scale. But trekking through steamy forests of ancient trees, pushing past enormous ferns, I would barely have raised an eyebrow had a dinosaur lumbered by. A trip by boat will take you past seals sunning themselves lazily on rocky islets. At the destination of one charmed walk, we emerged onto the beach to the sight of a Bald Eagle, while playing nearby was a family of otters. There are also bear, wolf and cougar sightings. Perhaps the most magical encounter though was a night swim in phosphorescent algae. More pleasant than they sound, these tiny organisms become visible as bluish glowing dots when they detect motion, so that your movement in the water creates beautiful streaks of light. Emerging from the sea, you are momentarily drenched in a luminous waterfall.

As far as nightlife goes, this was mostly located on the beach at Smelt Bay, where we witnessed night after night of ever more fantastic sunsets and watched the stars far from the glow of light pollution. Should we feel peckish, an entrepreneurial local came laden each night with delicious freshly baked pie at $1.50 a slice. To draw a comparison: less sipping cocktails on the golden sands of a Greek island, this was more swigging wine from the bottle on the shores of Loch Lomond – though on Cortes you don’t need to worry about your ipod being stolen while you go for a skinny-dip!

Cortes is home to Hollyhock, a health and educational tourist retreat offering yoga, meditation and spiritual exploration to its affluent guests. Our experience of it was largely from the other side of the fence; that is until a raucous night at the Tak, pizza restaurant-come-occasional nightclub, ended in a group of us clambering over it to sneak in a late-night hot tub. Of course the abiding memory of the evening is being frog-marched out, heads hung in affected shame while trying not to snigger. Other night-time events included fantastic live music and dancing in the community halls. If clubbing’s your thing, try to time a visit around August to catch the annual open-air Carrington Bay Party, and Shambhala Music Festival on the mainland.

It is possible for non-residents to attend events at Hollyhock; we joined an evening of tabla drumming and meditative chanting. Not really my cup of tea, but then I’m more of a milk and two sugars girl than a lover of weird and wonderful herbal infusions.

Shopping highlights include the market at Manson’s Landing – packed with local produce, art and beautiful imports from India. And the saying “one man’s rags are another man’s riches” is never more true that in Squirrel Cove’s Free Store, a sort-of jumble sale run on trust, where islanders swap their unwanted clothes, appliances… anything reusable really. Don’t worry about taking a bag full of books – swap the one you’ve finished with a well-thumbed edition from one of the “help-yourself” bookshelves.

A place sure to tickle one’s sense of novelty is Wolf Bluff, known locally as Karl’s Castle. On an island where everyone seems to build their own houses, it is a five-storey castle lovingly constructed by owner Karl. Out of breezeblocks. In exchange for a donation we were able to explore its towers and dungeons, indulge in some historical fancy dress and photograph Karl with his tiara-adorned pet dog.

Dramatic and beautiful, Cortes is a breathtaking holiday destination. But what really sets it apart is the strong sense of community and friendship. Don’t just be a tourist, and you will be welcomed into the fold. It is hippie values and spirituality with a bit of hedonism thrown into the mix. Be warned, if you go there you might not want to leave.

by Hannah Abbott