There is plenty to see and do on Gabriola Island! Book a B&B, a hotel room or bring your tent. You''re going to need a few days to discover Gabriola! Here are some ideas to ponder...
Go to an art opening or artist studio
Watch for notices of gallery open houses in the local newspaper or check the Chamber of Commerce events listing. For more information on our specific artists visit the Artisan section of the Chamber of Commerce website or the Gabriola Arts Council website.
Chamber member artisans are generally open all year long so do visit them
Karen Curry Studio
Tied up & Dyed
Earth Fire and Tears Pottery
Earth Garden Photography
Dogoda Wooden Creations
Glassworks & Anvil Art
Illuminati Glassworks
Indian Summer Leather Design
Sheila Norgate
Slice of Life Gallery & Gift Shop/Little Bites
Three Herons Studio
Dine on delicious food at a choice of restaurants
Try Robert's Place, Silva Bay Restaurant/Pub, The Skol, Raspberry's Jazz Cafe, or pick something up at the deli in Village Foods located at Folklife Village.
Go to a live concert
Whether it is Jam Nite at the Skol Pub or a concert at The Haven, dinner music at Silva Bay, Community Hall, jazz at Raspberry's Jazz Cafe, or at one of our theatres, there is no shortage of entertainment on Gabriola. Check out local bulletin boards, The Chamber Events page and the local newspaper for event notices.
Visit a garden nursery
Stop off at Wild Rose Garden Centre for all your gardening needs. You'll also find they have a delightful selection of gift items for the home and garden.
Attend a theatre production
Gabriola boosts several theatre groups, including Bells & Whistles which runs out of the Gabriola Theatre Centre and Gabriola Players. The Gabriola Arts Council also sponsors the Gabriola Theatre Festival, three days of fabulous and diverse entertainment in August.
Kayak with seals and playful sea otters
If you don't have your own kayak there are several kayak rental establishments on Gabriola. And if you would like a guided tour they will be able to help you. For more information visit Casa Blanca B&B and Kayak Rentals, Gabriola Sea Kayaking, Silva Bay Kayak Adventures or call Jim's Kayaking. The Visitor Centre has loads of info on places to launch.
Build a sand castle
There are loads of beaches including Gabriola Sands Provincial Park (or Twin Beaches, as the locals call it), or Sandwell Provincial Park. The Whalebone area is a narrow exposed stretch of sandy shoreline on the northern shore of the island, perfect for sandcastle building, but also offering peaceful walks and an opportunity to see seals and shorebirds.
Spot eagles on a beach combing expedition
A drive along South Road in the El Verano area is a great place to look for eagles, but they are, of course, everywhere. The Whalebone area is another popular spot.
See deer on a hike or bike ride through acres of quiet trails
The 707 Community Park offers some great bicycle riding/walking trails. But you don't need to visit a park to see deer... they are around every corner so drive carefully. A cycling ride around Gabriola Island is about 27 km long, if you do the North/South Roads circle route. Stop off at Brickyard Beach or the local government dock found down at the end of Degnen Bay Road. The sheltered enclave at Silva Bay is a popular stopover for marine traffic in summer and a good place to wet your whistle. Silva Bay also has public restrooms.
Swim and scuba dive
The best swimming beaches are Gabriola Sands Provincial Park, Descanso Bay Regional Park and Sandwell Provincial Park. With over 30 beach access point around the island there is no shortage of places to "jump in".
Access Diving can help you with all your scuba diving needs. The natural and artificial reefs around Gabriola Island boast some of the best marine life diving on British Columbia's coast. Gabriola Pass and Dodd Narrows are two of the most popular drift dive locations. Breakwater Island and Rogers Reef include over 200 marine species, including resident Wolf Eels and Octopus.
Keep an eye out for the wildlife
For whale watching, the waters off Sandwell Provincial Park and Berry Point are likely your best bet during the whale migration season. Gabriola offers an abundance of wildlife, including resident and transient killer whales, sea lions, seals, otters and bald eagles.
Play soccer, tennis, volleyball or baseball, or dance or... the list is endless
The programs tab of the Gabriola Recreation Society website offers everything from dance to bellydancing, from soccer to beekeeping lessons to basketball. Check out local newspapers and bulletin boards for more.
Go to the museum
The Gabriola Museum tells the story Gabriola; the petroglyphs carved by its aboriginal inhabitants; its discovery by Spanish explorers; later settlement by European immigrants; its climate, plants and animals. Their website is a great place for linformation on everything from Brickyard Beach to Gabriola Sandstone Quarries to petroglyphs to the history of the Entrance Island Lighthouse.
Go fishing
Don't forget your license. Recreational fishing licenses can be purchased online. One of the best places to begin your fishing trip is is from Silva Bay at the south end of Gabriola Island. The nearby Flat Top Islands are a guaranteed hotspot to mooch for salmon. It's hard to keep a secret. You can tell where the fish are biting by looking to see where boats are congregating. Silver Blue Charters, Go Fish Charters, and Hasta Manana Charters can help you plan your perfect fishing trip.
Go sailing
Take a 1/2 or day long cruise and relax with Island Cruises, Island Cruises Sailing Adventures offers a local waters tour (approx. 4 hrs.), day sails and custom trips which can include a cottage retreat rental on Ruxton Island .
Experience the natural beauty and unique character of the Gulf islands aboard the “ Santa Isabella “ a classic westcoast 35’ sailboat .
Birders, photographers,artists, individuals and families all delight in the special features and close experience of the island lifestyle on these tours.
Sip a latte at a local cafe
Raspberry's Jazz Cafe offers great lattes and outdoor seating and is the perfect place to meet up or people watch. Located in Folklife Village.
Check out the sandstone formations
Perhaps the most amazing limestone formation on the Gulf Islands is located just south of the beach and picnic grounds at Gabriola Sands Provincial Park. This grassy, open, breezy location on Taylor and Pilot Bays is rather unique on the islands for its manicured ambiance. It's an easy 1.2-mile (2-km) jaunt from the ferry dock at Descanso Bay to the park along Taylor Bay Road.
Walk the beach at Taylor Bay to the limestone formations called the Malaspina Galleries, carved by surf and frost. An easier approach to them from the park is via Malaspina Drive, which leads east off Taylor Bay Road. A trail leads from the drive's end to Malaspina Point and the Galleries. Exploration of the seaside formations is due to the deteriorating stability of the overhanging formations and concerns for public safety. At low tide, visitors can still stand on the foreshore at one end and look into the cavern, but the best way to view the Malaspina Galleries is by kayak.
Play a round of golf
The island is served by a challenging nine-hole golf course overlooking Hoggan Lake. Gabriola Island Golf & Country Club offers a full service clubhouse that always welcomes non-members.
Check out the Farmers' Markets
The farmer's market runs from May long-weekend to Thanksgiving at the Agi Hall. Another at Silva Bay also runs periodically during the summer months.
Visit the local library
Picnic on a beach
Feed an alpaca
Perfect for all ages, a stop at the Paradise Island Alpaca Farm is sure to delight. They also have four miniature horses and sell free range eggs. Their shoppe sells alpaca products, a great stop for a one of a kind gift item. Check our their website for more information.
Shop for treasures at GIRO
The Gabriola Island Recycling Organization is open on Saturdays and Wednesdays.
Relax
Clean, green, scenic and relaxed, Gabriola Island is a tonic for body and soul. It's also a naturally inviting setting for physical, mental and spiritual therapies including massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, yoga, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, acupressure and alternate therapies.
Have a massage, call Brent G Hair and Spa.
Tim Bruns at Island of Peace Yoga brings the best that yoga has to offer from the east and the west. From the East, classes and workshops are offered in the experiential science of yoga as handed down through the 5000 year old, unbroken yoga lineage of the Himalayan Tradition. And from the West, hatha yoga classes are offered in the style of B.K.S. Iyengar. The studio is fully equipped with props to allow each student to have a safe, full experience. Private therapeutic yoga sessions are also available.
For much more on Gabriola Island please visit HelloBC.