The largest of the BC Gulf Islands is a short ferry ride away from Victoria. Salt Spring Island is full of artists, eagles, ex-hippies, kayakers, ravens, and B&B’s. Like all of the Gulf Islands, activities around Salt Spring center on the outdoors and the colorful residents. Salt Spring is great for a day trip or a week’s vacation. While on the Island be sure to:
- Go hiking At Ruckle Provincial Park - This coastal park has over 7 km of shoreline trails that are perfect for combining a day of seal, otter, sea lion, sail boat, and ferry watching with hiking. The paths wind through rocky headlands, deep coves, grassy fields, and lush forests. The park is a great place to go explore tide pools and is home to a working farm. Ruckle Park has 86 mostly walk-in camp spaces along the water. To get there, drive 10 km east from the Fulford Harbour ferry terminal along Beaver Point Road.
- Hang out in Ganges – The largest town on Salt Spring, Ganges (so named because the HMS Ganges was stationed there between 1857 and 1861) is filled with bakeries, coffee houses, art galleries, restaurants, ice cream shops and all the other things you might expect to find on a tourist-driven island. A great place to sit outside and sip a cup of coffee is at the Tree House Cafe (250.537.5379 / 106 Purvis Lane), which has live music most nights in the summer.
- Kayak to Wallace Island – the Gulf Islands are home to some of the best sea kayaking in the world and Salt Spring has its share of paddling jewels. One of these is nearby Wallace Island, which is a Provincial Marine Park. The owners of Andale Kayaking (250-537-0700 / 1484 North Beach Road) - a father and son team - are super friendly and very knowledgeable. They will take you on a three hour tour of the marine park and they also rent kayaks and all the other gear you’ll need to go on your own.
- Check out the view from Mount Maxwell – Mount Maxwell rises 588 meters (1,929 feet) from the nearby sea and it’s summit is the highest point on Salt Spring Island. From the top, there are panoramic views of Vancouver Island, the Southern Gulf Islands and the mainland. You can hike to the summit along 6 km of trails, or, if you’re running low on energy, you can drive to the top. To reach Mount Maxwell from the Fulford Harbour ferry terminal, head north on the Fulford Ganges Road to Cranberry Road. Turn left at the junction with Mount Maxwell Road and continue on the rough road to the park.
- Look for live sand dollars – Sand dollars, being Echinoderms, are closely related to sea urchins. When alive, they are covered with a purplish-black fuzz of spines. You can often find live (and dead) sand dollars near the Fernwood Dock in the north section of the island. Be careful where you walk and be sure to let the live ones live on to old age in peace. And, please, no jokes about exchange rates.
To get to Salt Spring, drive north 30 km from Victoria on Highway 17 to the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal, following the sign for Gulf Islands. The ferry ride takes about 35 minutes to reach Fulford Harbor on Salt Spring. Be sure to check with BC Ferries for current schedules and fares. As with all BC Ferries, arrive early because the ferries often fill up.
A good map of the island can be found here
