Three in One at Bedwell Harbour

Departing English Camp on San Juan Island, we crossed Haro Strait into Canadian waters and cleared customs in Sidney, B.C.  The following morning, we made our way to Bedwell Harbour on South Pender Island.

Bedwell Harbour consists of three distinct areas: Poets Cove Marina, Beaumont Park, and Medicine Beach.

Customs Dock at Poets Cove in Bedwell Harbour

Boaters coming from the States can clear customs at Poets Cove and treat themselves to a lovely stay at this quality resort.

Nice Dining and Lodging can be found at Poets Cove Marina & Resort

People of all ages have a great time at Poets Cove Resort

Poets Cove Marina & Resort offers nice dining venues, swimming pools, a fitness center, and upscale lodging with wonderful views. It’s a great place to relax over dinner or take in a spa treatment.

For those who enjoy the outdoors, the adjacent Beaumont Marine Park offers mooring buoys, walk-in camp sites ashore, picnic tables and trails. Fees for camping and mooring are collected May 15-Sept 30, payable at the self-registration payment box at the top of the stairs above the beach.

Anchorage and Mooring Buoys at Beaumont Marine Park

The area also offers good anchorage. A trail map is posted upland and shows two loop trails. You can opt for the shorter Beaumont Loop Trail, or the longer Mt. Norman Loop Trial with an elevation gain of 800 feet; the longer hike is rewarded with fabulous views, overlooking the harbour and beyond.

Trails at Beaumont Marine Park start at the head of the stairs

Most boaters are familiar with Poets Cove and neighboring Beaumont Park but may not be as familiar with Medicine Beach located across the harbour, northwest of Poets Cove.

Medicine Beach, across Bedwell Harbour, northwest of Poets Cove

Anchorage is available off Medicine Beach for either the mother ship or the dinghy, but be aware of the charted rocks and shoals. We chose to moor on a buoy at Beaumont Park and take the dinghy over to Medicine Beach.

Medicine Beach, Poets Cove in the far distance

We discovered a small convenience store, the Penderosa Pizza shop, and the cute Slow Coast Coffee shop located just a short walk up the road from the beach.

The Penderosa Pizza Shop above Medicine Beach

The Slow Coast Coffee shop above Medicine Beach

While Poets Cove is for pampering, Medicine Beach is folksy, and laid-back. We purchased an iced latte and were pleasantly entertained by a group of musicians, who were celebrating a friend’s birthday by putting on a jam session at the coffee shop; it was great fun and I couldn’t help but join in with a little singing of my own.

Hidden from view by the trees, one would never guess that a coffee shop and pizzeria could be found just up the steep, country road. Unfortunately, Medicine Beach is often passed up by boaters as they make their way through the channel or neck connecting North and South Pender Islands.

Medicine Beach seen from the trail above

Medicine Beach includes a 20-acre protected Nature Sanctuary that consists of a brackish marsh, coastal bluffs, and forested uplands.

The coastal bluff includes a short loop trail with nice views across the harbour. The Sanctuary is owned by the Islands Trust Fund and managed by the Pender Islands Conservation Association.

In earlier times, Medicine Beach was the location of summer camps for the WSANEC First Nations. Evidence found from archaeological digs near the channel between South and North Pender Islands indicates that the indigenous people have had a presence on the Penders for more than 5,000 years.

Boaters have three great areas to enjoy in Bedwell Harbour; a three in one stop with lots to see and do.