Island hopping by ferry
The Southern Gulf Islands — how to visit them all
You can see six islands from the inn's windows and reach every one of them by BC Ferries. Salt Spring and Thetis are easy day trips. Galiano, Mayne, Pender and Saturna take more planning because their ferries leave from Swartz Bay or from Salt Spring's Long Harbour and don't sail every hour. Here is how to do it one island at a time, or all at once.
- Islands
- Salt Spring, Thetis, Galiano, Mayne, Pender, Saturna
- Nearest ferry
- Crofton–Vesuvius, a 5-minute walk
- Outer islands
- Via Swartz Bay (1 h 10 drive) or Long Harbour
- Best time
- May–September, mid-week
How the ferries work
- Three gateways from the inn. Crofton–Vesuvius (Salt Spring) leaves five minutes' walk from the door. Chemainus–Thetis is a 10-minute drive. Swartz Bay serves Galiano, Mayne, Pender and Saturna; it is 1 h 10 south over the Malahat. The Mill Bay–Brentwood Bay ferry is a pretty alternative that skips the Malahat.
- The back door through Salt Spring. Some sailings link Long Harbour, on Salt Spring's east side, with Galiano, Mayne and Pender. Take the Crofton ferry, drive 15 minutes across Salt Spring, and carry on east. You can go out this way and come home through Swartz Bay without retracing a single crossing.
- Paying. On these routes you generally pay at the Vancouver Island terminal and the trip back is covered. Hops between islands are paid where you board. Keep your receipt.
- Reservations. Crofton, Chemainus and Fulford Harbour are first come, first served. For the outer islands, book a vehicle reservation where the sailing offers one. Otherwise arrive 30–45 minutes early in summer and on long weekends.
- Interisland sailings are sparse. Some hops run only a few times a day and Saturna has the fewest of all, often with a change at Mayne's Village Bay. Lay out the sailings before you book anywhere to stay.
- Live status. The Conditions page links to current sailing waits for every nearby route.
Plan A · One island a day, home to the inn each night
| Island | Getting there | Crossing | Don't miss | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Spring | Walk or drive to the Crofton ferry | 25 min | Saturday Market in Ganges, the cheese company, Ruckle Park, St. Paul's stone church | Full itinerary on Route 4. Take the car; the island is big and hilly. |
| Thetis | Drive 10 min to Chemainus | ≈ 30 min | Sunset at Pilkey Point, the marinas on Telegraph Harbour, quiet roads for cycling | Few places to eat, so pack a picnic. The ferry also calls at Penelakut Island, a First Nation community rather than a visitor stop; stay aboard. |
| Pender | Drive 1 h 10 to Swartz Bay | ≈ 40 min to Otter Bay | Mount Norman lookout, Gowlland Point, Hope Bay, the museum at Roesland, the island disc-golf course | Two islands joined by a one-lane bridge. Much of the land is Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. |
| Mayne | Swartz Bay | 45 min–1 h 30 to Village Bay | Georgina Point Lighthouse, the Japanese Garden at Dinner Bay, Mount Parke, a pint at the Springwater Lodge on Miners Bay | Small and gentle; the easiest island to see by bike as a walk-on. |
| Galiano | Swartz Bay, or Long Harbour via Salt Spring | 50 min–1 h 45 to Sturdies Bay | Montague Harbour's shell beach at sunset, Bodega Ridge, Pebble Beach, the Hummingbird Pub | The longest island. Allow the full day and check the last sailing back. |
| Saturna | Swartz Bay, usually changing at Mayne | 1–2 h to Lyall Harbour | East Point lighthouse, with orcas passing in Haro Strait in summer; Winter Cove; the view from Mount Warburton Pike | Hard to do as a day trip. Stay the night, or join Plan B. |
Plan B · All six in five days
Do the two easy islands as day trips from the inn, then pack an overnight bag for a three-day loop through the outer islands. The loop leaves through Salt Spring and comes home through Swartz Bay.
- Day 1 · Salt Spring. Follow Route 4. If you can, make it a Saturday for the market.
- Day 2 · Thetis. Take a morning ferry from Chemainus, cycle or stroll the island, and be back for a late lunch and the murals in Chemainus.
- Day 3 · Out through Salt Spring to Galiano. Ferry from Crofton to Vesuvius, drive 15 minutes to Long Harbour and sail to Sturdies Bay. Spend the afternoon at Bodega Ridge or Montague Harbour, then stay the night on Galiano.
- Day 4 · Mayne, then Saturna. Take an early sailing to Village Bay and spend the morning at the lighthouse and Japanese Garden. Sail on to Lyall Harbour in the afternoon, drive out to East Point for sunset, and stay the night on Saturna (or back on Mayne if that suits the sailings).
- Day 5 · Pender, and home. Sail to Otter Bay, directly or via Mayne depending on the day. Walk up Mount Norman and have lunch at Hope Bay or Port Browning. Take an afternoon ferry to Swartz Bay and drive home over the Malahat, or via the Brentwood Bay–Mill Bay ferry. You'll be back for dinner in Crofton.
Interisland timetables change by season and day of the week, so treat the order above as a shape rather than a schedule. Build each day around the sailings, and book island accommodation early for July and August.
Island etiquette
- Ferries are how islanders get to work, school and the doctor. Join the line properly, stay with your car and let medical and commercial traffic go first.
- Cell coverage is patchy and gas stations are few with short hours. Fill up before you leave Vancouver Island.
- Carry small cash for farm-gate honesty stands.
- Many island restaurants close early in the week and through winter. Book dinner, and confirm lunch on weekdays.
- Fresh water is scarce in summer, and campfire bans are common.
Without a car
- Walk on at Crofton for Salt Spring. A small island bus runs between Vesuvius, Ganges and Fulford.
- Mayne and Thetis are the best islands to see by bike. Pender and Galiano are hillier and longer, and Saturna is steep.
- Walk-on and bike fares are a fraction of vehicle fares, and you never wait in the car line.
Bonus island: Gabriola, a northern Gulf Island, is 20 minutes by ferry from downtown Nanaimo. It has the wave-carved sandstone of the Malaspina Galleries and pairs well with the Nanaimo day.