Skip to main content

Salt Spring Island Weekend Getaway

Salt Spring Island is part of the Gulf Islands just off the coast of Southern B.C. Often compared to the Mediterranean because of its dryer climate, Salt Spring is known for its many vineyards and farms. A hub for creatives and artisans, locally made goods ranging for cheeses to pottery can be found around the island as well as the popular Saturday Market.


How To Get  There:

Salt Spring Island has three ferry terminals, which can be reached through Victoria or Vancouver. Ganges, accessed through Tsawwassen Ferry terminal, is the largest town on Salt Spring with the most stores and amenities. The ferry usually only runs a couple of times a day so you will probably have to stay overnight if you want time to see everything. Although you can walk or bike on to the ferry, if you want to see the whole island you will need your car.

Where To Stay:

The Salt Spring Inn is located right in the middle of Ganges. It's an older hotel that has clean and cozy guest rooms perfect for one or two people. Other accommodations range from cottages, guest houses, cabins on the lake, to hotels. Book early especially during holidays or the summer months.



View of Ganges Harbour


Where To Eat:

The Salt Spring Inn has an excellent restaurant serving locally sourced fresh food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Tree House Cafe is a popular place to hang out for cool atmosphere, cocktails and live music (and yes there is a tree growing in the middle of it). Moby's Pub is also a great place to go for a drink and to take in the view of the harbor. 


Fall Centerpieces for sale at Salt Spring Market

What To Do:

The Salt Spring Market is a must. Every Saturday from April-October the market takes place in Ganges from 9-4.  It features local produce, cheeses, home-made condiments, arts and crafts, clothing, jewelry and more. Even famous local children's entertainer, Raffi, sometimes mans a booth selling his CD's and books!

If you have a car you can take a couple of hours and drive around the island. The roads are narrow and winding and take you through the forest, fields and coastline. You can stop at one of the many beaches along the coast or one of the lakes for a walk or swim. 
You can check out the other shops and restaurants at the other ferry terminals of Fulford Harbour and Vesuvius. There are also vineyards, farms and artisans along the way that are interesting to see. Note that many of them are closed on Saturday since they are selling their goods at the market. 

Interested in Exploring Other Gulf Islands? Check out these articles

Weekend on Pender Island

Kayaking on Mayne Island, B.C.

A Weekend on Galiano Island, B.C.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Ultimate One Week Iceland Road Trip Itinerary: Explore the Best of Iceland in 7 Days

This summer my daughters and I did an epic one week road trip to Iceland! This is a destination I had wanted to go to for a long time - and finally, the stars aligned, and we were able to make it happen!  As we only had one week in August, and travelling east from Vancouver meant losing a day, we decided to focus on the southwest area of Iceland so we could spend less time driving and more time sightseeing. Here is our itinerary!                   Starting our Iceland Road trip Adventure! Day One - Arrival and Reykjavik   We arrived at Keflavik International at 7am. We rented a car from the airport -  you really can’t  get around Iceland without one unless you do guided tours.  Almo was at the airport but very busy. We upscaled our insurance to include ash/sand damage, even though we planned to stick to highways, there were a few areas that warranted it!  We also opted for a  wifi plug-in for an ex...

What Can You Do To About Climate Change If You Like To Travel?

You love to travel and you do it any chance you get.  In fact, you've just booked your fourth trip this year! But, now you're feeling guilty with all the talk about climate change. You know that long haul flights are one of the most costly activities (carbon wise) you can do. So, what should you do? Cancel travelling altogether? Let's explore some alternative ideas. Travelling By Airplane Personally, I get a little irked when influencers, travel bloggers and musicians who are well travelled are now jumping on the band wagon and saying they are no longer travelling by plane and want everyone to do the same. I'm like, you had your chance, it's my turn!  No one denies the benefits of travelling by plane. Since 1914, the first commercial flight, people have had more opportunity to connect with others in the world than ever before. Previously, travel was done by boat, trains or horse (before the motor-car and bus) which meant it would take a long time to...

Shopping Tips On Your Alaska Cruise

One of the first things I noticed on my Alaska cruise were the advertisements for shopping in Skagway, our first stop. There were pamphlets handed out, lectures you could go to, and coupons for "free charms" from specific jewelry stores in the port.  "I didn't know buying diamonds in Alaska was a thing," I said to my boyfriend and not as a hint:) Cruise Ship Sponsored Stores What I didn't know, as this was my first ever cruise, was that cruise ship sponsored stores, mainly selling jewelry and luxury goods, are set up in each port.  Diamond International/Tanzanite International is an example of one of these stores with over 130 locations in cruise ports throughout North America and three stores in Alaska specifically. I heard so many people on the cruise, mainly women, excitedly talking about the jewelry they bought. "Such a good deal!"  The shops are purposely set up near the cruise terminals to take advantage of the disposa...