by Alan K. Lee
My wife and I love to explore new places, and most of our travels are to places that we have never been to before. But there are a few places that have drawn us back again and again. One of those is British Columbia’s Gulf Islands.
The Gulf Islands are located off the southeast coast of Vancouver Island. There are six main islands in the Southern Gulf Islands: Salt Spring, Mayne, North Pender, South Pender, Saturna, and Galiano. The Northern Gulf Islands consist of Thetis, Penelakut, Valdes, and Gabriola Islands. Each island has its own particular charms, and all are well worth exploring.
The Gulf Islands Guide has a description of each island and good information on events and accommodations in the Islands. Other useful websites include Gulf Islands Tourism, and Salt Spring Island.org.
There are many reasons to visit the islands, not the least of which is that they are simply flat out gorgeous. Everywhere you go, every vista at every turn, the beauty of the islands is on display for your enjoyment.
Our latest visit to the Gulf Islands came in 2024 with a trip to Salt Spring Island, the largest, most accessible, and most visited of the islands. Ganges, on Salt Spring, is the commercial and cultural heart of the Islands. It is the largest (and really the only) town in the Southern Gulf Islands. For more information, check out my Salt Spring Island post here.
One of the charms of the Gulf Islands is that they are largely untrammeled by commercial development. There are no big resorts, no malls, nothing to draw in the masses except the natural beauty that surrounds you everywhere in the Islands. But once there, many people are captivated not only by the scenery and wildlife, but also by the people and the islands’ culture and lifestyle.
The Gulf Islands offer an abundance of outdoor activities, from hiking and mountain biking to sailing and kayaking, camping, fishing, whale watching, and more.
There are no commercial airports in the Gulf Islands, but there are float plane companies that will take you to the islands. And the Victoria airport is only a few miles from the Schwartz Bay ferry terminal, so flying to Victoria and renting a car is a an option for people from outside the Northwest that want to visit the Southern Gulf Islands.
Most visitors to the Gulf Islands arrive via one of the BC Ferries. Passenger and car ferries travel from Tsawwassen on the B.C. mainland south of Vancouver to Long Harbor, near Ganges on Salt Spring Island, and from Schwartz Bay on Vancouver Island north of Victoria to Fulford Harbor on the south shore of Salt Spring. There is also a smaller ferry from Crofton on Vancouver Island to Vesuvius on the northwest side of Salt Spring. The other Southern Gulf Islands are serviced by ferries departing the Long Harbor terminal or Schwartz Bay.
Thetis and Penelakut Islands are reached by ferries from Chemainus on Vancouver Island. Gabriola Island is a short ferry ride from Nanaimo. Be sure to check the ferry schedules on the BC Ferries website. Reservations may be required, especially on summer weekends, and the ferry system is designed to serve island residents, not tourists, so island hopping can be difficult. Getting from one island to another in the Southern Islands by ferry sometimes requires going back to Salt Spring Island and then taking a second ferry from there. And there are no ferries from Thetis or Penelakut to Gabriola.
I’ve found that a good way to explore the Southern Gulf Islands by car is to base yourself on Salt Spring and pick an island to explore each day. North and South Pender Islands are connected by a bridge, so they can be explored in a day. Take another three days to explore Mayne, Saturna, and Galiano. That still leaves you several days to see all Salt Spring has to offer, or to explore the Northern Gulf Islands, even if you have only a week.
There is a bus system on Salt Spring Island, but public transportation is limited or nonexistent on the other islands. You can get around without a car, though. There is a unique Car Stop system, sort of an organized hitchhiking system, on all of the Southern Islands. Look for the Car Stop signs and stick out your thumb. Someone will stop to give you a ride. Drivers can be selective about who they pick up, and of course hitchhikers can be equally selective about whose car they get into. But it’s generally safe, and it’s free. It also a unique way to get to know some of the locals.
If you or one of your fellow travelers is an experienced boater or sailor, you can charter a sailboat or power boat and explore the islands by sea. Full-service marinas are located at Sidney on Vancouver Island, and on Salt Spring, Pender, Galiano, and Thetis Islands, and there are public docks on most of the islands. Experience is essential and charter companies require proof of competence, but if you have the necessary qualifications, this is an excellent way to explore the Islands. We have done this, and I can personally recommend it.
There are a wide variety of accommodations available on the islands, from full-service resorts and hotels to traditional B&Bs to single rooms available through Airbnb. Most of the accommodations are on Salt Spring Island, but you can find small resorts and many individual houses for rent on the other islands. If you’re a kayaker, this is a perfect jumping off point. Ganges Harbor and its numerous islands are well worth exploring. Prevost Island, a short paddle to the southeast of Ganges Harbor is also worth a visit. A portion of Prevost is set aside as part of the Gulf Islands National Park.
There are a number of Provincial Parks in the Islands that are worth exploring. Salt Spring Island has four: Mount Maxwell Park on the west side of Salt Spring Island provides spectacular views of Salt Spring Island and across Saanich Inlet to Vancouver Island to the west; Ruckle Park on the southeast coast of Salt Spring has hiking trails that take you along the shore of Swanson Channel and a campground with eight RV sites (no hookups) and 78 walk in tent sites; Mt. Erskine Park, just west of Ganges has several challenging hiking trails; and Burgoyne Park is located on the Saanich Inlet at the base of Mount Maxwell.
Galiano Island also has several provincial parks, and portions of North and South Pender Islands and Saturna Island are set aside as part of the Gulf Islands National Park.
You can’t see everything British Columbia’s Gulf Islands have to offer in a week, or even two, but it’s time enough to fall in love with them, which happens to a lot of first-time visitors. It happened to us. It’s brought us back numerous times, and we will visit again in the near future. And the proximity of the Gulf Islands to Victoria and the rest of Vancouver Island makes for a wide variety of possible itineraries on an extended vacation.
Originally posted July 2, 2018. Most recently updated January 20, 2025.
All photos © Alan K. Lee