Its remarkable concentration of artists in every medium extends the invitation. Come shop the galleries and private studios, take in a play or festival and unwind body and soul with a full range of contemporary therapies.
Hiking
Gabriola Island woos and wins hikers' hearts with its gentle trails, beaches and lush forests. Hiking trails transport visitors from one end of the island to the other and back. One of the island's most scenic hikes leads to the Malaspina Galleries.
Cycling
North and South roads loop around opposite sides of the island and converge at Silva Bay. The cyclist's Gabriola becomes a loop of beautiful sandy beaches, sun-dappled forest and panoramic views. The section of deeply forested terrain on North Road is known as "the tunnel." Cool, refreshing and lovely to look at, it's a fave with bikers.
Petroglyphs
Gabriola Island is known in some quarters as Petroglyph Island because of its abundance of ancient rock carvings. Newcomers can literally stumble over petroglyphs on Gabriola Island. Although constantly re-growing cloaks of moss, more than 50 petroglyphs have been unearthed under at Petroglyph Park.
Water Activities
Fishing
Gabriola is one of the top Gulf Island destinations for picking and eating fresh oysters, mussels and clams straight from the beach. Anglers can drop traps for prawns and dungeness crab. Its surrounding waters swim with salmon, lingcod, rock cod, snapper, octopus and other delicacies. Chinook, coho and sockeye salmon are premium catches. Two local charter companies take guests fishing.
Diving
With an under-seascape of reef, wreck, drift and crevice wall dives, Gabriola offers divers diversity. The internationally renowned Gabriola Passage alone boasts astonishingly varied marine life. The kickline consists of rock scallops, lingcod, tiger rockfish, cabezons, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, giant barnacles and the giant Pacific octopus, plus many species of anenomes. Gabriola's High Test Dive Charters offers guided dives to all major sites and for all levels of experience.
Festivals & Events
Thanksgiving Weekend Studio Tour
For more than a dozen years, Gabriola's seminal event has been the Thanksgiving Weekend Studio Tour produced by the Gabriola Arts Council. It runs through the long weekend and involves about 100 island artists. A map brochure guides visitors to more than 40 studios. Artists display masterworks in clay and metal sculpture, jewellery, acrylics, batiks, oils and water colors, photography and stained glass. The route circles the island, but few find time to complete it - which is the best excuse for coming back next year.
Gabriola Theatre Festival
It's no surprise that an island celebrated for its arts community should get around to theatre arts. The Gabriola Theatre Festival in August was an instant hit, selling out before it began on its first season in 2009. Talk about applause. Look for a theatrical range covering comedy, satire, fantasy and drama.
For more information and brochures, head to the Gabriola Island Visitor Centre on Berry Point Road. Proceed cautiously because the turn-off after the ferry terminal is easy to miss.
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