[trip style = active + food/wine + luxe]

{Editor's Note: Since I was a kid, I've spent almost every summer on BC's Sunshine Coast, the location of today's R+B property. As a local, I'm excited to show off this iconic stretch, aka. BC's best kept secret!}

What
Tucked into a discreet cove along BC's 180-km Sunshine Coast, Painted Boat sprawls over a five-acre glade of redcedars and Douglas firs. Here, nature's not just a faraway vista, but in your midst.

Built over the shoreline, the one- to two-plus-loft villas come kitted out with gourmet kitchens, large dining rooms, cozy living rooms and ocean views. Saving the best sight line for the master bedroom, each cream-colored space features the dreamiest ocean vantage point in the house. In other words, pack your lingerie AND your stargazing binocs, because you'll want to sleep with the shades open to watch the sky turn from indigo to ink in your feather-topped theatre.

With the oceanfront as the resort's anchor, water beckons at every turn. During my late-May visit I was drawn to both the harbor {read: paddleboards} and the infinity pool as late as 7pm, when the temperature was 22 degrees Celsius/72 Fahrenheit. By 7:30pm, the sun was streaming so intently onto my villa's balcony that the only appropriate activity was sitting with a bottle of wine and watching the sun slather the sky in a cosmic print of pink, purple and orange.

In an ode to all things seafaring, every night Mr. Trip Styler and I dined on local fish and foraged fare at The RESTAURANT, the Sunshine Coast's premier foodie address. Stay tuned for a special report on foraging with the chef next week.

Trip Styler approved.

Trip Styler Tip: Talk to the hotel about the their very instagrammable mason jar-packed breakfast baskets {from $17 per person}.

Where
British Columbia's Sunshine Coast, a 40-minute ride via BC Ferries from Vancouver on the Horseshoe Bay to Langdale route. Once in Langdale/Gibsons, Painted Boat is a one-hour drive, or a one-and-a-half-hour bus ride.

When
Winters are typically west coast; moody, cool and sit-by-the-fire-romantic. Spring and fall provide a gorgeous summer crescendo/decrescendo showing hints of warm weather and stints of sun. During summer high season, the Sunshine Coast more than lives up to its moniker.

Who/Why
Nature grounds you. So do infinity pools.

Cost
Rates for the all-villa resort start around $175/night and include WiFi, large patios with a gas BBQ and complimentary parking. Bikes, kayaks and paddleboards can be rented from the resort from $30/$25/$15 respectively. Fido can tag along for $25/night.

Photos