Porteau Cove is a small provincial park on the edge of Howe Sound, where the railway and the highway squeeze together along the shore and the fjord stretches out toward the mountains. A pier extends into the water, a beach of pebbles and driftwood curves around the cove, and across the sound the peaks rise steeply, with cloud lying in the valleys. It is one of the best places on the highway to stop, and the pull-out is quick and easy.
The park is well known to scuba divers, because several old vessels were sunk here deliberately to create artificial reefs, and they have become homes for anemones, rockfish, crabs and the occasional giant Pacific octopus. The cold, clear water gives good visibility in winter, and on a calm day you may see divers in drysuits preparing to descend. For non-divers, the pier is a good place to watch the activity, and a short walk along the beach gives a view of the railway, where freight trains run along the shore and tourist trains pass in summer.
The railway is part of the story. It was built in the early twentieth century to link Vancouver to the interior, and its route along the shore of the sound, under cliffs and across bridges, was an engineering challenge. Along the road, the Britannia Mine Museum at Britannia Beach, a former copper mine, tells the story of the industry that dominated this stretch of coast, and Shannon Falls near Squamish drops over a high cliff beside the road. A great granite dome, the Stawamus Chief, towers above Squamish, and rock climbers can be seen on its face.
The riding on this stretch of the Sea-to-Sky is a delight, with wide, sweeping bends, the sound glinting below and the mountains close. The surface is excellent and the road has several passing lanes, though it can be congested on summer weekends, and police enforce the speed limits. Fog and low cloud can drift down and reduce visibility, and in winter the road is wet or icy in places. Aim for morning, when the light is soft and the traffic light, and watch for pedestrians crossing at the cove.
The park has a campground, and day use is charged in the busy season. Lions Bay, a small village about twelve kilometres south, has limited services, and Squamish, seventeen kilometres to the north, has stations, restaurants and supermarkets. Pack a thermos or buy a coffee on the way, and take a few minutes at the end of the pier to watch the water.