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Where to stay around Gulf Islands, CA?
Our 2019 property listings offer a large selection of 713 vacation rentals near Gulf Islands. From 358 Houses to 113 Condos/Apartments, find a unique house rental for you to enjoy a memorable stay with your family and friends. The best places to stay near Gulf Islands for a holiday or a weekend are on VRBO.
What are the most popular destinations to visit in Gulf Islands?
There are many lovely places to stay for a holiday trip or just for a weekend in Gulf Islands. From VRBO travelers, the top most popular destinations to visit are:
- United States: 598,118 vacation rentals
- Victoria: 1,077 vacation rentals
- Vancouver: 1,397 vacation rentals
- Washington: 11,023 vacation rentals
- Friday Harbor: 335 vacation rentals
And VRBO offers you the chance to discover many other popular destinations in Gulf Islands! Please use our search bar to access the selection of vacation rentals available in other popular destinations.
What are the main cities to discover in Gulf Islands?
Whether you're traveling with family or friends, here are the cities with the largest selection of vacation rentals for a holiday trip or just for a weekend in Gulf Islands:
- Victoria: 1,077 rentals
- Vancouver: 1,397 rentals
- Friday Harbor: 335 rentals
- Eastsound: 443 rentals
- Parksville: 232 rentals
For other cities, please use our search bar to access the selection of vacation rentals available.
Can I find easy-access vacation rentals when traveling by plane to Gulf Islands?
Yes of course. Our owners offer a large selection of vacation rentals near airports. The airports with a large selection of vacation rentals in Gulf Islands are:
- Orcas Island Airport (ESD): 668 vacation rentals
- Vancouver International Airport (YVR): 1,712 vacation rentals
- Duncan, BC (DUQ): 346 vacation rentals
For other airports, please use our search bar to access the selection of vacation rentals available.
Escaping reality in the Gulf Islands
Fragmenting from the edge of Vancouver Island into the icy Strait of Georgia, the Gulf Islands are like Canada's answer to the San Juan archipelago of the US. Untrodden and remote, they are a great place to go to escape the fray of city living. There's rock-ribbed Pender Island with its patches of rainforest and solitary trails. There's Saturna Island, the unexpected home of gourmet fine-dining. There's Galiano Island, dressed in meadows and peppered with mountain lookouts. And then there's Salt Spring Island with its Douglas firs, limestone beaches and cozy Gulf Islands vacation rentals.
Getting away from it all in the Gulf Islands
A vacation to the Gulf Islands is all about getting away from it all. The towns are all small and quaint, with just a few enticing restaurants _ some even run by celebrity chefs. The backcountry, meanwhile, is wild and untrodden. You'll be able to kayak into empty coves, cycle old mining routes around the headlands, and gawp across the cobalt-blue Strait of Georgia. You'll also be able to join local writing and art workshops, enjoy yoga sessions on secluded bays and shop in summer farmers markets in the harbor villages.
Art, history and nature in the Gulf Islands
Historical journeys in this archipelago are easy if you've bagged a Gulf Islands vacation rental on Mayne. That old haunt of miners and prospectors now has the Miners Bay Building on Active Pass, where the exhibits unravel the story of the prospectors who once called the rock their home. Literary heritage and artistic travels are best done over on Salt Spring Island, where the ArtSpring center offers regularly changing shows. For a taste of the great outdoors, the Gulf Islands National Park can't be beaten _ it's got stony shores and fir forests and more.
Gulf Islands _ warming up for the visitors
Canada's Gulf Islands are an enticing prospect for much of the year. The bulk of travelers starts to come when things begin to warm up in spring. That's around May, and sees the coves peppered with sea kayakers and the forests bloom with wildflowers. Summer is the most popular of all seasons, though _ you'll catch farmers markets, art workshops and excellent hiking conditions between June and August. Others look for Gulf Islands vacation rentals in fall, when fewer people are on the trails and the weather can still remain pleasant.
The gorgeous Gulf Islands
The Gulf Islands sit out in the chilly currents of the Strait of Georgia, between the city of Vancouver and Vancouver Island. They are protected by the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve on their southern end, which is a patchwork of all the natural wonders you'd expect of the region _ Douglas fir groves spilling into the sea, limestone beaches dotted with pine trees and rugged cliffs that shoot straight out of the water. Mountain passes and meadows, woodland and grassy valleys form the backcountry, creating a true walkers' paradise.