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 Salt Spring, Galiano, Mayne, Pender, and Saturna may share a coastline, climate, and close-knit community, each island has a personality all its own.

You’ll eventually want to experience the magic of each one up close—but every adventure has to begin somewhere. So, let’s take a deeper look at the personalities of the Southern Gulf Islands and find the one that calls to you first.

Galiano

Best For Foodies

Population: ~1400
Ferry Terminal: Sturdies Bay

On a map, Galiano is the closest island to the mainland. It’s a long, impossibly skinny strip of coastline, with a single road joining the active south end to the quieter, forested northern tip. 

Galiano has long been a favorite weekend getaway for Vancouver-based travellers, yet its food scene is anything but sleepy. Between wandering quiet trails and hours lost beachcombing, you’ll encounter some of the most memorable meals of your life.

At the top of the list is a reservation at pilgrimme for elevated, fiercely local coastal fare. Next, don’t miss the uniquely Southeast Asian and Southern Gulf Island-inspired menu at Lola. Then there are the beloved local favorites, like Babes in the Woods and Oxeye.

You’ll also find plenty of places to enjoy happy hour with an ocean view, as well as hidden gems offering artisan eats made with local love. Even in a food-and-farm-driven region like the Gulf Islands, Galiano stands out as one of the best places to see (and taste) this culture in all its glory.

Salt Spring Island

Best For Markets and Makers

Population: ~12,000
Ferry Terminals: Long Harbour, Vesuvius, and Fulford

Salt Spring Island is the most populous and well-known of all the Gulf Islands. For many, this was their very first island adventure, and it continues to hold a special place in their hearts. 

This island has a little bit of everything: organic farms, world-class artists, famous markets, and crowd-free beaches. Not to mention its famous and highly eclectic community. As the busiest island, too, there is always something happening here, even in the depths of the rainy season.

What Salt Spring is most renowned for is its longstanding tradition of making things. A trip here in summer isn’t complete without a morning spent wandering the Saturday Market, where you’ll find stalls overflowing with offerings from farmers, artisans, bakers, and creatives. 

Honourable mentions go to the seasonal Tuesday Market and the many, many holiday markets that kick off in November. And let’s not forget the farmstand culture. Around every bend in the island’s slow-moving roads is another out-of-the-way farm stand filled with treasures. 

Salt Spring has always been a destination for artists, and even though it’s gotten busier over the years, it’s retained this colourful, kooky nature.

Mayne Island

Best for History and Heritage

Population: ~1300
Ferry Terminal: Village Bay

Mayne Island operates at a slow, casual pace even during the summer season. Its landscape unfolds across low, forested hills, with secret coves and ocean views tucked into every corner.

But while all the islands are steeped in history, Mayne Island offers particularly well-curated spaces for stories.

History buffs will love digging into the displays at the Mayne Island Museum, housed in the island’s original jail. Or spend an afternoon strolling through the beautifully built Japanese Garden. The Garden is a memorial to the island’s early Japanese settlers.

And a wander through Emma and Felix Jack Park will bring you to the Honouring Figure, a traditional carving of the Coast Salish People who have called Mayne Island part of their territories since time immemorial.

Rest assured, every history lesson on Mayne comes paired with a moss-filled, meandering forest walk and a pocketful of locally made goodies.

Pender Island

Best for Easy Adventuring

Population: ~2,250
Ferry Terminal: Otter Bay

Among all the Southern Gulf Islands, Pender is the sleeper hit. This island captures that quintessential Southern Gulf Island charm, with a splash of local craft beverages and a dash of creative spirit that’s all wrapped up in the inescapable rugged beauty of the Salish Sea.

All of which makes Pender Island the best destination for easy-going adventures. Here, you’re never far from your forest cabin or Airstream tucked in the forest at the WOODS, but you can still get your adrenaline fix with a challenging hike up Mount Norman or a kayak through the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.

Need more convincing about why Pender ticks all the right boxes? Check out the renowned 27-hole disc golf course, then grab local Twin Island Cider or wine from Sea Star. And don’t forget to fuel your activities with lunch at the Copper Otter or baked treats at Vanilla Leaf Bakery Cafe next door.

Saturna Island

Best for Going Off-Grid

Population: ~350
Ferry Terminal: Lyall Harbour

If your goal is to get away from it all, set sail for Saturna. This is arguably the quietest community in the Southern Gulf Islands, unless of course you’re hearing the distant bleats of sheep and soft breath of whales off East Point. 

With just 350 residents, Saturna Island makes it easy to lose yourself in the wild. Much of the coast and surrounding ocean is part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, where there are plenty of opportunities to commune with Mother Nature.

For such a small island, it boasts a surprising number of coastal hikes, like the trail out to Bruce Bright Beach, one of the island’s best. Watch for whales and other sea life after a hike out to East Point, and then meander along an easy trek down the Narvaez Bay Trail for a night spent backcountry camping.

Saturna maintains a sense of remoteness that you might not get on the other islands. Still, when you stop in at the Saturna General Store or sip your way through a wine tasting at Sage Hayward Vineyards, you’ll enjoy plenty of modern comforts thrown in for good measure.

One Archipelago, Neverending Experiences

Here, we’ve tried to give you a sense of each island, but, of course, with so much shared history and environment, you’ll find a bit of everything on each. A food-lover will be just as happy on Salt Spring as Galiano, and the adventurous type would love Saturna as much as Pender

Whatever island you land on, you’ll be sure to discover something to love — and plenty of reasons to return and try a different one.