Gulf Islands

The Southern Gulf Islands make up one of the most ecologically distinctive and fragile areas in southern Canada. They’re beautiful, serene places within relatively easy reach of the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

Galiano »»
Mayne »»
Salt Spring »»
Saturna »»
Pender »»

Getting There

BY FERRY — BC Ferries offers frequent service from Tsawwassen; Bcferries.com
BY AIR — SeAir services all islands, with departures from YVR’s South Terminal; Seairseaplanes. com. Harbour Air services Pender and Salt Spring with departures from downtown Vancouver and YVR’s South Terminal; Harbour-air.com

Galiano

The skinniest, driest, and least agricultural of the islands, Galiano (named for the Spanish explorer who visited the area in 1792) retains a largely unspoiled character. From the heights of Bluffs Park, at the south end, you’re rewarded with a spectacular view of Active Pass. Take a picnic and binoculars and you can spend hours spotting bald eagles, cormorants, and gulls. When the herring are running, California sea lions come to gorge, and a pod of killer whales makes its home. The hiking, sea kayaking, and mountain biking on the island are first-rate (don’t miss the panoramic view from the top of Mount Galiano); more sedate activity can be found at the Galiano Golf & Country Club.

Stay

Galiano Inn
134 Madrona Dr., Galiano
877-530-3939
{Price} King rooms from $299 a night, queens from $249.
{Design} All rooms are oceanfront and feature modern West Coast décor and a wood-burning fireplace.
{Amenities} A gourmet breakfast at the Atrevida Restaurant is included, and excellent spa services are available.

Eat

Harbour Grill
Montague Marine Harbour,
250-539-5733
This lively, low-key spot in the Montague Marine Harbour serves hearty sandwiches with salad or housemade soup prepared fresh daily. (The clam chowder is delicious.) Also recommended is the grilled lamb burger ($10.95). Beer sold by the bottle.

Travel

By Ferry - 50 minutes.
By Air - 20 minutes.
At least two sailings daily from Tsawwassen and most are direct, though expect a stop on Mayne on late-afternoon and weekend departures. SeAir offers two direct flights daily from South Terminal to Montague Harbour.

Mayne

A leisurely hike up Mount Peake yields splendid views and, on most days, not a single personal encounter. At Bennett Bay, on the east side of the island, a stalled high-end condo project, for two years scarcely more than a hole in the ground, encapsulates the glacial pace of change here. Developers have long sought to sell time-share pieces of heaven to well-heeled mainlanders at this secluded spot; islanders, with a paradise of their own, figure heaven can wait.

Stay

Blue Vista Resort
563 Arbutus Dr., Mayne
877-535-2424
{Price} Eight rustic studio rooms and one- and two-bedroom cottages (studios start from $79 a night; one-bedroom cottages from $99; two-bedrooms from $110) -
{Amenities} Kayak rentals, instruction, and guided tours available on-site.

Eat

The Wild Fennel Restaurant
574 Fernhill Rd., Mayne
250-539-5987
Picture a small warm room, a well edited all–B.C. wine card (bottles from $29), and fresh, often organic coastal cuisine that changes weekly — go for the Crab Three Ways (crab served in bisque, salad, and lollipop form) if it’s an option. Entrées typically priced at or below $20. Reservations not accepted.

Travel

By Ferry - 2 hours.
By Air - 20 minutes.

At least two sailings from Tsawwassen daily; most make a stop on Galiano. SeAir offers two direct flights daily from South Terminal to Miner’s Bay.

Salt Spring

Ruddy-complexioned, Wellie-wearing locals have united over organic farming practices and artisanal goods and, in the process, created a lively arts and crafts scene. The Salt Spring studio tour now features some 34 artists, cheesemakers, bakers, potters, and farmers, all passionate, if earnest, about their craft. Rustic accommodation (read: unheated sheds) can be had on Salt Spring for $60 a night, or so we hear, but we’ll take Hastings House Country House Hotel, a 1930s farmhouse- turned-luxury inn, with its award-winning restaurant and views of Ganges Harbour.

Stay

Hastings House Hotel
160 Upper Ganges Rd., Salt Spring
800-661-9255.
{Price} Elegant country rooms start at $295, suites from $395, cottages from $525, and premier suites from $695
{Design} 11th-century Sussex-style manor house with luxurious country décor. Think wicker, antiques, and French doors.
{Amenities} Fine-dining restaurant, spa, and guest lounge with Internet, bar, TV, and DVDs.

Eat

Moonstruck Organic Cheese
1306 Beddis Rd., Salt Spring
250-537-4987
Open daily except Saturday, when you’ll find them at the farmers’ market.

Also search out
Salt Spring Island Bread Co.
251 Forest Ridge Rd., Salt Spring
250-653-4809.

Travel

By Ferry - 1.5 hours.
By Air - 20 minutes.

Weekday morning sailings make three stops; best bet is the nonstop sailing from Tsawwassen on Monday and Thursday afternoons. SeAir offers three direct flights daily from South Terminal to Ganges Harbour. Harbour Air offers three flights daily from South Terminal or downtown Vancouver to Ganges Harbour.

Saturna

On the spectacular bluff walk east of Mount Warburton Pike you’re likely to see feral goats; killer whales run along with the salmon along the rocky shore where the tide rips past East Point. And everyone waves when you drive by, even if you’ve never been here before. It’s heaven, mainly because most people have never been here before.

Stay

Breezy Bay Bed and Breakfast
131 Payne Rd., Saturna
250-539-5957
{Price} Rooms start at $70 a night.
{Design} The century-old Payne farmhouse, on the cooperatively owned site of a former free school, is Saturna’s most characteristic accommodation. The beds are less luxurious than old, but rustic charm abounds.
{Amenities} There’s a wonderfully idiosyncratic library, a private beach, a lovely verandah, and gourmet breakfast served daily.

Eat

Saturna Café
101 Naravez Bay Rd., Saturna
250-539-2936
Fabulous food from Hubertus Surm at this café adjoining the Saturna General Store. Open for lunch and dinner; reservations recommended for the latter.

Travel

By Ferry - 3-4 hours.
By Air - 20 minutes.

Two ferries from Tsawwassen every day except Sunday and holiday Mondays; expect to transfer at Swartz Bay, Galiano, or Mayne. SeAir offers three direct flights daily from South Terminal to Lyall Harbour.

Pender

Although people refer to Pender Island in the singular, there are actually two islands connected by a single-lane bridge. North Pender, the more populous, is home to most of the islands’ 2,400 permanent residents and the Otter Bay ferry terminal. South Pender is mostly rolling farmland, but visitors may know it as the home of Poets Cove — a fouryear- old arts-and-crafts-style resort on Bedwell Harbour, complete with spa, restaurant, and marina. Time is best spent outdoors, chilling on the sandy beach at Mortimer Spit (Hamilton beach is another local fave) or exploring hidden coves that were once favoured by smugglers who ran rum to the San Juan Islands during prohibition.

Stay

Poets Cove Resort & Spa
9801 Spalding Rd., Pender
888-512-7638
{Price} Lodge accommodation from $159, villa from $319, and cottage from $339 (add $20 on weekends)
{Design} Arts-and-crafts style with simple, natural materials.
{Amenities} Two restaurants, outdoor pool, spa, ensuite laundry, and full kitchen in all cottages and villas (cottages get a private hot tub).

Eat

Organic produce from the Saturday morning Farmers’ Market (Pender Islands Community Hall, 4418 Bedwell Harbour Rd., 250-629- 3669). Southridge Farms Country Store (3327 Port Washington Rd., 250-629-2051) also stocks island produce along with European-style sausages from the Sidney-based Starke’s Deli and Sausage Factory.

Travel

By Ferry - 3 hours.
By Air - 20 minutes.

At least two sailings daily from Tsawwassen. Ferries stop at Galiano and Mayne, and some weekend sailings require disembarking at Mayne. SeAir offers three direct flights daily from South Terminal to Port Washington.