A Lavish Weekend Escape to Salt Spring Island
Small in size but big on good taste, Salt Spring Island offers the kind of weekend escape that lingers in memory long after you’ve left.
Arbutus View Thermal Spa
The largest of B.C.’s Gulf Islands—affectionately called “Salty” by locals—manages to charm even the most discerning traveller while holding fast to its small-town soul. Days here unfold at an easy pace: locally roasted coffee in hand, browsing farmstands for fresh produce and cut flowers, and winding down in the island’s myriad wineries, cideries, and craft breweries.
Here’s how to spend a weekend indulging in the island’s best.
Arbutus View Thermal Spa
Saturday Morning: Market and Spa
Start at the Salt Spring Saturday Market, a fixture since the 1970s. More than 100 stalls brim with top-quality seasonal produce, artisan breads, and handmade wares from Salt Spring and neighbouring Gulf Islands. Arrive early to snag the best finds and dodge the midday crowds.
After filling your basket, head north to Arbutus View Thermal Spa, a new hilltop luxury wellness retreat. Run by Michaela and Simon Cunningham, it’s designed to immerse guests in nature without compromising comfort. Two outdoor private hot-cold circuits await: a traditional Nordic sequence with cedar sauna and hot tub, and a “Salish” version with an infrared sauna.
Stay nearby: Treat yourself to Hastings House, a 2023 and 2024 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice award winner set on 22 acres of oceanfront gardens in a Sussex-style manor house.
Arbutus View Thermal Spa
Saturday Afternoon: Gourmet Bites and Art
Refuel at Merchant Mews, a pocket of gourmet gems on the northern outskirts of Ganges. Join the queue at Francis Bread for heritage-grain loaves, pastries, and sandwiches, or grab picnic-ready meals from The Woodshed. For a sweet finish, Mavericks churns playful small-batch ice creams, bars, and sandwiches. Before leaving, stop at SaltSpring Kitchen Co. for edible souvenirs—think inventive jams, Cowichan Valley cheeses, and Salt Spring Sea Salt, Canada’s only fleur de sel.
Next, dive into the island’s powerhouse art scene. With one of the highest concentrations of artists in the country, Salt Spring has earned a reputation for knowing—and showing—great art. The Salt Spring National Art Prize, held each fall, is one of Canada’s most prestigious contemporary art competitions.
Year-round, you can chart your own self-guided art gallery hop. If you’re serious about buying, Gallery 8, helmed by owner and curator Razali May, champions high-end contemporary work, while its sister gallery Coast celebrates Canadian landscapes and nature-inspired pieces.
Saturday Evening: Feast
Dinner at Feast is nonnegotiable. Chef-owner Rochelle Roy-Allen—also behind the family-run farm The Hen and Hound—takes farm-to-table to new heights, personally visiting island farms daily to shape the menu. The share platters for two to four diners showcase peak-season bounty. On summer nights, the summer seafood bake is a revelation: whole Dungeness crab, plump mussels, buttery scallops, smoky chorizo, tender new potatoes, sweet peppers, and corn on the cob, finished with herb vinaigrette.
Stay nearby: Mariner’s Loft in Ganges offers stylish suites with harbour views, making it a comfortable base in the heart of town.
Sunday Morning: Shops and Strolls
Begin with a leisurely browse in Ganges. At Pod Contemporary, find chic European-inspired fashion and fine art. Around the corner, Folk Stock & Trade curates Canadian-made homewares, high-end skin-care products, and locally made favourites like Saltspring Soapworks. Across the street, Salt Spring Goods leans trendier, with graphic tees, beachwear from Left On Friday, and playful island gear.
Sunday Afternoon: Wine and Cider
No Salt Spring weekend is complete without a tasting or two. Start at Vivezza Vineyard, the island’s newest winery from industry veterans Corinna Nolan and Paul Troop. Their low-intervention wines, crafted from rare piwi grape varieties, balance European finesse with Pacific Northwest character and have already earned international press from the likes of The New York Times.
Then continue to Kutatás Wines, famed for its orange wine (often snapped up by Vancouver’s top restaurants). Settle in with a bottle and one of the charcuterie boards on the vineyard’s picnic-friendly grounds.
Finally, toast the weekend at Salt Spring Wild Cider, where fruit from wild and heritage orchards is transformed into inventive blends—like salted pineapple perry, bitter orange rosemary, or saskatoon berry—alongside classics such as a crisp dry scrumpy.
Stay nearby: For something more rustic, try the oceanfront boutique yurt at TheHen and Hound, for a final night under the stars.
Getting There
Salt Spring is a simple 90-minute direct ferry from Tsawwassen, but for maximum island time, hop a seaplane and rent a car locally. Local operators like Seair Seaplanes depart from downtown Vancouver and land in Ganges Harbour in just 20 minutes, with accessibly priced fares.
