Explore and experience Gulf Islands National Park Reserve and the remarkable marine wilderness of the Salish Sea and Southern Gulf Islands Archipelago. Through interpretive beach and forest walks, marine mammal viewing, sailing, and sea kayaking, you’ll gain first-hand insight into this remarkable region, all while enjoying luxurious accommodation and wonderful meals prepared by our chef featuring local, seasonal foods and wines – a highlight in this wine region.

The unique Mediterranean climate of the Gulf Islands features lush Douglas fir and arbutus forests and pockets of the endangered Gary Oak ecosystem, and is home to more plant species than any other terrestrial ecosystem in British Columbia. The forests here are alive with the calls, croons, and singing of eagles, ravens, and migratory songbirds. The marine wildlife here is equally impressive. Purple starfish, lemon nudibranchs, and giant green anemones colour the rocky shores, and seals and sea lions patrol kelp forests in search of their next meal, and ever vigilant for the transient and Southern Resident killer whales that inhabit these waters. As we sail through this archipelago, pods of porpoises frequently speed over to swim along side or surf our bow wave.

It’s no wonder that Coast Salish First Nations have lived among these islands for thousands of years. Shell middens – mounds of discarded clam and mussel shells and other shellfish, fish bones, and mammal bones – are ubiquitous features of the beaches and forests here, testament to the large numbers of Indigenous people that once thrived among these island ecosystems. In 2003, the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve was established to safeguard large portions of this ecologically and culturally sensitive region.