Our Top Things to Do on Salt Spring Island
It’s summer, which means it’s prime tourist season here on Salt Spring Island. As many people make their way to our little corner of paradise in the Salish Sea, we wanted to share our favourite places to visit and things to do on the island…other than visiting Salt Spring Coffee’s Ganges Café & Kitchen, of course.
We asked our co-founders Mickey and Robbyn, their daughter Metta and their grandkids as well as our kitchen manager Ryan for the best recommendations for visitors of all ages to Salt Spring Island. Here they are:
1. Do a farm stand tour and have an oceanside picnic
The island boasts a wide variety of farmers and producers selling all sorts of things from fresh vegetables and fruits to meats, cheese and baked goods. Metta recommends visiting a few and then taking your provisions to Ruckle Provincial Park for a scenic picnic by the sea.
2. Take in the local arts scene
Salt Spring Island is home to a number of talented artists and artisans. A great way to get a taste of the local arts scene is to visit ArtSpring for a show or exhibition. After you’re done, you can walk over to Salt Spring Coffee’s Ganges Café & Kitchen to see more works from local artists displayed inside. The artwork featured changes regularly and includes pieces from established and emerging artists as well as from youth and special-needs groups.
3. Go for a walk in the park
There are a number of scenic walks on Salt Spring Island, but some of our favourites have to be the Daffodil Trail in Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park and the walking trails in Mouat Park. Plus, if you grow weary of walking by the spring flowers, babbling brooks and berry patches in Mouat Park, you can always challenge your friends to a round of disc golf.
4. Go camping
There’s no better way to enjoy the natural beauty of Salt Spring Island than to set up camp at one of the campgrounds on the island. Garden Faire Campground is connected by walking trails to nearby Mouat Park while Mowhinna Creek Campground is within walking distance of Ganges – making it perfect for those morning coffee runs to Salt Spring Coffee’s Ganges Café & Kitchen.
5. Take in a mountain vista
The Mount Maxwell Park Lookout offers impressive views of Salt Spring and neighbouring islands. To get there, you can drive up to the top or hike up from Burgoyne Bay.
6. Go cider tasting
The island is home to two great cideries, Salt Spring Wild Cider House and Ciderworks. Located only four kilometres from each other, you can easily hop on your bike and do a cider crawl. Salt Spring Wild Cider House also has an on-site restaurant in case you would like to grab a bite to eat in between sips.