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Southern Gulf Islands Articles

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December 15, 2025

guide, Gulf Islands Tourism, Island Travel, Travelling in BC, Visiting the Southern Gulf Islands

What Southern Gulf Island Should I Visit?

Planning a getaway to the Southern Gulf Islands? The hardest part might just be choosing where to start. This small stretch of British Columbia’s coastline is packed with world-class bakers, brewers, growers, crafters, and creators. Every island has its own take on slow living, influenced by the Salish Sea and the eccentric folk who’ve made their home here. But while...

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  • Salt Spring Island
  • Saturna Island
  • Galiano Island
  • Mayne Island
  • Pender Island
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  • Cozy Season
  • Summer

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  • Arts & Culture
  • Farm Experiences
  • Food & Drink
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  • Outdoor Rec
  • Wellness

December 15, 2025

What Southern Gulf Island Should I Visit?

Planning a getaway to the Southern Gulf Islands? The hardest part might just be choosing where to start. This small stretch of British Columbia’s coastline is packed with world-class bakers, brewers, growers, crafters, and creators. Every island has its own take on slow living, influenced by the Salish Sea and the eccentric folk who’ve made their home here. But while...

December 6, 2025

Planning a Bike Trip to Salt Spring Island? Start here

Salt Spring Island has become a destination for cyclists, bikepackers, and day-trippers. Easily accessible from both the mainland and Vancouver Island, in just a short ferry ride, you’ll find yourself pedalling some of BC’s most beautiful cycling routes, past rocky shorelines, bucolic fields with fuzzy sheep, and plenty of locally made roadside treats. If you’re planning a Salt Spring cycling...

November 26, 2025

Cycling in the Southern Gulf Islands: Tips & Resources

Long recognized as a great cycling destination, the Southern Gulf Islands offer quiet, rolling terrain through towering trees and along dramatic coastlines. With options for every type of cyclist, from the rugged all-weather outdoor enthusiasts to those fuelled by good food and plenty of it, cycling the Gulf Islands is always an adventure. Yet, for the uninitiated, the Southern Gulf...

November 17, 2025

Getting Here: How to Fly to the Southern Gulf Islands

Did you know you can get to the Southern Gulf Islands in just 30 minutes and avoid the stress of ferry traffic and long waits? Scheduled daily floatplane service is available from Vancouver to Salt Spring, with additional flights to Pender, Galiano, Mayne, and Saturna Island during the busy summer months. Not to mention the endless possibilities offered by the...

October 9, 2025

All Your Ferry Questions Answered

If you’re planning to visit any of the Southern Gulf Islands, chances are your journey here will start aboard a ferry. BC Ferries operates multiple daily sailings from Vancouver (Tsawwassen) and Victoria (Swartz Bay), as well as around the islands, transporting thousands of locals and visitors alike throughout the Salish Sea. While island residents have long learned to navigate the...

September 30, 2025

Your guide to a Southern Gulf Island studio tour

Any visit here comes packed with opportunities to see artist studios, roadside galleries, farm stands, and community spaces that capture all the special creative energy flowing through this region. Here’s your guide to the studios, tours, and other art-filled adventures waiting across the Southern Gulf Islands.

July 9, 2025

Where the Road Slows Down: Bikepacking the Cowichan–Salt Spring Loop

When visiting Salt Spring Island, it’s common to see slogans such as ‘Slow the Folk Down’ or ‘Slow Down, This Isn’t the Mainland’ plastered to anything from a rusting 30-year-old Schwinn bicycle to a brand-new Land Rover. Being the largest of the Gulf Islands, it attracts a wide variety of people from hippies, to yuppies, to remote workers, to retirees,...

July 7, 2025

Southern Gulf Islands Farmers Markets Round Up

On your next adventure to the Southern Gulf Islands, you won’t have to look far to find fresh produce and local goods. Our islands boast a remarkable concentration of farmers, makers, and artisans. That translates directly to an incredible density of community-minded farmers markets. For you, this means more opportunities to sample seasonal fare, connect with local creatives, and experience...

April 22, 2025

Paddling the Southern Gulf Islands: A Guide to Exploring BC’s Coastal Paradise

The Southern Gulf Islands archipelago is hard to beat in terms of world-class paddling destinations. This collection of small islands is scattered across the southern end of the Salish Sea and boasts a glorious Mediterranean microclimate, crystal clear waters, and rare coastal ecosystems. It’s also home to an often kooky community of artists, farmers, and unique characters who help make...

September 17, 2024

Indigenous Businesses Based on the Island Territories of the Coast Salish Peoples

On what are known as the Southern Gulf Islands, part of the unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, including W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations and Hul’quimi’num Treaty Group, is a flourishing network of Indigenous businesses, including makers, designers, healers, and more who call this place home.

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