You think there is nothing to do on Lopez Island? I do not think so.! I just love it here. Lopez Island is in the middle of the San Juan Islands. The truth is if you want to go somewhere just to escape, this is the place to go. A map of where it is, and the island are shown below. Located in the middle of the San Juan Islands, the best way to situate yourself to locate it in your mind is to understand that Seattle, WA is about 90 miles south, Victoria, BC is about 25 miles west, and Vancouver, BC is about 50 miles to the north.
To get to Lopez Island, you can fly there on Kenmore Air in a seaplane from downtown Seattle. Kenmore Airlines flies from Lake Union in downtown Seattle. You can get a free shuttle service from Kenmore Air from the Seattle – Tacoma airport (SEA) if you make arrangements in advance with Kenmore Air. You can also drive to Lopez Island, and catch a ferry in Anacortes, WA, or Sydney, BC. For those that do not want to drive, there is a shuttle bus from SEA to Anacortes. I do not know if the shuttle bus goes to the ferry in Anacortes or not, but it not, it would only be a short taxi ride to the ferry. If you charter / rent a boat (many people do), it is only a 3 or 4 hour transit from Anacortes (this is where most people would rent their boat).
I started coming here in 1981 when I rented a boat with a buddy and toured around the island. On that trip I met a girl at that Islander Resort, and danced the evening away with her before going back to sleep on the boat. I forgot to get or phone number, or whatever, so that was the end of that. In 1982 I came back with my new girlfriend Julie. We sailed around all the islands, and we were still talking at the end of the trip. Since 2001, I have been back here every year except for 2005.
A more detailed map of Lopez Island is shown below. Ferry stops occur on the very north of the island. The ferry landing is where cars and back packers / hikers arrive and leave. Seaplane landings are made in Fisherman’s Bay. Loading and unloading of the seaplane occurs at Islander Resort. Boaters arriving at the island that want to use marina facilities would also arrive and leave from Fisherman Bay. Anchoring can be down around the island also.
Kayakers sometimes arrive from other islands is they are the islands by kayak. While a crossing can to the San Juan islands from either British Columbia or the mainland USA, it would be done across open water, and should only be tried by those very familiar with this form of travel. The waters between British Columbia or the mainland USA can be quite rough and should only be performed by experienced persons
So where is there to do at Lopez Island? Biking, hiking, kayaking by tour or solo, island hopping, whale watching, or other things are available. The thing to realize about Lopez Island is that if you do not know how to entertain yourself, you will not like this place, but if you like outdoor activities, like to watch the birds fly by, enjoy just being outside in a beautiful place, smelling the roses, or are comfortable laying back doing nothing, you will love it here.
There are a couple of other things you should consider. Cell phone coverage is not the best. WiFi is available at many places around the island and should not be too hard to find.
Here are a few views from Lopez Island.
Early morning at the marina from our boat
Walking past another marina on the way to breakfast
Walking on the road to nowhere, but who cares?
Eating outside at Bucky’s Grill looking towards the marina
Seeing a heron on the walk back to the boat.
I hope that you enjoyed my brief description of Lopez Island, and decide to visit this wonderful place someday.
