The beautiful Bowen Island offers a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of city life with its peaceful outdoor activities and stunning natural sights. Enjoying the calm waters with a kayak or boat trip or taking a walk through the mountainous terrain is the perfect way to relax, while the selection of shops and cafés make it a great place to explore and enjoy a drink.
The wide range of outdoor opportunities in Bowen Island makes it a favourite with nature lovers. Much of the island’s attractions revolve around water activities including kayaking, surfing, boat trips and swimming. In addition to this, hiking and mountain biking are popular and make for an excellent way to experience the stunning natural beauty of Bowen Island up close.
The most popular way to get to Bowen Island is by boat which takes around 20 minutes, leaving from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Snug Cove. Visitors to the island can either get there on foot or take their vehicle onto the ferry. Once on Bowen Island, there is a local bus service that runs throughout the island for those looking without a vehicle. Those arriving in the area by plane can land at the nearby Vancouver International Airport which is only 12 kilometres from the centre of Vancouver and journey onwards from there.
The Squamish people originally occupied Bowen Island, and it grew to become a popular tourism destination in the mid-20th century, while it is also known for being the home of many of Canada’s most prominent artists in the 1940s and 1950s. The island has a relatively modest population of 3,402 residents, but this number rises during the popular summer period as many visitors flock to the island.