Saturna Island
The view from Mount Warburton Pike on Saturna
Hikers enjoy the views from East Point
POPULATION: 325
FERRY TERMINAL: Lyall Harbour
TOURIST INFO: Pick up a Saturna Island Tourism Association brochure
Saturna Island, a landscape of forests, bluffs and long empty beaches, is quiet, remote and a little tricky to get to - but islanders like it like that.
The least known of the Gulf Islands (and, some say, the area's most closely held secret), Saturna is thin on population but rich in scenery, with forests, sandstone cliffs, grassy ridges, wetlands, reefs and beaches covering its scant 12 square miles. The island is also well protected - almost half of it is now part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.
As Michael Vautour, a 10-year resident and the hospitality manager at the Saturna Island Family Estate Winery, puts it: "As far as the Gulf Islands go, Saturna is the last frontier. And since about 40 per cent of the island is now park, it's not being built up. It's there to be enjoyed."
Some of the easiest places to enjoy the island include Winter Cove, part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve near the Lyall Harbour ferry terminal, where an easy trail winds through the forest and along the shore. Mount Warburton Pike, named for a 19th-century explorer, is, at 397 metres (1,303 feet) the island's highest point. You can drive, hike or even cycle to the grassy ridge at the top. From there, you can spot eagles and falcons and enjoy long views across the Gulf and San Juan islands. The newest addition to the park is East Point, at the island's easternmost tip. The sandstone cliffs here are a great spot to watch for marine wildlife and sea birds, including sea lions, seals, otters, orca, deer, feral goats, bald eagles and the more than 180 other bird species that thrive on, and around, the island.
Cyclists: some of the hills will give your gears a workout, but there's little danger of traffic. You will have to bring your own bike, though, as there are no rentals on the island.
Kayak rentals are available through Saturna Sea Kayaking. They also offer tours of the island's shoreline. For a swim, check out East Point Beach or Thomson Park.
But it's not all about the outdoors. Saturna, despite its tiny population, has a thriving art scene, with several studios and galleries open to the public and a Saturday market during the summer.
Saturna is also home to one of the Gulf Islands' most established wineries. Saturna Island Family Estate Winery, tucked between sandstone cliffs and the ocean on the island's southern shore, has a tasting room, wine shop, seasonal bistro and 60 acres of vines overlooking the sea. A quintessential Gulf Islands experience is to enjoy a summertime lunch at the bistro while savouring the long views over the vineyards and across to the San Juan Islands. You can even come by sea and moor near the vineyards. If you're here in September, join in the harvest celebration.
A visit to Saturna takes a little planning. Accommodations are varied, but limited, so reservations are recommended. There are currently no drive-in campsites on the island, though there are now seven walk-in backcountry sites at Narvaez Bay. Saturna has a pub, cafˇ, ATM, gas pump and a general store - all clustered near the Lyall Harbour ferry terminal - but no bank or pharmacy.
The island also has regular B.C. Ferries service, though most journeys require a transfer at Mayne Island. Float plane and water taxi service is also available.
Alternatively, you can join the flotilla of recreational boaters that flock to Saturna's Winter Cove each July 1 for the island's biggest annual event: the Canada Day Lamb Barbecue. This local picnic and party draws visitors from all over the Gulf Islands and nearby mainland and is the main fundraising event for a range of Saturna's community services, from the ambulance to the school.
July 1 is the one time of year that Saturna could be called busy. Any other day, this tiny island earns its reputation as the Gulf Islands' final frontier.
- Sue Kernaghan