Masters of the paddling arts rate Salt Spring Island alongside Ucluelet (home of the Broken Group Islands) as the finest kayaking experience on Canada's west coast.
Highlight Routes
The sheltered waters of Ganges Harbour are perfect for short daytrips. The 135km/83mi of coastline invite leisurely exploration from numerous launch points dotted around the island (Southey Point, Ruckle Park and Beddis Beach included) And overnight and longer expeditions let one glide amidst the islands, islets and reefs that comprise the magnificent Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.
Kayak Rentals, Lessons & Tours
Kayaks strapped atop rooftop carriers are common sights aboard ferries bound for Salt Spring. For those who travel light, however, a handful of outfitters on the island offer gear rentals, lessons and a variety of short and long-haul group tours. Book in advance, the excursions are popular. Island Escapades' Jack Rosen and his team have been leading group outings from downtown Ganges since 1991. After passing an intial skills assessment, kayakers can sign up for a variety of short, day-long, sunset and moonlight tours departing from the company's beachfront HQ at the foot of the Fulford-Ganges Road.
Beginners are invited to get their paddles wet with private and group lessons in nearby Cusheon Lake. Island Escapades' also offers summertime kayak, leadership and mountaineering camps for young people.
Sea Otter Kayaking and the Salt Spring Adventure Co. also offer rentals and tours. Andale Kayaking just past the Fernwood dock on North Beach Road is ideally located for trips to Wallace Island Marine Park, a half-hour's paddle east towards Galiano Island. The 1930s-era resort that once brought such luminaries as actress Marilyn Monroe to Wallace Island is long gone, but the provincial park's sandstone formations and intertidal life makes it a fascinating destination.
Ganges Harbour
A favorite paddle in Ganges Harbour takes kayakers to Chocolate Beach, a white shell beach ideal for a picnic and peaceful nap in the sun. The island is named for the springtime Chocolate Lillies that grow here. Nearby is Goat Island, a private ecological reserve. Harbour seals, belted kingfishers, cormorants, bald eagles and the occasional mink and river otter are likely to be seen on these harbour trips.
Out to Sea
Salt Spring is a good base for launching overnight and multi-day trips into the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, established in 2003 to protect an area rich in intertidal life and featuring numerous small, uninhabited clumps of tree and rock in the southern Gulf Islands archipelago. Limited camping sites are available on some of these getaway spots – Prevost, D'Arcy and Portland islands included.