Although a visit to Salt Spring Island is not a back country trip, it certainly can be a camping trip with outdoor activities (including hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding). It is one of the many islands in the vicinity of Vancouver Island, BC that is worth a visit – with its own character and charm.
Where to stay:
There are several resorts, bed and breakfasts and cottages on Salt Spring Island, however, many of these can be somewhat pricey. The other option is camping, which if you’re on a budget, might be the best choice.
We stayed at Mowhinna Creek campground, which was one of the nicest and neatest campgrounds I have ever stayed at. I would absolutely recommend this place! The kind lady at reception was incredibly welcoming and we were greeted by our first names when we arrived. The sites are all spaced far apart with lots of trees and mini wooden fences separating them so you have your own little area and don’t feel like you’re surrounded by people. There is a lot of space to set up a tent (and when you book they ask how big your tent is or if you have a trailer, etc). The sites have water, power, and even a garbage can, as well pre-positioned hooks in the trees for ease of tarp hanging. The outhouses are super cool – from the outside it looks like a typical outhouse – but then you walk in to find there is electricity (so you get light) and a nice clean real flush toilet. It is a relatively small campground so not too many crowds or loud people. The staff take diligent care making sure it stays clean. There are coin operated showers too – 1$ for 3 minutes – but super clean and well maintained and have warm water. The campground is centrally located about a 1.5 km from the town of Ganges (and totally walk-able). There is also a playground located centrally near the check in building. I recommend this as a place to stay and would stay here again!
My Salt Spring Island favourites:
Salt Spring Island Ales:
Very quaint and neat little brewery with excellent beer. It is the only brewery on the island. The staff are super friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming. There is small little area outside with pick nick tables where you can sit and enjoy your beer. My personal favourite was the Apple Belgain seasonal, though the Earl Grey IPA and the Summer Kolsch were also rather tasty. I walked away with a Growler of the Apple Belgian. If you’re a beer fan, this is a place for you to stop by and visit!
Salt Spring Wild Cider House
I highly recommend a visit to this wonderful cidery. Located near Ganges in a beautiful setting, you can taste some original ciders while enjoying a lovely view. The staff is very welcoming and happy to chat about their cider. The elderberry/flower cider was probably my favourite! I ended up a with a bottle of that as well as their pear and dry apple. I found their ciders to be just right – not to dry, and not to sweet!
Salt Spring Shine
This new and cute little distillery is located not far off the Fulford-Ganges Road, between Ganges and Salt Spring Island Ales. Look for the sign! We visited it just as we were en route to the ferry – and good thing we did. The owner distills his own vodka and gin – but not from grains, but rather from honey! This results in a smooth drink that doesn’t burn! The owner offered a free tasting and I’m happy to report that both the vodka and the gin are great! Salt Spring Shine just opened in January, and their website is not up and running, but they are definitely worth a visit!
The Glass Foundry
One of the coolest places on the island, in my opinion. The owner makes all the glass dishes and decorations and earrings himself, and everything is made from recycled glass (I think that was my favourite part) right there (in the room next to the shop). The pieces are original are lovely. I ended up getting a glass sea star candle holder as well as 3 pairs of earrings. Both the owner and the staff member were kind, welcoming, and knowledgeable. Definitely worth a visit!
Sacred Mountain Lavender
A beautiful little lavender farm. I had never been to a lavender farm before so we decided to check it out. The farm has beautiful lavender fields and a little shop where you can buy things like hand creams and teas and other products made with lavender. Even if you don’t buy anything, it is worth a visit and walk down to the gorgeous lavender fields. Beware the bees though! They love lavender. That said, they stayed away from me as I walked past – they were much into the lavender.
Salt Spring Island Cheese Company:
If you like goat cheese, definitely a place to visit. Awesome goat milk gelato! (And for those who think they don’t like goat
milk/goat cheese, you can’t tell the difference – it tastes just like regular gelato). Also, it’s probably the best gelato/ice cream on the island in my opinion. There is a little shop as well as a café where you buy coffee, pizza, and other snacks including cheese cake made from goat cheese. You can take a walk around to see the goats and find out about the process of making cheese. There are also sheep and chickens. The little shop gives you the chance to try all the different cheeses they make, so you can figure out what you like before buying. (I personally quite like the feta cheese and the herb and garlic goat cheese). And I have to say, the animals are super cute!
Garry Oaks Winery
There are 3 wineries on the island. Two are between Fulford Harbour (where you get off the ferry) and Ganges, just a few minutes drive from Fulford Harbour, on the left-hand side (next to each other). The first of these is Garry Oaks. Very warm reception (warmest of all three vineyards), very small and quaint, and very good wine. (I bought their Gewürztraminer). This was my favourite winery on the island. Salt Spring Island Vineyards is almost next door. It has beautiful grounds and gardens, with little tables all around and a gazebo where live music was being played when we got there. However, it was much busier than Garry Oaks and I preferred the wine at Garry Oaks, but the lovely grounds definitely warrant a visit. The third winery is Mistaken Identity, located just outside of Ganges and not far from the Salt Spring Wild Cider House. The reception and atmosphere was the least warm of all three wineries. (Although there were very few people we waited for quite a while before anyone even said “Hello, we’ll be with you in a minute”.) The wine, however, is pretty good, so still worth checking out.
Saturday Market:
A lively and busy place that seems to draw both the local and the tourist crowds, but definitely worth a visit. You can find all sorts of local products, from freshly baked breads and other tasty treats to cheese from Salt Spring Cheese factory, products from the lavender farm, various art pieces including glass blowing art, paintings, wood carvings, clothes etc.
I always enjoy checking out local products and art. The market is right by the water overlooking Ganges Harbour, providing a beautiful view. As well, it gives one the opportunity to sample many of the local food products.
Harlan’s Chocolate and Gelato:
A tasty gelato and chocolate place if you need some dessert! They have some great flavours of home made Italian gelato.
Where to eat:
Rock Salts Restaurant and Café
This wonderful little restaurant in Fulford Harbour has both excellent food and excellent service. We ate here on our last day, just before catching the ferry, and my husband and I both decided it was the best meal we had since getting to Salt Spring Island a couple days earlier. We shared the yam burrito and the yam quesadilla – and both were awesome. The service was timely, and the staff very friendly, the food was great and not too pricy. I would definitely recommend this place and eat her again!
Tree House Café
Well known to both tourists and locals, and a place that has been around for years, the Tree House café is located in Ganges and is another great restaurant that offers excellent and original food at reasonable prices (under 20$ for all their burgers, sandwiches, salads, most entrees). As there were many delicious options on the menu, it was hard to pick, but certainly the burger my husband had as well as the lamb gyros I had were great. I was particularly impressed by the lamb, as it is not often one finds lamb that has the right spices and the right tenderness. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and the evenings one can enjoy the pleasure of live music while enjoying one’s meal. The drink selection is also quite good (particularly their cocktails). I had eaten here a number of years ago and was happy to see that it’s still a great place.
Saltspring Wok Bar
If you’re looking for a quick tasty meal that won’t break the bank, the Salt Spring Island Wok Bar is a good little place. It’s tiny, with 4 tables outside. It’s basically Thai food to go, but is very good, and the service is great. Note, that on Google maps it is still referred to as Salt Spring Island Noodle Bar and Curry House (they changed their name), so don’t let that confuse you.
Barb’s Bakery and Bistro
Unfortunately, this was closed when we tried to go there on the long weekend, so I didn’t have the chance to try it. However, my husband had been there before and quite enjoyed it. He was disappointed we couldn’t stop in this time. The menu looks awesome so I hope to try it next time!
Enjoy the outdoors:
Beaver Point in Ruckle Provincial Park:
Beautiful little park offering some nice ocean views and a path to walk around, as well as many ocean-front pick nick tables to have lunch. We were here on the august long weekend, and I was surprised to see that while there were several people enjoying the park, it was not overly crowded and there were quite a few free pick nick tables. Some folks were just sitting on the rocks or on a bench reading or just enjoying the view. If you’re looking for a nice walk, then Beaver Point is worth a visit.
Vesuvius Beach:
A lovely place for a swim during the day as well as a great place to watch the sunset in the evening, as it is on the west side of the island, off Sunset Drive, named thusly for a reason. During the day, the beach was rather crowded (keeping in mind that it was the August long weekend), but in the evening, when we went to watch the sunset, there was almost nobody there. The beach was nice and peaceful and gave me the opportunity to take some nice photos. The water was calm, offering a wonderful place to kayak of paddle board, or even go for a swim.
Mount Maxwell:
If you’re looking for a hike and some beautiful views, take a drive up Cranberry Road to Mount Maxwell. Cranberry Road is right across from Mowhinna Creek Campground and there’s signs for it off the Fulford-Ganges Road. Several kilometers up, you’ll find a place where you can park, and various trails taking you to view points. The trails aren’t overly difficult, but they make for a great morning walk and definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for a bit of exercise and some nice views. As we walked along, we came across some people mountain biking on the trails as well. To read more about Mount Maxwell hiking, click here.
St Mary’s Lake:
Large lake in the center of Salt Spring Island, offering a good place for swimming, and stand up paddle boarding. It was recommended by Island Escapades (an outdoor gear shop that offers equipment rentals and various kayaking tours), when we asked for a place for stand-up paddle boarding, I imagine because it is the largest lake on the island. Unfortunately, there are not too many public access points. The easiest public access point is a small beach on the east side of the lake. It was rather crowded space when we went (again, it was also the August long weekend), and doesn’t offer a lot of space if there are many people. That said, the lake is large, calm, and pretty, and certainly great spot for kayaking or paddle boarding.
Getting to Salt Spring Island
By car: We drove to Swartz Bay ferry terminal from Victoria and followed the signs for Gulf Island and Salt Spring Island. The ferry ride costs approx. 60$ for one car and two people. (this includes both ways as you only pay going from Victoria to Salt Spring).
Alternatively, you can have someone drop you off and walk on, or take a bus from downtown Victoria to the ferry terminal, walk on, and then take a bus from the ferry terminal on the other side into the town of Ganges.
If you’re coming from further up north on Vancouver Island, you can also catch a ferry from Crofton (about 70km north of Victoria) into Vesuvius Bay on Salt Spring Island.
Click here for ferry times and schedules
Getting Around:
I would say that having a car is the most efficient way to get around the island to all the various places you my want to explore. While the island is not huge, it is about 27 km in length across and takes about 20 minutes to drive from Fulford harbour to the town of Ganges. And then from there, to get to the northern tip of the island is about another 10-15 min drive. Having your car allows to explore the island at your own leisure, and to more easily visit all the above-mentioned cool spots that the island has to offer.