The beautiful San Juan Islands, an archipelago located in Northwest Washington, are beyond beautiful and offer so much for any Adventurer who loves the outdoors. The San Juan Islands comprises to over 172 named islands and rocks but only the 4 major islands are accessible by passenger ferry: San Juan, Orcas, Shaw, and Lopez Island. We visited two of the most popular islands: Orcas and San Juan, for a total of 4 days and 3 nights. In this post we will cover everything you need to eat and do when visiting these stunning islands!
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Transportation
Since there are no bridges that go all the way to the islands you only have a few options to get to experience them.
- Washington State Ferry: This is the most popular route and departs year-round from Anacortes, Washington. This helps connect the stateside to the islands. Also something we found interesting is that they have seasonal routes available to Sydney, Vancouver Island, Canada to help you explore beautiful Victoria, Canada. Click here for the Washington State Ferry Route Map. The fares for the ferry vary depending on what island you are going to and if it’s Peak Season or not (May 1st thru September 30th). The base fare for a standard car and driver was about $34.15-$48.65 (Peak=$46.00-$65.60) plus adding $13.50 per passenger in the vehicle other than the driver. Prices include round trip fares between Anacortes and the San Juan Islands. Reservations are encouraged to secure a spot on the ferry in the Peak Season or American Holidays. If you plan to visit just between the San Juan Islands, on foot, you can travel for free. For more information about fares click here.
- Airplanes: It is also possible to visit the San Juan Islands by air. With smaller planes you can make your way to the islands faster and in style. You can choose from scheduled service, charters, or seaplanes. Flights can be scheduled to go from as far as Vancouver, Canada or Portland, Oregon to as close as Seattle or Anacortes, Washington. The airline that offers scheduled daily service is San Juan Airlines between the islands, Anacortes, Bellingham, and Point Roberts. You can also find charter airlines that can be flexible with your schedule like Westwind Aviation, Point To Point Air, and NorthStar Air. If you want an amazing experience check out a few seaplane airlines that fly to the San Juan Islands like Friday Harbor Seaplanes and Kenmore Air. You will also be able to schedule flying tours of the islands and enjoy different experiences with each carrier.
Accommodations
- The Heart House: We looked at VRBOs (vacation rental by owner) to find the perfect place to stay and we are so glad that we found this place! It was absolutely perfect for our needs. It has 3 bedrooms (2 with king size beds and 1 with a pull out sofa), 2 bathrooms, a fully stocked gourmet kitchen, a spacious living room, a washer and dryer, a hot tub and one of the absolute best things-the breathtaking view from the back deck. For 3 nights we paid $894, so roughly $298 a night. More than we are usually willing to spend on a place to stay, but given we were traveling with another couple, that certainly helped. Plus, the house was so convenient to a lot of things to do on the island.
Orcas Island
With stunning views of the ocean and the lush green landscape, this horseshoe-shaped island is the largest of the San Juan Islands. Now we had to do our research on this next part because there is so much history on the discovery of this island. Surprisingly, it did not get it’s name from the Orca (killer whale) as many people think, but instead is shortened from the word Horcasitas. Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo, the Viceroy of Mexico, sent an exploration expedition of the Pacific Northwest in 1791. Francisco de Eliza explored part of the San Juan Islands and did not name Orcas Island this name specifically but part of the archipelago. Then, in 1847, a British naval officer and explorer, Henry Kellett named it Orcas Island in order to eliminate the patriotic name of Hull Island that it was given prior.
To-Do
There is so much to do on this island that it is nearly impossible to do it all! Below is what we did on the Island in our time spent here, during the off-season. Depending on when you travel, there are different things to do. You can also check out the list of things to do, recommended by the San Juan Visitor’s Bureau.
- Moran State Park: With this state park being the 4th largest in Washington state, it takes up over 5,000 acres of land on Orcas Island. There is anything from camping, fishing, and hiking.
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- Mount Constitution: the highest point of Orcas Island, has amazing views and this is something we were looking forward to doing when we were there. If you are lucky enough to get to do this, don’t miss it! Unfortunately, for all the days we were there, the road leading up to Mount Constitution was closed. We called to find out why and there was some weather that lead to snow and it was potentially dangerous for people to travel up there. There is always next time though!
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- Hiking-Cascade Lake Loop: Although Mount Constitution was closed, we still had the opportunity to do some hiking in the park.
Cascade Lake Loop was a very mild hiking trail with beautiful views of the Cascade Lake. The trail was a bit muddy from the rain though so make sure you are wearing the proper footwear. This trail is open year-round so there are no worries with finding a good time to come here!
- Browse through the adorable shops and boutiques of Eastsound: There are so many unique shops around Eastsound that are definitely worth stopping by. They are all owned and run by the locals so you are giving back to the community at the same time! Here is our list of shops that we especially loved!
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- Art of the Salish Sea: This shop has so many unique things to buy that scream Orcas Island. You can get anything from shirts, hoodies, neckties to kitchen towels, ornaments, paintings, and jewelry.
You will definitely want to check this store out for some good souvenirs that would make great gifts!
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- Darvill’s Bookstore: This cozy bookstore has a lovely view of the water and houses hundreds of books, with a multitude of different genres to chose from.
They also serve coffee and pastries. We could have spent all day here, just drinking coffee and browsing through their selection. We finally settled upon a really cool travel book (of course).
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- Printshop: We were searching for a good shirt to buy that reflected Orcas Island but did not scream “tourist”. We decided to check out this store and we are so glad we did!
It had the exact thing we were looking for and we could all get what we wanted. Printshop has a number of different original prints that you can chose from and add to a garment.
We each chose to get a short sleeved shirt with a different design on it. The shirts are very soft and comfortable and this was definitely a great souvenir that we can put to good use! It is also really cool to watch them print your design on your shirt right then and there.
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- Pelindaba Lavender: If you love all things lavender, make sure to stop here! They have anything from personal care (lotions, shampoo, etc.), therapeutic items (essential oils, aromatherapy animals, etc.), and floral decor to beautiful jewelry, lovely scented candles, and artwork. All of their hand-crafted lavender products come from their farm located on the San Juan Island. As you can imagine, it smells wonderful inside and the soap that we purchased is great quality!
- Stroll along Crescent Beach: Although we wouldn’t think of walking barefoot along this rocky beach, it is a nice walk that overlooks Ship Bay. If you are looking to just relax and take in the beauty of the sea, even on a colder, windier day, this is something that we would recommend. Also, there is a trail that leads inland along the Woodland Trail, through a forest, wetland, and orchard, if you are feeling more adventurous.
- Note: During the warmer season, you can rent a kayak. There was a place right across from the beach called Crescent Beach Kayak Rentals.
Food
- Brown Bear Baking: For our first morning on the island, we knew we had to head over to/ Brown Bear Baking. They are well know for having some of the best artisanal handcrafted pastries and bread.
With so many options we opted to get 4 different kind of pastries and breakfast items which were Paim Aux Jambon (Ham and Swiss Cheese Croissant), Salmon Quiche, Croissant Pomme (Buttery Croissant with Fresh Apples), and the Orange Morning Bun.
All of the pastries melted in our mouths, they were so tasty. They also have coffee, tea, and juices to go along with your pastries. We enjoyed the friendly smiles and the yummy food so much we made sure to come two days in a row! The total bill was around $30.00 each time we visited.
- Island Skillet: Another great breakfast place we made sure to visit on Orcas Island is Island Skillet.
They have a variety of different breakfast items but the best thing on the menu is their breakfast burrito! The burritos are very delicious and some of the biggest ones we have ever seen!
It comes with scrambled eggs, hash browns, your choice of meat, cheese, and you can also add on extras such as avocado, sour cream, etc. Jonah got some hot chocolate and it was alright, not the best he has ever had. It all came out to about $30.
- The White Horse Pub: This Irish/American style pub is located in Eastsound and has some fantastic views and the food makes it very enjoyable as well. After a long day of traveling and riding ferries we were ready to get some snacks and drinks.
We both shared some traditional Pub Style Fish & Chips, which were delicious. The Cod was fresh and our chips were perfectly cooked. The portion size was definitely large enough for two people to share.
To go along with our snack, Jonah got a Rotating Nitro Beer and Sierra got a Cinnamon Mixed Drink (Great for a cold day)! The total bill was around $30.00.
- Acapulco Mexican Restaurant: When you think of Eastsound, Washington and Orcas Island you don’t really think of Mexican food. Well Acapulco Mexican Restaurant blew our expectations and delivered!
Once we walked into the small quiet restaurant, we were greeted by a friendly lady who treated us like we were eating at her home. She brought us water along with some chips and salsa which tasted very good.
We ordered Guacamole to go along with the chips and salsa and two Beef Burritos for our meals. We both enjoyed our Beef Burrito, which was covered in a Red Chile Sauce and Sour Cream. With Acapulco Mexican Restaurant being closer to Canada then Mexico it was definitely a step above any other Mexican food restaurant that far North in the United States! The total bill was around $35.00.
- Island Market: Now we normally don’t mention supermarkets in our food section, but we visited this market several times throughout our stay to buy food for our dinners so we did think it was worth mentioning. Since we had a kitchen, we wanted to take advantage of that to the fullest and make all of our dinners at home. To our surprise, this market had everything that we needed! It was fully stocked, well maintained, and run by friendly people. Another great thing about this store is that is family owned and operated. Since we always prefer to support the locals, this was awesome!
- Kathryn Taylor Chocolates: Before we left Orcas Island, there was one place we knew we had to try! Kathryn Taylor Chocolates has some of the best hot chocolate we have EVER had and you really should try some if you get the opportunity.
If we didn’t already love Orcas Island, we would honestly go back just for this hot chocolate. We got the Traditional European Drinking Chocolate, with milk and for the type of cocoa, Ecuador. As it says on the menu, it had hints of citrus and florals and it was just heaven in a cup!
Since they also specialize in chocolate making, we decided to try a few chocolates and picked out the Scotch Caramel and Malbec. Both were delicious but the Scotch Caramel was the favorite of the two. The hot chocolate that we shared and the 2 chocolates came out to $16. Some may think that is expensive, but it was definitely worth the price for us!
- Clever Cow Creamery: We all love ice cream, especially when it is all natural and served with a smile! This adorable little shop serves local, fresh ice cream in a multitude of flavors.
You can get a scoop (or two) in a cup, 3 different types of cones, in a sundae, or a milkshake. They also serve other food items during the months of September-May, that include soup, paninis, steak dogs, and bratwurst.
Given that we were only there for the ice cream, we got the moose tracks and strawberry ice cream and they were both very good. It cost $9 for both of us.
San Juan Island
Even though San Juan comes second to Orcas Island in it’s size, it is the most populated island of the San Juan Islands. Friday Harbor is the hub of the island, the walkable, most known area. The Island got it’s name very similar to how Orcas Island was named. The exploration in 1791 by Francisco de Eliza, lead to the Island being named Isla y Archiepelago de San Juan to honor Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo, the Viceroy of Mexico, who sent him on the expedition.
Since we only had one day to spend on the Island, there is not nearly as much information as what we have for Orcas Island….guess you will have to visit and fill us in!
To-Do
If you have a car and are more adventurous, there is definitely more to see and do. We did not want to pay to shuttle our car back and forth on the ferry, so we just walked around the historic town of Friday Harbor. That being said, it was still a full day of fun on the Island!
- Browse through the many shops along Spring Street: This street leads from the ferry area, through the town and has many different shops, galleries, and boutique stores.
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- The Gourmet’s Galley: This was an especially cool shop, carrying a variety of specialty foods and cookware. Inside you can find a collection of imported goods, including candy, coffee, tea, etc. There are also some neat items that were not food related. We purchased a really cool sign. The person running the register was very friendly!
Food
- Salty Fox Coffee: When we got off our early morning ferry to Friday Harbor, we needed something to kick start our day. Straight off the ferry landing, we saw Salty Fox Coffee. We both opted to get White Hot Chocolate and it was delicious! The Salty Fox offers a range of different coffees and café snacks. The total bill was around $7.00.
- Cask & Schooner: After walking around all day in Friday Harbor, we had to find a place to eat lunch and we saw Cask & Schooner, a cozy Public House and Restaurant. This place was perfect for what we were wanting on a rainy day.
Close to the ferry, since we were leaving in a few hours and just a very warm and inviting restaurant. It even had a fireplace right next to our table!
We had the shepherd’s pie and the cod fish and chips. They were both very good dishes that left us full and satisfied. Since we also ordered a few drinks, the meal came out to around $50.
- San Juan Coffee Roasting Co: Although it was a chilly day, we really felt like some ice cream (call us crazy!) and it being the slow season, it was not too easy to find somewhere open that served ice cream. Thankfully on the way back to the ferry, we ran into San Juan Coffee Roasting Co. and they not only serve coffee, but some delicious ice cream as well! They serve Cascade Glacier, an ice cream made in the Northwest. We tried the Rocky Road and Huckleberry Heaven, which totaled to around $9 (worth every penny).
We would absolutely love to return to the San Juan Islands and do more exploring of them, maybe during the prime season when all of the whales are out and there is opportunity for kayaking. The people were so friendly, the food was amazing, and we found so many things we just had to buy, let’s just say we went over our budget for souvenirs. We guarantee that you will love these gorgeous Islands just as much as we did!
**Special Thanks to the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau for their wonderful suggestions and generous help!**
You two make all of this so interesting that people should really want to go. You do a wonderful job describing everything.
Thank you very much!!
You did a great job with this post – so much information and advice on where to go and what to do…the San Juans are so much fun to visit! We are glad we could help – but you ran with it!
Thank you very much, Shannon! We agree, they are very special! We very much appreciate all of the help!