VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 206

frittata for breakfast, tuna melt on sourdough at lunch, or roasted yam quesadilla in the
evening. Live music on summer evenings adds to the charm.
Information
Salt Spring Island Visitor Centre (121 Lower Ganges Rd., 250/537-5252 or 866/
216-2936, www.saltspringtoday.com , 9am-5pm daily in summer, 11am-3pm daily the rest
of the year) is in downtown Ganges, on the main road above the marina.
Getting There
Salt Spring has two ferry terminals with year-round service to two points on Vancouver Is-
land. If you're traveling up from Victoria, the Swartz Bay terminal is the most convenient
departure point, with 10-12 departures daily for Fulford Harbour, a 20-minute drive south
of Ganges. Sailings are even more frequent on the 20-minute run between Crofton, near the
Vancouver Island town of Duncan, and Vesuvius Bay, at the island's north end. Inter-island
ferries depart from a third terminal, at Long Harbour, east of Ganges.
From the mainland, sailings depart the Tsawwassen terminal (south of downtown Van-
couver) bound for Long Harbour. Direct sailings take 80 minutes, while those that make
stops at other Gulf Islands take up to three hours—so check a timetable before boarding.
THE PENDERS
It's just a short hop by ferry from Salt Spring Island to Otter Bay on North Pender Island.
Originally, North and South Pender Islands were joined, but around 100 years ago a canal
was dredged between the two as a shipping channel. Today, a rickety wooden bridge forms
the link. Between them, the two islands are home to around 2,000 people, most of whom
live on North Pender. The island has dozens of little beaches to explore, with public roads
providing ocean access at more than 20 points. One of the nicest spots is Hamilton Beach
on Browning Harbour.
Accommodations and Camping
The island's premier accommodation is the Oceanside Inn (4230 Armadale Rd., 5 kilo-
meters/3.1 miles from the ferry terminal, 250/629-6691 or 800/601-3284,
www.penderisland.com , $150-200 s or d, May-Oct.). Each room is elegantly furnished, and
a wide balcony takes advantage of the waterfront location. Rates include a delicious cooked
breakfast, use of an outdoor hot tub, and small luxuries such as fluffy bathrobes.
The least expensive way to enjoy an overnight stay on North Pender Island is to camp at
Prior Centennial Campground (mid-May-mid-Oct., $17), a unit of Gulf Islands National