Salt Spring Island
Suggested itinerary: Salt Spring
Here is the quintessential Salt Spring Island itinerary to serve as your weekend inspiration.
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 trip, you'll want to start here. We spoke with Rosie Schinners, a longtime local cyclist, and Lizi McLoughlin, a [...]
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 complexities of ferry life with ease, for the uninitiated, planning a trip around a seemingly convoluted ferry schedule can [...]
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, to an influx of tourists each summer coming from near and far. Yet, no matter who they may be, pretty [...]
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.
Eating local: farm to table food hubs in the Southern Gulf Islands
On your next visit, support island values by eating local food at one of these stand-out restaurants that are known for sourcing locally.
Gone Camping! The Southern Gulf Island Campgrounds
Whether biking, boating, or driving here, you'll find a spectacular spot to set up camp, the Southern Gulf Islands offer campers a slice of natural beauty while having all the local amenities nearby.
SSNAP: Small islands with big art
SSNAP welcomes visitors to its biennial competition and exhibition of Canadian contemporary visual art on Salt Spring Island.
A Home Grown Tradition: The Islands’ Fall Fairs
Fall fairs are an annual tradition all across Canada, but there is definitely something special about one held on a Southern Gulf Island.
SOCS: A meeting place for creativity and inclusion
The Salt Spring Arts' Summer Outdoor Concert Series (SOCS) provides a collection of free events accessible to the community and island visitors.
How to get to Salt Spring Island
How do you get to Salt Spring Island? This island is one of the most connected Southern Gulf Islands, with three ferry terminals, eight moorage options for boaters, float plane service, and an excellent public transit system once you get here. But with so many options, it can be confusing for anyone unfamiliar with the routes and schedules of the many Salt Spring ferries. Let's break it down into more manageable pieces. Here is everything you need to know [...]
Everything you ever wanted to know about Salt Spring Island
Salt Spring Island is teaming with life, love, and creativity. As arguably one of the most famous Southern Gulf Islands, it has become internationally known for its legendary Saturday Market, arts community, and forward-thinking farms. Yes, Salt Spring Island is just a few hours from Vancouver, but it can feel impossibly different from big-city daily life, which is probably why you have so many questions. How do you get here? Do you need to get groceries beforehand? What about [...]
Hikes on Salt Spring Island
British Columbia is well-known for its stunning nature and in many destinations, it shows. Trailhead parking lots overflow with visitors and vistas are lined up with people, clamouring for the perfect Instagram picture. Not so on Salt Spring. While it isn’t touted as a hiking destination, the number and the variety of accessible trails is truly one of its greatest features, and its best kept secret! The vast, undeveloped areas and the unique rainshadow climate make it all the [...]
