Gulf Islands

Summary of the major Gulf Islands in British Columbia, CA.

My Real Estate Office in Salt Spring

My office is in a 1912 restored character building, at the corner of Lower Ganges and Rainbow Roads, in the heart of the seaside Village of Ganges, on Salt Spring Island.

Right across from the Ganges Marina, the Boardwalk, and the marine park area, I get a great Harbour view, and can watch all the boats coming and going to the two Harbour marinas. Some incredible yachts tie up, here!

salt spring island real estate

salt spring island real estate

I have parking behind, off Rainbow Road, with shade trees in case your dog is along, and you’re leaving your pet in your car.

The entrance to my office is on the side of the building, off a spacious deck, and there’s a lovely lawn area there, too…sometimes, my office moves out to the picnic table in the middle of the lawn, especially in the high summer season…so nice!

It’s a relaxed ambiance, with a definite seaside flair, and easy access off the main road…walk ins are welcome!

This is a branch office of the main Whistler based company, and is definitely a Salt Spring Island / Southern Gulf Islands office.

If you find yourself on Salt Spring, please drop in and say hello. Free maps, real estate information, tips on places to go & to enjoy, while you’re on Island…look forward to meeting you!

Salt Spring Island Restaurants, Inns & Coffee

Salt Spring Island Restaurants

House Piccolo: a stellar dining experience, for dinner, located in Ganges Village. Locals and visitors alike call this “Salt Spring’s best
restaurant”. Certainly a place for celebrations! Open for dinner.

Calvin’s Bistro: oceanside deck, for summer al fresco dining pleasures, and Harbour views. Great food, terrific service, menu highlights plus regular menu choices, and enjoyed by locals and visitors alike! Open for lunch and dinner.

Harbour House Hotel open for breakfast and lunch, daily, and for dinner, in the off season, on Friday (live music), Saturday, Sunday. Open for dinner, nightly, in the summer season.

Hastings House a part of the Small Hotels of the World group, and with an award winning kitchen, this has to be on your list for those very special occasions.A view down Ganges Harbour is also a part of the ambiance. Open between April and November, for dinner: this is a not to be missed experience.

Bocados Bistro in Grace Point Square. Totally reconfigured space, formerly the Artist’s Bistro, this gem enjoys al fresco patio dining in the summer season…like traveling to Italy! Open for dinner.

Marketplace Cafe one of the newest dining choices on Salt Spring, and open for lunch and dinner, the Marketplace is located in Harbour Centre (formerly Gasoline Alley). Lots of specials, and also regular menu choices. A great addition to the dining scene! Open for lunch and dinner.

Market Place Cafe

Market Place Café

Treehouse Cafe recently “enclosed“, this well known summer location is now “year round”. Yes, live music is still on the menu, too! Breakfast and lunch, in the “off season”, and dinner, too, in the summer season.

Salt Spring Inn in the heart of Ganges Village, and with accomodation above the restaurant. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, daily.

Raven Street Market Cafe close to the Fernwood Dock, and with great soups and woodfired pizza. Take out or eat in. Your “north end” choice!

Golden Island Restaurant: eat in or take out…great Chinese cuisine choices! A local’s favourite!

Seaside Kitchen across from Vesuvius ferry parking lot, with an oceanside deck for summer al fresco dining pleasures…open for lunch and
for dinner. Best fish and chips, according to the Islanders!

Rock Salt Cafe at Fulford Village, adjacent to ferry terminal parking lot. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…an award winning kitchen!

Rendezvous Cafe across from Moby’s and from Salt Spring Marina. An authentic French bakery…coffee and pastry delights: take out or eat in. Quiche, tomato tarts, savoury cheese items, plus delectable pastries. Make sure your next birthday cake comes from here. Christmas Yule Logs, too!

Cafe Talia on Hereford Street…best cappucino in town! Lots of
treats…open from 9 to 4, Monday to Saturday. Closed Sunday.

TJ Beans coffee house with the best viewing deck on the Island! Corner of McPhillips Avenue and Lower Ganges Roads.

Salt Spring Coffee

Salt Spring Coffee

Salt Spring Roasting Company home made delights, soups, coffees, teas. On McPhillips Avenue.

Jana’s Bakeshop: on Lower Ganges Road, at Upper Village. Coffee, teas, goodies.

Embe Bakery: coffee, teas, home made delights…the pies!

Dagwood’s: on Lower Ganges Road, in Upper Village. A Salt Spring
tradition: breakfast and lunch.

Eternal dream of the mariner (or drifter?)

I love the photos from Florida, and the Gulf Coast, and Southern California, and even off to Austrailia’s Gold Coast…endless sweeps of sandy beach, for what seem like miles!

Mariner's Cross

Mariner's Cross

That’s not the kind of beach we get in the Southern Gulf Islands, though.

Sometimes, it’s crushed shell and sand tiny coves, sometimes it’s a shingle beach, smooth pebbles, a somewhat larger cove, sometimes it’s sandstone, shelving from exposed smooth rock into deep water….you’d have to travel to Vancouver Island’s west side, to enjoy the long ribbons of wonderful sand, or to parts of the east side of Vancouver Island.

The interesting thing about the Southern Gulf Islands is that they allow for great sailing waters, idling between the various islands, and even extending into the adjacent U.S. San Juans grouping.

With the coves and the mix of beach and deep water foreshore, it allows for docks. Ah…the eternal dream of the mariner…to keep one’s boat at home!

It seems that in the few Paciific Northwest Coast areas that mimic the Florida sweeps of beach, the trade off is beachcombing versus dock/moorage for a boater.

Surfer's Paradise

Surfer's Paradise

It’s two kinds of waterfront seekers, always, it seems….those who like to “walk for miles” on a sandy beach and those who want to create a dock/moorage for their yacht, and would prefer that deep water aspect.

And you are what kind of waterfront seeker???

Salt Spring Island Real Estate | Oceanfront Paradise for sale

Salt Spring Island Real Estate and Island Living

… it truly is for sale.

SaltSpringIsland.org writes:

Nearby Galiano Island is longer but sparsely populated with only about a thousand permanent residents. Galiano, Mayne and Pender Islands (North & South) are closer to Vancouver and the mainland than Salt Spring Island. Prevost Island is located between Salt Spring and Active Pass, which separates Galiano and Mayne Islands. There are also scores of smaller islands throughout the Southern Gulf Islands. To the south of BC’s Gulf Islands are the San Juan Islands in Washington State. They are very similar to the Southern Gulf Islands

Back to real estate on Salt Spring. A description that is actually apropos for a property of that of a section of real estate… Mayne Island is truly an Oceanfront Paradise.

Mayne Island’s tranquility. A sunny pristine oceanfront paradise, featuring a private 64.12 acres, that encompasses a beautiful point of land (all of St. John Point is encompassed, here). Enjoy several sandy & sweeping bays & crushed shell coves, and walk your own forest trails. Old Growth forest here.

salt spring island old growth forest

Old Growth Forest | Salt Spring Island Real Estate

Exposures are East | South | West, for excellent all day and all year sun exposure. The very private property features rocky knolls, forest preserves with private hiking trails, an old growth forest enclave, Arbutus and Garry Oak groves, sunny meadow areas, & an historic orchard.

The family, with environmental natures, have respected the land, and it is minimally developed (there is an original older cottage structure, in the meadow/orchard area, plus a well, and the truly valuable aspect is the untouched nature of the land).

Originally one of the Japanese holdings on Mayne Island, this property has been enjoyed as a family retreat, as is, by current owners, since the early 1950’s. It remains in a very pristine state. The family, with environmental natures, have respected the land, and it is minimally developed (there is an original older cottage structure, in the meadow/orchard area, plus a well, and the truly valuable aspect is the untouched nature of the land). This is the very best oceanfront acreage available in the Southern Gulf Islands, and may offer potential for some subdivision. It has the capacity to be kept as a private family compound or create a corporate retreat, or, investigate the subdivision potential of this wonderful oceanfront acreage. It encompasses all of St. John Point, and the view panorama is expansive. Close to Horton Bay (year round moorage), and with sweeping panoramic vistas, this property truly has it all…even Milton might have considered it to be found.

Gossip Island

Gossip Island

Gossip Island is located beside Galiano Island, in the open Georgia Strait, just outside the entrance to Active Pass. Gossip Island is divided into about 45 oceanfront lots, most of which are on a

community water system.
Power and telephone are available on the island. There is a shared dock, and a wildlife preserve in the middle of the island.

Salt Spring Island season of charms

Check out the byline by Peter Vincent in this week’s Driftwood — online version, too. Peter’s comments and concerns are well expressed, as to the power of the Island’s Trust. A thoughtful article. It’s vital that we all bring our reasonable selves to the dialogue of what’s best for the preservation of the Island lifestyle we all treasure so. Don’t overlook this thoughtful and reasoned perspective.

Catch my live radio show tomorrow, Monday, and again on Wednesday, 7 to 9 a.m. (Pacific Time), at 107.9 fm (streaming audio at: www.cfsi-fm.com) — music, musings, interviews! (Check out the podcasts of previous interviews at: www.liread.com/radio.htm) — All Things Salt Spring!

Carol Haigh’s latest work is currently presented at Steffich Fine Art Gallery in Grace Point Square — wow! Amazing artist….

Tumbling Sea by Carol Haigh

Tumbling Sea by Carol Haigh

Last day to enjoy the Work Boats display in the Harbour — some gems, here! Love the restored tugs…

Storm Watch season has begun on Vancouver Island’s wild west coast — Tofino and Uclulet welcome you for this!

Evening classes beginning in October; so important to feed the mind, too. What is it you would like to learn, to do? Do it!

Victoria and Vancouver Opera Seasons starting up if you are able to spend the night in the city.

Or breakfast at thr Harbour House Hotel, with the view out Ganges Harbour, all the way to the San Juans, awaits…

Fall pleasures, as the Island eases into its off season charms…