Saturna Island Travel Guide

Introduction

The most remote of the southern Gulf Islands served by ferries, Saturna is both pristine and, compared with its neighbors, mostly vacant -- it has only about 350 residents. Whereas other islands are best described as rural, Saturna is truly wild. It's not surprising that the new Gulf Islands National Park Reserve has its largest presence on Saturna: About half the island is now protected as reserve land.

Served by direct ferries from Swartz Bay and a few indirect sailings from Tsawwassen, Saturna is hard to get to. It's easiest to ferry to Vancouver Island and then back out, or over to Pender Island, which has direct sailings to Saturna. If you are planning to visit all the Gulf Islands, start your journey on Saturna; for reasons that defy logic, it's easier to get away from Saturna by ferry than it is to get to it.

Any visit to Saturna should include a stop at Saturna Island Family Estate Winery (tel. 877/918-3388 or 250/539-3521), a small, well-established winery in an...