Saltspring Island

(a full day trip)

The most populated of the Southern Gulf Islands, Salt Spring Island is a short 35 minute ferry rideView of Sltspring Island from Swartz Bay and invites a day-trip. While a quiet island inhabited by artists, artisans and entrepreneurs in the winter, it comes alive in the summer with tourists seeking civilised nature.

Ferries leave every 1.5 hrs from Swartz Bay (the end of #17/Blanshard) and crossing time is 35 minutes, arriving at the southern tip of the island, Fulford Harbour. A twenty minute drive takes you through pastoral land and artists' studios to Ganges, the main town and harbour on the island. This west coast village provides the staples for locals, the artists' craft for visitors and pleasant views of a working harbour. Several restaurants offer good food.


Island Map

As well as browsing the many small shops or walking the coast, you may wish to drive up Mt. Maxwell (left off the Fulford-Ganges Rd. just south of Ganges) for a great view of the Straits, the island, and Vancouver Island.

An alternative route of return is a 20 minute ferry ride from Vesuvius (10 minutes north of Ganges) to Crofton, from which you can drive north on #1 to Chemainus to see the Murals or south, over the Malahat Pass to Victoria, and back to Scholefield House.

Tour map

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