Salt Spring Island _ an escape from Vancouver
Artisan boutiques and organic farms set to the scents of lavender welcome folk to Salt Spring Island. The largest of the Southern Gulf Islands and a hub of free-thinking, creative Vancouverites for decades, it's a pretty little enclave in the Strait of Georgia. You can spend trips wandering its low mountain passes between Douglas firs and craggy rocks. You can do literary workshops with local writers. You can go New Age with a spirituality retreat. You can shop in hearty farmers markers. Or you can simply unwind and relax in Salt Spring Island vacation rentals, overlooking the sleepy harbors.
Art and nature in Salt Spring Island
The well-known Artist Studio Tour is the best way to check off the multitude of independent art galleries and workshops that pepper the island. It takes in over 30 stops, offering a menagerie of sculpture works, portraiture and even cheese making. Salt Spring Island vacation rentals are also a perfect base for exploring the wild beauty of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. Kayaks or private boat hires can get you out there _ a patchwork of lanky Douglas firs and rugged cliffs, where whales can sometimes be spotted from the lookouts.
Salt Spring Island is a great place to be outdoors
The great outdoors has never looked as good. Take things at a leisurely pace on the island’s beaches where, after soaking up the sun, you can enjoy spectacular sunsets before heading back to the comfort of your Salt Spring Island vacation rental. Yoga in the park is another popular pastime as are kayak excursions in the calm waters that surround Ganges Marina. Pick up the pace by taking on a stretch of 100 kilometers plus of trails on the island. Options range from the gentle flats at Duck Creek Park to the strenuous terrain of the Burgoyne Bay - Boulder Field Trail.
Summers beckon in Salt Spring Island
Salt Spring Island's great outdoors is best enjoyed with sun and dry weather. That can be tricky to come by in the Pacific Northwest, but is certainly more likely in the summer months between May and September. Booking your Salt Spring Island vacation rental then will also mean you can experience all the seasonal farmers markets, art workshops and hiking trails around the place. The months between March and October also have the best whale watching, just in case you were on the watch for orcas and humpbacks.
Peaks, farms and whale waters in Salt Spring Island
Salt Spring Island fragments off the side of massive Vancouver Island. A taste of the wilds of British Columbia, it's topped with pockets of Douglas fir trees and the occasional craggy mountain, that level out at Bruce Peak and Mount Tuam at over 600 meters up. If you hit the trails to conquer those, you'll pass countless organic farms _ a specialty of Salt Spring _ and handsome harbor towns like Ganges. It's just a short jaunt from the shores to the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, too _ a place of limestone beaches and salt-sprayed rocks, where killer whales are occasional visitors.
Transportation options to and around Salt Spring Island
The nearest airport is in Victoria Intl. Airport (YYJ), located 12.7 mi (20.4 km) from the city center. If you're unable to find a flight that fits your schedule, you can also fly into Victoria, BC (YWH-Victoria Inner Harbour Seaplane Base), which is 27.8 mi (44.8 km) away.