Downshift on this groovy Gulf Island, just a 35-minute seaplane ride from the city. Here, artist studios abound, as do makers of artisanal food and beverages. Classic stops include the summertime Saturday Market, the Blue Horse Folk Art Gallery, and the farmstead tasting room at Salt Spring Island Cheese. Hikers can get their fix at Ruckle, a lovely provincial park with 4.3 miles of coves, tide pools, and rocky headlands, while scuba divers can drift offshore, admiring octopuses and lacy fields of plumose anemones. No car? No problem. The islands have a designated hitchhiking program; just wait for a pickup at the “Car Stop” signs.
More Recommendations
Visit the Saturday Market on Salt Spring Island
Experience a slice of Southern Gulf Island life on Salt Spring, which you can reach by ferry or floatplane from downtown Vancouver. The largest of the Gulf Islands, Salt Spring is a hotbed of artists and artisans who you can meet at their fantastic Saturday market which runs from Easter weekend through till the last week in October. You can pick up delicious Jersey milk cheeses from Moonstuck, hand-made soaps from the Saltspring Soapworks and try and find some of the superb coffee from Mt. Maxwell who roast their beans in a yurt up the mountain! You don’t even need to worry about having transport on Salt Spring as they have a very cool rideshare programme in place across the island, just wait at the Car Stop signs and usually someone will be along to pick you up.
