Keats Island Real Estate Guide
West Beach in Eastbourne on Keats Island
General Overview Of Keats Island
Keats Island is a small, largely forested island in Howe Sound just offshore from Gibsons, with most homes used as seasonal cabins and a small year-round population (roughly 100 people). Keats Island is known for simple cottage living, trails, beach days, and a strong community feel clustered around two main docks, Eastbourne and Keats Landing. Most, though not all, of Keats Island is connected to power through BC Hydro, and a large percentage of the island has water through a community water system.
Getting To Keats Island
There are three main ways people get to Keats Island. The Stormaway, scheduled water taxi service, or via private boat.
The BC Ferries Operated "Stormaway"
Part of why Keats Island works so well for year-round residents is due to regular service from the BC Ferries-operated passenger vessel, the Stormaway. The Stormaway goes to both Keats Landing and Eastbourne from the Langdale Ferry Terminal. The Stormaway is a 30 to 40-passenger capacity vessel that operates multiple times daily, including through the winter (albeit with a reduced schedule). The crossing is approximately 15 minutes, though depending on which sailing, it can take 30 minutes based on where you are going and if there are 2 stops or just 1 on the route.
Even if you wish to own a boat, this service vastly opens up your potential for use in the winter.
Keats Island Trail Map from the Sunshine Coast Tourism website also showing the many great beaches on Keats Island
Prepaid adult tickets in 2026 are just $5.20 or $7.55 without prepaid tickets (+ the cost of the Horseshoe Bay - Langdale ferry if coming from that direction). Child fares are $2.65 prepaid or $3.95 without prepaid tickets (ages 5 to 11). Children under 5 ride free.
Water Taxi Scheduled Runs (Mercury Water Taxi & Sunshine Coast Water Taxi)
Two of the water taxi companies operating in Howe Sound offer scheduled runs at about $37 per person.
The more frequent service is operated by Mercury. Mercury boats generally go multiple times daily from Horseshoe Bay in the summer and on certain days in the winter. These can be an excellent way to get to and from Keats Island without owning a boat. Mercury serves stops between Eastbourne (road access) and Barnabas Landing. It is also particularly helpful for friends and teenagers who want to join you at your cabin on a Saturday afternoon, rather than the whole weekend or week, without having you play chauffeur.
In the summers, Mercury does get full on Friday and Sunday bookings, and especially over sunny long weekends, so try to give at least 3 to 4 days’ notice to ensure you can still get a booking.
https://mercurytransport.ca/services/schedule-runs/
On Sundays and holiday Mondays, there is also a direct route from Eastbourne to Horseshoe Bay from Sunshine Coast Water Taxi, known as the Eastbourne Express https://eastbourneexpress.ca/
Additionally, especially on long weekends, some owners will also pool together with other chartered rides from the water taxis.
Private Boat
Many residents have private boats that they take to get to Keats Island. Lots of properties around Plumper Cove, Melody Point, and Cotton Point have private docks. Only a small number of the properties located around Eastbourne have private docks, so most around Eastbourne are using mooring buoys. Mooring buoy space is essentially full, though frequently you’ll see mooring buoys being sold with the property you’re purchasing.
Marina Considerations
There are many marinas to choose from, most, if not all, of which will have waitlists.
Sewell's Marina https://www.sewellsmarina.com/about/moorage/ in Horseshoe Bay, Sunset Marina https://sunsetmarina.ca/howe-sound-mooring/, Lions Bay (dry dock storage up to 32ft) http://www.lionsbaymarina.com/drylandmoorage.html, Gibson's Marina https://gibsonsmarina.ca/, Squamish Yacht Club https://squamishyachtclub.com/, Squamish Marina https://www.squamishmarina.com/, Thunderbird https://thunderbirdmarina.ca/our-moorage-rates/, West Vancouver Yacht Club https://www.wvyc.ca/, Eagle Harbour Yacht Club https://www.ehyc.org/moorage, & West Vancouver Marina https://www.westvancouvermarina.ca/
A key way many of my clients get their initial moorage, at least to start, is to purchase a boat from the prior owner and transfer the moorage. Not all marinas will allow this, though a good number do. There are also many more marinas in False Creek, Coal Harbour, and along the Fraser River that are further by boat, though mean less time in traffic. Some of these can be viable options for more immediate moorage, while you wait for a slip to come up in a closer marina.
Barges & Barge Landing Areas (No Car Ferry)
If you want to get something onto Keats Island, such as a truck or building supplies, you'll need to hire a barge. There is no car ferry to Keats Island.
Most of the island has access to barge landing areas for the delivery of large items, building supplies, and vehicles. These are extremely helpful for building. This is one benefit that Keats Island seems to have mostly figured out, unlike many other non-car ferry islands around BC.
The Neighbourhoods and Communities of Keats Island
Keats Island Subdivision Map
The original Land Use Map sourced from the Islands Trust documents. This map has been modified by me to highlight the various subdivision locations.
A PDF version of this map, for better zooming, can be downloaded via this Google Drive link.
Eastbourne (Eastbourne Estates)
This is the best-known cottage subdivision on Keats Island. In Eastbourne, you’ll find freehold properties, mostly between 6,000 and 20,000 sqft (average about 11,000 sqft). Nearly all properties have electricity and access to the Eastbourne community water system. The water system is made up of a community well and a cistern system, funded by property taxes in the area.
The Eastbourne Community Association (ECA) is active and posts updates, events, and practical local info.
Beaches in Eastbourne
Arguably, the best part about Eastbourne is how many awesome beaches are in this community. West Beach is the premier beach in this development, being the largest and the beach with the best sunlight. There are also several other wonderful beaches: Laurel Beach, Maple Beach, East Beach, and Sunrise Beach (also known as Wreck Beach, though no relation to Vancouver’s well-known Wreck Beach). Some excellent footage of the Eastbourne beaches is shown in the Eastbourne video linked.
Kid Friendly & School Logistics
Eastbourne is great if you have kids and want a spot for them to run around, get off their screens, and play with other kids. While there are kids in the other developments on the island, there are simply more friends to make in this area.
For year-round residents wishing to raise children on the island, Langdale Elementary School and Elphinstone Secondary School are easy options for children. There is school bus service for both schools picking up from the Langdale ferry terminal.
Bonus: children who are residents of Keats Island ride the Stormaway for free when going for the purpose of school, or school-related events and sports.
Keats Landing
Keats Landing is the other key arrival point and the gateway to some of the island’s best day trip hiking and boating destinations. This area also includes long-standing Keats Camps (founded in 1926).
Plumper Cove
Plumper Cove Marine Park
Plumper Cove Marine Park is one of the biggest draws for boaters and visitors. It is a sheltered anchorage on the northwest side of Keats with walk-in campsites, fire rings, water (seasonal advisory notes can apply), a moderately sized dock, and mooring buoys. It is reachable by passenger ferry to Keats Landing, followed by about a 2 km walk, or via private boat.
Properties at Plumper Cove
There are roughly 15 properties located on the shores around Plumper Cove; that being said, only about 6 near the park ever seem to come up. 13 of the 15 properties are freehold non-strata titles, and 2 properties have freehold strata titles. To the south of the 15 properties begins the land owned by Keats Camp. Also freehold within Plumper Cove is the Shelter Islets. It is only possible to build on the larger of the Shelter Islets (called Shelter Island by some). The smaller of the Shelter Islets, an undeveloped islet, has reserve rights from the Squamish Nation (as Schaltuuch Indian Reserve No. 27).
Cotton Point
Cotton Point is a collection of 20 large freehold waterfront properties along the western shore of the island. Properties range in size from 1.5 acres to 3.7 acres, and are a range of mid-bank to high-bank lots. About half of these properties have private docks. Cotton Point is also great for seasonal owners who are looking for a little more privacy.
Lots 1 to 7 have a large rocky beach located directly in front. Properties 8 to 20 have a rocky shoreline. There is great crabbing and salmon fishing directly in front of these properties.
As these properties all face east, the sunlight is a little less than in other parts of the island, though through summer, the sun is high enough in the sky that they still get plenty of sun. Only if you plan to heavily use your property in the winters would I suggest a different area, and even then, there are ways to make it work.
There are no roads to 18 of these 20 properties, though 2 of the properties (Lots 6 and 7) have some access through a rudimentary trail/ATV path to the very backend of the lots (though this does not currently connect to the front of the properties). While there is no connection to the Stormaway service, the scheduled water taxi runs from Mercury and Cormorant will drop you off at the docks along Cotton Point. So this is excellent for visitors or for owners who may not wish to own a boat.
I currently have an off-market listing in Cotton Point. Contact me for details.
Melody Point
16-lot subdivision. Average lot size is around 1 acre, with the smallest lot around 0.85 acres to largest about 1.5 acres. Nearly all of these properties have docks or arrangements with neighbouring properties for access to dock use. There is a small community water system for this development.
The 10 Acre Lots
Much of the inland portion of Keats Island encompasses a 33-lot subdivision of 10-acre parcels. Some, though not all of these properties, have views. Of the 33 properties, 7 are desirable waterfront lots. The Keats Island road network connects to these properties for access.
Other Topics: Building, Fire Preparedness & Insurance on Keats Island
Building
I’ve written a secondary page about building, which can be viewed here: https://www.howe-sound.ca/building-keats-gambier-island
Fire Suppression, KFIG, & Emergency
Eastbourne is about as prepared as any community could be without having a fire department or fire truck.
KFIG (Keats Fire Equipment Group) has suppression equipment and properties in this area have connections to cisterns for water supply. There are also some critical medical supplies like AEDs. I believe there is also an emergency helicopter landing pad.
Some of the less connected areas like Cotton Point, Melody Point, and Plumper Cove have far less fire preparedness, though many properties in this area will have their own setups on a property by property basis.
Property Insurance
Property insurance is expensive relative to mainland homes, and far fewer insurance companies insure on Keats Island. This is due to the lack of a fire department, coupled with wood stoves in most properties.
If the property you’re buying has a wood stove, you’ll likely need a WETT (Wood Energy Technology Transfer) certificate to get insurance. Most sellers will be able to provide you with them; if not, this can usually be written into your offer.
Prior to purchasing, I recommend you get a quote from an insurance broker. I am always happy to recommend an insurance broker for Keats, even if you are not a current client/already own real estate on Keats.
Sources/References:
This guide and the knowledge contained were gathered from my real estate experience since 2016, helping buyers and sellers on Keats Island and verified from the following source material.
Key sources include the following:
Conversations with owners, friends, builders/contractors, and other local Realtors® who guided me early in my career. Information was gathered from firsthand site visits, transactions, and home inspections.
Countless conversations and emails with many levels of government, including the planning department at the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD), BC Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship, FrontCounter BC, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, individual MPs and MLAs.
Direct information from: Gambier Island Local Trust Area/Islands Trust (which includes Keats Island, information particularly from historical minutes), Sunshine Coast Regional District website mapping tools, Sunshine Coast Tourism, SCRD docks, BC Ferries Stormaway, Mercury Water Taxi, SD46, BC Assessment, BC Government websites (particularly regarding well information and private moorage), documents pulled from the Land Title Survey Authority (LTSA) over the course of my career (titles, easements, covenants, surveys, and subdivision plans), and other information from the Government of Canada.
Some information in this guide, particularly regarding past sales, is based on listing and sales data I can access as a licensed Realtor® within GVR (Greater Vancouver Realtors®) through local cooperative selling system tools (MLS), current as of Feb 2026. While verifying some facts I heard second hand about some of these neighbourhoods, I cross-referenced past listing details and sales going back as far as the late 1990s.
Knowledge of the area also comes from having grown up boating in and around Keats Island and visiting friends. Additionally, some information I have become aware of during the course of being a property owner on neighbouring Gambier Island.
Last updated February 2026. Feel free to email me if you feel something is incorrect or if I’ve missed a point that should be included.
