Before You Go
- Book accommodation early. All the nicer places fill up fast on summer weekends. Sort this out before you plan anything else. Booking.com is the best place to find deals and discounts in Sooke.
- Check the tides before Saturday. The Highway 14 day is built around two tide-dependent stops: Mystic Beach and Botanical Beach. Both are significantly better at low tide, and Botanical Beach in particular needs to be timed around it. Pull up the tide forecast for the area before you leave home and use it to sequence your Saturday stops. We use tide-forecast.com.
- You need a car. All three days of this itinerary require your own vehicle. There is no transit connecting these spots.
- Bring layers. The south island is warmer and drier than most of BC, but the coastal wind is real, especially at East Sooke and along Highway 14. A light jacket that packs small is all you need.
Where to Stay (Before It’s Fully Booked)
Friday: East Sooke Regional Park
Aim to arrive in Sooke by mid-morning and head straight to East Sooke Regional Park. The park is about a 20-minute drive from the town of Sooke, and this is the right way to start the trip: outdoors, on the coast, and exploring some quintessential BC hiking trails.
Friday Late Morning: Creyke Point
Head to the Aylard Farm parking lot and walk out to Creyke Point first. It is a 15 to 20-minute walk from the lot, and it is the best viewpoint in the park. A rocky headland looking south across the Juan de Fuca Strait toward the Olympic Mountains, and on a sunny day, the water sparkles all along the coast in a gorgeous way that urges you to take a dip. This is the highlight of the park and the best vantage point you will find on this stretch of coast. It's also the easiest to get to.
Friday Midday: The Beach and the Coastal Trail
Just past Creyke Point along the coastal trail is a white sand beach that is the best swimming spot in the park. It is about a five-minute walk from the point and worth setting up at for a while if the weather is cooperating. The water is cold but swimmable in summer, and the beach is sheltered enough to be a nice and comfortable place to spend a couple of hours lounging in the sun.
If you want to keep moving after the beach, continue along the coastal trail toward Aldridge Point. The section between Creyke and Aldridge is wide and mostly flat, with good views opening up at several rocky outcrops along the way. Before you turn back, walk out to Aldridge Point itself and look for the petroglyphs carved into the rock face. They are faint and take a moment to find, but they are there, estimated to be anywhere from 200 to 3,000 years old and carved into the same rocky point you are standing on. The massive range in the estimated age tells you just how little anyone knows about the origins.
For more details about the hikes and other options in the park, check out our comprehensive East Sooke Park Guide.
Friday Early Afternoon: Quick Lunch
Before we head to our accommodation, surely we've worked up an appetite with all that hiking and sight seeing. My suggestion is lunch at Hide N Seek. This is a food truck next to the general store that serves up a simple menu of incredible Asian comfort food. They have a great patio with picnic tables and it really hits the spot after a hot hike and a cold dip in the sea.
Friday Afternoon: Check In to Your Hotel
Head back into Sooke and check into your hotel. My top recommendation is The Sooke Harbour House. The hotel sits right on the water overlooking the Whiffin Spit and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and after a morning on the coast, it is an amazingly comfortable place to arrive at. Get settled, clean up, and take some time to decompress before dinner.
Friday Evening: Dinner at Sooke Harbour House
Dinner is at the hotel restaurant. Even if you're staying elsewhere, head over to the Sook Harbour House for dinner. It has a long reputation as one of the better dining destinations on the South Island, with a standard upscale menu with reasonable prices and unreasonably good cocktails (my favourite was the Whiffin Spritz). After a full day outdoors, this is exactly the right kind of evening: good food, no driving, and no need to be anywhere else.
Friday Evening: Whiffin Spit at Sunset
After dinner, walk down to Whiffin Spit for the sunset. It is a narrow gravel spit that extends out into Sooke Harbour and takes about 15 minutes to walk to the end of. It faces west, and on a clear evening, the light over the water and the hills is a great way to end the day, and it's a fun bit of foreshadowing because the sun will be setting behind the stretch of Highway 14 that we will be exploring tomorrow. It is a short and easy walk, and the hotel is right there when you get back, so there will be plenty of time for a glass of wine in the tub or on your balcony.
Saturday: Highway 14 Day Trip
Today is a full day on the road. Highway 14 runs west from Sooke all the way to Port Renfrew, hugging the coast through rainforest and ocean views, and we are going to use the day to hit the best stops along it. Check the tide times the night before and plan your arrival at Botanical Beach around the low tide window. That one stop drives the schedule for the rest of the day, so you might need to shuffle the order a bit depending on the tides.
This is a quick breakdown of the day, but if you want more details and tips about exploring the amazing stretch of coast, check out our comprehensive Highway 14 Guide that has maps, detailed descriptions of how to find each hidden waterfall, and timing tips that will help you plan your perfect day.
Saturday Breakfast: Shirley Delicious
On the way back east, or on your way out if the timing works better, stop at Shirley Delicious for lunch. It is one of the best restaurant stops on the whole highway and well worth building the day around. Get there before 2 pm because the kitchen closes at 2 sharp, although they serve drinks and premade pastries until 3 pm. You order at the counter, find a spot on the patio or inside, and they bring the food out to you. The line looks long but moves quickly, and the breakfast burrito is the thing to order.
Saturday Morning: Mystic Beach
The next stop heading west out of Sooke is Mystic Beach, which is one of the most iconic spots on the highway. The hike from the parking lot to the beach takes about 45 minutes each way through rooty, sometimes muddy forest trail. Wear sturdy shoes and bring bear spray and water.
| Distance | Elevation | Time | Type | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2 km | 161 m | 1.5 h | out and back | moderate |
One thing worth knowing before you go: the waterfall at Mystic Beach varies a lot depending on recent rainfall. If it has been a dry stretch, it may be significantly less impressive than what you have seen online. The beach itself is worth the hike regardless, but it is good to know going in, so you are not caught off guard.
If the tide timing works in your favour, try to be at Mystic Beach at or near low tide when you can access more of the beach and get closer to the falls. If the timing does not line up, do not stress about it and just enjoy the beach for what it is.
Trail Map
Saturday Afternoon: Botanical Beach
The centrepiece of the day and the best stop on Highway 14 (in my opinion). Botanical Beach sits just outside Port Renfrew, and it needs to be visited at low tide. This is not optional. Aim to be in the parking lot about 30 minutes before the predicted low tide, so you arrive at the beach just as it is pulling back to its lowest point.
At low tide, you can walk out onto the exposed rocky sea floor, which is covered in tidal pools carved into the bedrock. Each one is a self-contained aquarium of real marine life: starfish, sea anemones, sea grass, and multi-coloured sea urchins in the deeper ones. You can easily spend two hours working your way along the coast, looking into pools. Watch your step and do not touch or remove anything.
After Botanical Beach, if you have time and energy, continue the loop trail toward the rocky headlands before Botany Bay. The rock formations out here are unlike anything else on the highway and worth the extra 20 minutes.
Saturday Late Afternoon: Port Renfrew or Sombrio Falls
If the day has gone well and you have got legs left, this is where you make a call based on how you are feeling.
If the group is tired and ready to wind down, stay in Port Renfrew and find a seat at the pub. It is a charming little spot, and after a day that started at Mystic Beach and took you all the way out to Botanical Beach, sitting down with a cold pint at the end of the highway is a pretty satisfying way to mark the occasion. There is also a long white sandy beach just past town that is worth a slow walk along before you load in the car and head back toward Sooke.
If you have still got energy and want to add one more thing to the day, drive back along the highway and stop at Sombrio Falls on the way home. It is one of the most unusual waterfalls on Vancouver Island, and it is truly unlike anything else you will see on this trip.
The waterfall sits at the end of a mossy canyon formed by a massive fallen tree that blocks out almost all of the light overhead, with the only opening in the canopy creating a spotlight directly on the falls.
Getting there involves a rocky beach walk and a wet scramble into the canyon, so you will want waterproof boots and a bit of energy left in the tank, but if you have both, it is worth every bit of the effort. We have a full breakdown of how to find it in our Highway 14 guide.
Saturday Evening: Dinner at Stoked Wood Fired Pizza
After a full day on the highway, the last thing you want is a complicated dinner decision, and Stoked makes it easy. They do wood-fired pizza and nothing else, and they do it really well. The pizzas are thin crust and come in one standard size, around 12 inches, which is enough for a hungry person who just spent the day hiking to Mystic Beach and crawling through a canyon at Sombrio to finish on their own without any embarrassment.
The menu covers a good range from a classic cheese to more creative combinations, and there is a vegan surprise option where the toppings are whatever the chef puts together that day. When we ordered it, we got peppers, mushrooms, garlic, okra, and a pesto drizzle, which was a better combination than anything we would have chosen ourselves.
You order at the counter, and they bring the pizza out to you, or you can take it with you entirely if you would rather eat it somewhere along the water on the way back to Sooke. Both are good options after the kind of day we just had.
Sunday: Sooke Potholes
Check out of your hotel this morning and head to Sooke Potholes Regional Park before you leave town. It is close, it is free (except for parking), and it is a great way to spend a final half-day before heading home.
Sunday Morning: The Potholes Viewpoint and Mary Vine Falls
Park in Lot 2, which is the most useful lot in the park and the closest to the trailheads. Start with Mary Vine Falls, which is a 15-minute walk from the lot along an easy, well-signed trail with a short, steep section near the end. The falls are more impressive after recent rainfall and can be underwhelming in a dry spell, so adjust your expectations accordingly.
From the falls, make your way over to the potholes viewpoint. You can move your car up to Lot 3 if you want, since your parking pass covers all three lots, but the walk from Lot 2 is only about 10 minutes and probably not worth the hassle.
The viewpoint is a series of rocky outcrops above the Sooke River, where you can look down at the fast-moving water and the potholes carved into the bedrock below. There are no barriers here, so be careful near the edge, especially if you have kids or dogs with you.
Sunday Midday: Crescent Beach
The last stop of the trip is Crescent Beach, which is one of the best swimming spots on the South Island and a fine way to spend the last hours before you head home. Park in Lot 1 and walk straight to the beach. The river water is cold mountain water that warms up in summer to a very swimmable temperature, and the beach has a mix of sandy patches and rocky sections with enough room for everyone to spread out.
My favourite spot is the rocky outcrop to the right of the main beach, which has a clear view up and down the river and is usually a bit less crowded than the main stretch.
When you are ready, pack up, drive back through Sooke, and head home.
Where to Stay
Sooke Harbour House is our top pick as a base for this itinerary and one of the better properties on the South Island. It sits right on the water overlooking the Whiffin Spit. The restaurant has a strong reputation, and the location puts you within easy reach of all three days of activities. Book well in advance for summer weekends.
There are a few other high end options in town as well:
Prestige Oceanfront Resort, WorldHotels Luxury
A polished, full-service resort option with oceanfront views and all the amenities you'd expect from a luxury hotel brand. Great if you want reliable comfort, an on-site restaurant, and easy access to town without sacrificing the coastal setting.Check Availability
SookePoint Ocean Cottage Resort
For something a little more intimate, SookePoint offers private ocean cottages that feel far removed from the everyday, even though you're right on the coast. A fantastic choice for couples or anyone who wants that "waking up to the ocean" experience with a bit more privacy and independence than a traditional hotel.Check AvailabilityTravelling with kids, extended family, or a group? Renting a full townhouse gives you the space to spread out, a kitchen to prep your own meals, and a home base that actually feels like home. Sooke has several solid options available:
2 Bedroom Sooke Townhome
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Sooke 2 Bedroom Townhouse
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Spacious 3 Bedroom Townhome, Sooke, BC
Check AvailabilityIf you're drawn to Sooke for the slower pace and want to lean all the way into that cozy, off-the-beaten-path feeling, Woodside Farm Country Inn is a gem. Set on a working farm in a peaceful rural setting, it's the kind of place that makes the whole trip feel like a proper escape. Farmhouse charm, birdsong in the morning, and absolutely no reason to rush anywhere. Highly recommended for couples or solo travellers looking for a restorative retreat.
Woodside Farm Country Inn
Check AvailabilityIf you really want to commit to the wild side of Sooke, this one's hard to beat. This entire home sits right inside East Sooke Regional Park.
Imagine finishing a hike on the Coast Trail and walking back to your own front door. Morning coffee on the deck with nothing but forest and ocean air around you. Stargazing without a streetlight in sight.
Entire Home In East Sooke Park
Check AvailabilityPlanning Your Trip
When to Visit
June through September is the sweet spot. The weather is cooperative, the days are long, and the water at Crescent Beach and East Sooke is swimmable. July and August are the busiest months, and Sooke Harbour House books up fast, so plan further ahead than you think you need to.
May and early June are a good alternative if you want fewer people and do not mind slightly cooler temperatures. The waterfalls along Highway 14 are also significantly better with the spring rainfall behind them.
Do You Need a Car?
Yes. All three days of this itinerary require your own vehicle. Rent one in Victoria before you head out.
Final Thoughts
Sooke and the southwest corner of Vancouver Island do not get the same attention as Tofino or the Gulf Islands, and that works in your favour as a visitor. The coastline is just as dramatic, the hiking is just as good, and you are not competing with the same crowds. Three days here covers a lot of ground, and every day feels different, which is about the best thing you can say about any long weekend itinerary.
For more details that will help your trip go smoothly and help you make the most of your time in Sooke, check out our Comprehensive Things To Do In Sooke Guide, our Highway 14 Guide, Sooke Potholes Guide, and East Sooke Park Guides for more details, maps, and tips that will hopefully help you plan a perfect trip.
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