Taste of the Gulf Islands

This 3-day cycling tour offers just a sample of what life on the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia is really like. Quiet roads, breathtaking views and laid back style is what this tour is all about. We begin and ends this adventure in Victoria, BC, the “Cycling Capital of Canada”. It uses only the best high-quality bicycles and combines trails, roads, BC Ferries and van escort. We carefully select comfortable accommodation and take care of the lunch and dinner arrangements at some of the best locations in the Pacific Northwest!

Day One (approx 40 kms/ 25 miles) From downtown Victoria, we will ride to the Saanich Peninsula. Along the way we’ll stop at a local winery and cidery for a tour and tasting. Lunch today will be at a local eatery. After lunch we will make our way north to Swartz Bay where will board a BC Ferry to Mayne Island. Mayne, once a Caribou gold-rush stopover (halfway between Vancouver Island and Vancouver’s Fraser River ports) has a colourful history dating back long before early Spanish and British explorers arrived there. When we arrive we have a very short ride to our accommodations for the evening and a delicious dinner.

Day Two (approx. 35 kms/ 22 miles) After Mayne Island Our first stop of the day is at the historic Lighthouse Park at Georgina Point with spectacular views of Active Pass and the Strait of Georgia. We’ll then set out for the Japanese Gardens and after a short stroll through the Gardens we’ll boarding another ferry for a quick 20-minute crossing to the Pender Islands.

Pender Island was just one island but in 1902 a channel was dredged to create a safe passage for steamships, creating the now two islands. It wasn’t until 1955 that a one-lane bridge rejoined the islands; a delay that may account for the noticeable differences between the two islands today. The day’s end brings us to one of the most beautiful harbours in all of BC, Bedwell Harbour and the Poet’s Cove Resort and Spa. We’ll check in, get refreshed and ready for another great dinner and spectacular sunset.

Day Three (approx. 30 km/ 19 miles) After a leisure morning enjoying the property we’ll start with a ferry transfer to Vancouver Island and the Township of Sidney, a quaint seaside town on the north east coast of the Saanich Peninsula. From here we cycle the Lochside Trail which traverses bird sanctuaries, active farmlands, seaside trails and train trestles as it winds its way back to Victoria. and the end of our journey. Incredible views of the Coastal Mountains, including the massive Mount Baker volcano, make for unparalleled vistas.