Considered one of the most beautiful rural municipalities in the world, Belcarra, B.C., is a scenic village situated between the forest and the sea, just an hour away from Vancouver. Located on the shore of Indian Arm, the charming village is a beloved day trip spot for its paddle-friendly waters, scenic views of the Burrard Inlet, and beachcombing opportunities.
Belcarra Regional Park
The popular Belcarra Regional Park (təmtəmíxʷtən) is the place to do it all. Visitors have the chance to hike through cool glades of towering trees to Jug Island Beach and swim in Sasamat Lake.
Here, there are two reservable picnic shelters, a seasonal concession at White Pine Beach (Sasamat Lake) that’s open daily, and designated fire rings.
The park is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. from June 3 to September 1, 2025, and until 8 p.m. from September 2 to 22, 2025.
An Irish namesake
Most residents know that their village is not the only Belcarra in the world. According to the village’s website, successful criminal lawyer and judge William Norman Bole of New West was a 19th-century Irish immigrant who was thought to have coined the name “Belcarra,” meaning “beautiful land upon which the sun shines” in Gaelic. However, the origin of the name can actually be traced to its namesake village in Ireland.
“A few years ago, we learned through the visit of a priest from Ireland that there is a second Belcarra,” says Councillor Bruce Drake. “It turns out that that small community is in County Mayo and as close to Bole’s hometown of Castlebar as we are to Port Moody.”
Nonetheless, the name Belcarra stuck for B.C.’s newest municipality. After establishing contact with several residents in the Irish Belcarra, a formal association of the Belcarra pair was proposed.
A total 125 years after Bole named his newly acquired land, a parade of 70 residents in Ireland marched down Main Street with large Irish and Canadian flags, symbolizing the union of the two villages and their communities.
That’s a wrap on this slice of cool local history. No matter what draws you to Belcarra, just know that surprises await around every corner.
How to get there: Drive one hour from Vancouver via BC-7A
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