North of everything familiar lies a pocket of Pacific waters that breaks all the rules. Here in Desolation Sound, fjords run warm enough for long swims, and time bends to match the tides. Over five days, we’ll drift between coves overlooking the Coast Mountains and quiet island camps, moving at a pace that lets everything sink in. Our mornings unfold over breakfast by glassy waters. Afternoons blend kayaking with hikes and swims while harbor seals pop up to check our progress. When night falls, we’ll swap stories beneath stars that haven’t heard of city lights. Strange how a place called Desolation Sound could feel this much like paradise.
Embark on a five-day journey through BC's clearest waters and warmest fjords! Each morning in Desolation Sound brings new coves to paddle, trails to hike, and sheltered bays perfect for a refreshing swim. We'll share our days with local seals, make camp on forested islands, and wake up to mountain views that never get old. An expert guide with intimate knowledge of the area leads the way to all the best spots. All the details are taken care of—top-quality kayaks and safety gear, cozy camping equipment with proper sleeping setups, and fresh meals and snacks from first lunch to final paddle. Ready to discover why Desolation Sound keeps calling people back?
Your adventure starts either on Quadra Island or Cortes Island—let your guides know where you’ll be meeting them before the trip! If we’re meeting on Quadra, we will catch the 8:20am ferry to Cortes Island (45-minute ride) and then travel to our launch site at Squirrel Cove.
After packing our kayaks, we’ll spend some time reviewing kayaking skills, tips for comfort, and of course safety procedures before our journey begins. Our route takes us on a paddle towards the fjords of Desolation Sound, providing us with a stunning mountain backdrop. There are a number of beautiful sites within an afternoon’s paddle. Keep your eyes open for harbor seals or Dall’s porpoises along the way!
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Camp
We’ll savor our first hearty breakfast in the great outdoors before we pack up and head off on today’s adventure. We continue on into the enchanting islands, kayaking Desolation Sound where we take our time exploring as we head towards our desired camping site for the evening.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Camp
Each day in this area brings its own adventure, and we’ll let nature and our interests set our pace. We might paddle through the scattered islands, go on interpretive forest walks, swim in freshwater lakes, practice some on-water skills, or simply lounge at our island campsites.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Camp
We will journey back to Cortes Island along the rugged shores of West Redonda Island. A visit to Refuge Cove or the lovely protected lagoon of Squirrel Cove will be our last stop of our 5-day kayak journey.
We expect to return to Quadra Island between 3-5 pm, but since wilderness travel can be unpredictable, it’s best you plan to stay in the area for this night just in case of delays.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Superb from start to finish. Helpful informative office staff, great guides, good food, good gear, and stunning paddling on beautiful Desolation Sound. Cannot recommend enough.
The 5 day Desolation Sound Tour was wonderful!! I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an adventure. Kayaking in the beautiful scenery, camping on the islands and great food!
Included:
Add-ons
Not included:
To enjoy this Desolation Sound kayak tour, you’ll need a moderate level of fitness and some outdoor experience. You’ll paddle at a relaxed pace for 4-6 hours daily, covering 6-8 nautical miles (11-15 km) per day.
You’ll need to be comfortable carrying and lifting your personal gear, as well as navigating rocky and uneven shorelines. Since the terrain can be challenging, good mobility is required to handle steep or slippery beaches. Your guides will pace the adventure to the group’s needs and you’ll have plenty of breaks to stretch and explore the shoreline.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Clothing for paddling
Clothing for camp
Other items
Optional
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season and activity.
Group sizes and pricing
A Desolation Sound kayak tour can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
If your group has kayakers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
The starting point of your Desolation Sound kayak tour is either Quadra Island, BC, or Cortes Island, BC. To get there, most people fly into Campbell River Airport (YBL). From there, you can reach Quadra Island via a short ferry ride from Campbell River, followed by another ferry ride from Quadra Island to Cortes Island.
You’ll meet your guides on Quadra Island at 7:30am or on Cortes Island at 9:30am on Day 1. From there, the group will travel to the first launch site at Squirrel Cove.
Please let your guides know which island you’ll be meeting them on after booking.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!
Deposits
You can secure one of the set dates with a 30% deposit upon booking. The remaining 70% of the trip price is to be paid 90 days prior to departure, at the latest.
Cancellations
Booking fees are non-refundable in all cases. During checkout, however, you can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options:
Basic
Flexible
Super Flexible
Notifications
This was our second adventure with Spirit of the West and we are now looking to do another. They surpassed expectations. The guides, the knowledge, food, planning, expertise etc all absolutely first rate. We enjoyed the most beautiful areas of B.C. and the other people and our guides. I would totally recommend any trip with Spirit of the West.