Hundreds of islands, from uninhabited rocks to rolling swathes of farmland, lie scattered off the coast of British Columbia between Vancouver and Victoria. Called the Southern Gulf Islands, these idyllic patches of white shell beach and arbutus groves are, for the most part, easy to get to. Still, they retain a rural remoteness and pristine beauty that never fails to enchant.
The easiest to access, of course, are the six with BC Ferry service, either from Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver, or Swartz Bay, just north of Victoria. Of these six, each has its unique charms.
Salt Spring, home to about 11,000 people, is the biggest, best known and most developed of the group. Visitors flock here each Saturday from April to October to visit the Salt Spring Saturday Market, held outdoors in the town of Ganges. A rule, that everything sold must be made or grown on the island, has helped create a visual, and literal, feast of local organic food, and crafts. For a real immersion in island art, visitors can also pick up a map to the four dozen or so studios that are open to the public around the island. Salt Spring is also home to hundreds of B&Bs, several resorts and two of the province’s most highly rated restaurants: Hastings House Country House Hotel and House Piccolo, each offering their own takes on European influenced local fare.
Long, thin Galiano Island, home to just 800 people, is your best bet for long ridge walks and mountain biking trails. A high end spa (Galiano Oceanfront Inn & Spa), several rustic B&Bs, artists’ studios and deserted pebble beaches complete the escapist vibe.
Tiny Mayne Island is the most historic of the group as it was something of a boom town in 1858 when prospectors stopped in on their way to the gold fields of the mainland. Springwater Lodge, one of BC’s oldest hotels, is still a great place for a seaside pint. Plumpers Pass lockup, built to incarcerate troublesome miners, has yet to be used 150 years later.
Pender Island, actually two islands divided by a narrow canal, is best for beach lovers, with dozens of public beach accesses scattered along its thinly populated coast. These days it’s best known as the home of Poets Cove Resort and Spa, a lavish resort at the island’s southern tip.
Finally, remote Saturna Island, home to just 300 souls, with no town, pharmacy, bank or campsite, is largely taken up a section of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. Established in 2003, the park protects the landscape, wildlife and eco-systems of this fragile and beautiful part of the coast.
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