Categories: Travel

An idyllic B.C. village surrounded by mountains and beaches has a surprising connection to Ireland

Photo via Shutterstock

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 under an hour away from Vancouver. Located on the shore of Indian Arm, the village is a beloved day trip spot for its paddle-friendly waters, scenic views of the Burrard Inlet, and beachcombing opportunities.

All in all, the area known as Belcarra includes Bedwell Bay, Belcarra Bay, Cosy Cove, Whiskey Cove, Farrer Cove, and Twin Islands.

təmtəmíxʷtən/Belcarra Regional Park

Situated near Port Moody, 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 or 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 Sept. 1, 2025, and until 8 p.m. from Sept. 2 to 22, 2025.

Belcarra on the big screen

Locals aren’t the only ones with their eye on the village. Being surrounded by mountains, forest, and a deep-water fjord has its perks when it comes to Hollywood North.

Past shoots include everything from Season 3 of The “L” Word (2005) to Jeremiah (2002), to a series of commercials and TV programs.

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 is 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 of 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.