The Sea-to-Sky: a stop-by-stop guide to Vancouver's best drive

If you own anything fun and live near Vancouver, you already know: Highway 99 north of Horseshoe Bay is the drive. Ocean on your left, granite on your right, and back in 2006 The Guardian ranked it the fifth-best road trip in the world. Here's how to do it properly.

The basics

That rebuild matters. From 1998 to 2004 it averaged 574 crashes and eight deaths a year. After the walls, wider bridges and rockfall mesh went in, crashes on the rebuilt section dropped by 66%. Still: it's a highway with a view, not a track.

Pull over here

1. Porteau Cove (38 km from Vancouver). The most southerly fjord in North America. A good first stop to stretch your legs.
2. Shannon Falls (58 km). 335 m above the highway, the third-highest falls in BC, 2 km before Squamish.
3. Sea to Sky Gondola. Right across the road, up to 885 m. Worth it on a clear day.
4. Stawamus Chief, Squamish. 700 m granite cliffs, one of the largest granite monoliths in the world. Hike it, then drive the rest on jelly legs.
5. Brandywine Falls (47 km past Squamish). A 70 m drop, 10 to 20 minutes' walk from the car.

Tips from someone who's done it too many times

• Go early. Leave before the Whistler traffic and you get the road (and the light) to yourself.
• Winter tires, Oct 1 to Mar 31. Highway 99 is on the list. M+S or mountain-snowflake, at least 3.5 mm of tread, or it's a $121 fine.
• Use the pullouts. If someone's behind you, let them by. Nobody wants to be the convoy leader.

Verdict

The easiest great drive in Canada. Two hours, five stops, and you're in Whistler for lunch.

What's your go-to stop on the Sea-to-Sky? And what are you driving it in?

Sources: Wikipedia (BC Highway 99), Tourism Whistler, BC Parks (Porteau Cove, Shannon Falls, Stawamus Chief, Brandywine Falls), Sea to Sky Gondola, gov.bc.ca (winter tires). Photos via Wikimedia Commons: D. Vincent Alongi (CC BY 2.0), Andrew Collins (CC0), Trougnouf (CC BY 4.0), Ruth Hartnup (CC BY 2.0).