Savary Island: A Guide to Vancouver's Favorite Beach Island Getaway

This guide to Savary Island will take you on a tour of Captain Vancouver's favorite beach island getaway, and show you how to make it your favorite too. 


Vancouver's Favorite Beach Island Getaway Will Be Yours Too

"About sunset we landed and made camp on a fine smooth beach in a situation most desirable and pleasant, which I named Savary's Island" – Captain George Vancouver, July 1, 1792.

Based on the above excerpt from Captain Vancouver's journal, it seems Savary Island has always been a pleasant, picturesque beach getaway from, and for, Vancouver.

And it doesn't seem to have changed much since Captain Vancouver's first "beachside retreat" either. There's still no electricity, nothing but dirt roads, plenty of nature, and, of course, the beaches. Savary is surrounded by beaches. It's more like a sandbar with some trees on it than an island.

Savary isn't like B.C.'s Gulf Islands to the south. It's more, dare we say, tropical. Cap'n Van pretty much said so himself, highlighting it for "having beauty such as we have seldom enjoyed." Plus they say it has the warmest water north of Mexico.

Sound appealing?

If so, here's a guide to Savary Island.

Kim relaxing on south beach on Savary Island
Feel like a castaway on Savary's sunny, expansive South Beach.

How to Get to Savary Island from Vancouver

The good news? Savary Island is only 140 kilometers from Vancouver as the crow flies (see Google Maps).

The bad news? We're not crows.

You have two options to get to Savary: Ferry or Float Plane. Here are the details for both.

silhouette of kim drinking coffee on the ferry heading to savary island
Taking the ferry to Savary may be a lot slower than flying, but the windows are way bigger.

Ferry

  • 0.5 hours – Drive to Horseshoe Bay
  • 0.8 hours – Ferry from Horsehoe Bay to Langdale (see BC Ferries Schedule)
  • 1.3 hours – Drive to Earl's Cove
  • 0.8 hours – Ferry from Earls Cove to Saltery Bay (see BC Ferries Schedule)
  • 1.0 hour – Drive through Powell River and on to Lund
  • 0.2 hours – Water Taxi to Savary Island (see Lund Water Taxi website or Savary Island Ferry for rates and info)
  • (If necessary) – Land taxi from Savary Island wharf to wherever you're staying
  • 4.5 hours total + Ferry wait times. 
bc ferries exterior shot
  • Ferry Tip #1: Save about 20% on your ferries with a BC Ferries Experience Card. Ask for one at the Horseshoe Bay ticket booth. You need to load the card with a minimum of $95, which is fine because the ferries cost more than that ($111.90 for two people and one small car as of August 2018).
  • Ferry Tip #2: If you're coming in your own car, first drive down in front of the water taxi office to drop off your stuff, then go park. There are a couple paid parking lots in Lund (about $10 a day) or you can park for free further up the highway on the side. Park where everyone else is parking to avoid getting towed.
  • Ferry Watch-out #1: If traveling on a weekend in the summer, reserve your ferries.
  • Ferry Watch-out #2: The last Lund water taxi leaves at 6 p.m.
  • Ferry Watch-out #3: Call Lund Water Taxi (604-483-9749) in advance to reserve your spot.
transportation to savary island view from boat arriving at savary
Speeding along on the water taxi with Savary Island on the horizon.

Float Plane

Van City Seaplanes offers flights to Savary Island from Vancouver International Airport's South Terminal (map). They cost $206 each way including taxes.

Corilair also offers chartered flights between the South Terminal and Savary for $329 each way per person plus taxes.

You're only allowed 25 pounds of luggage. Extra luggage is $2 per pound up to 20 pounds.

Getting to Savary From Vancouver Island

Ryan from Way West Water Taxis asked that I mention their services from Campbell River.

Please let me know other alternatives in the comments, and I'll update here accordingly.

Get Your Bearings

If you're like us and like to understand and visualize the lay of the land before you go someplace, these factoids and the map that follows will be helpful.

Understand Savary Island's Geography:

  • Savary Island is 7.5 km long and 0.1 to 0.3 km wide. It takes 1.5 to 2 hours to walk from one end to the other.
  • The wharf for the water taxi from Lund (see: getting to Savary) is on the east end of the Island
  • Approximately 30% of the island is developed, with the east end by the wharf being the most densely populated.
  • Only about 100 people live on Savary full time, but as many 2,000 people share it during peak summer periods.
  • Vancouver Boulevard crosses the entire island, but if you're walking or biking take Savary Island Road to cross the western half. It's no longer passable by car due to a washout.
  • As mentioned, beaches are everywhere on Savary. The most popular, and in our opinion the best—having circled the island—is South Beach on the southeast.
  • For the most detailed map of Savary beaches, trails, and attractions print off or purchase in Lund or on Savary this PDF map by the Savary Island Land Trust Society.
walking along savary island's beachfront with canadian flags
Savary Island is unlike any other island in B.C., but it's still 100% Canadian.

Savary Island Map

This map of Savary Island includes all the highlights you'll read more about below in this guide. You can save this map to Google Maps on your phone by following these simple instructions.

Get Ready for Savary

What to Bring

  • Groceries: Savary's General Store has limited inventory, so bring whatever you need with you
  • Flashlight. Savary has no electricity. Most cottages use propane, solar power, or candles at night.
  • Garbage bags to take out whatever you brought in.
what to pack truck view of bags savary island
Bags in the back of a land taxi on the way to the cabin. You can choose to sit in the back too for some fresh air and 360 degree views.

What Not to Bring

  • Bug spray: Don't worry about bugs! There is no standing water on Savary. Back in the day, The Savary Island Hotel famously advertised they'd refund you if you got a mosquito bite while staying there!
  • Bear spray: There are no bears, wolves, cougars, or raccoons on the island.
  • Bottled water if you're staying at a cottage or campsite. Savary's tap water is potable.
  • A lot of work to do. There is no WiFi. Cell signals are generally strong throughout the island, so you could do work… but come on.
the only shop savary island
The General Store is generally lacking in everything but soda and candy.

Where to Stay on Savary Island

If you want convenience, look to stay on the east end of Savary Island. It's close to the wharf and most of the island's amenities, limited as they may be. If you want seclusion, go further west.

Camping:

  • The only official campsite on Savary is Savary Camping & Cottages (604-698-8745). It's $10 per person per night and includes bathroom and kitchen facilities.

Hotels & Vacation Rentals:

  • Savary Island Resort no longer rents out individual rooms. They rent the whole place out (max. 20 guests) for $1000/night for a minimum of three nights.
  • The Castle, which truly looks like a wooden fortress, offers bunk beds and cheap private rooms, according to their website
savary island resort savary island
Savary Island Resort is quiet and close to trails and beaches. They don't rent individual rooms anymore, but if you've got a big group it's ideal.

Vacation Rentals:

Things to Do on Savary Island

Beachcomb

Whole cottages have been built and decorated with the colorful collections of shells, stones, and driftwood you can find while combing Savary's beaches.

beach house on savary island
A typical cabin on Indian Point at Savary's west end. The owners must be out beachcombing.

Go fishing

You'll need to buy a license at the Lund Store or online

Kayak

Wherever you stay, they'll probably have kayaks for you to borrow. If not, a friendly neighbor is sure to have one they can lend you.

Bike

Biking is the best way to get around Savary Island. You can bring your own biks ($2 extra for the water taxi) or rent one for $20 a day from the shop up the hill west of the wharf.

Explore

Walk the trails, many of which are in the protected center of the island (see Map above), and wander the beaches and sand dunes.

south beach views on savary island
The cliffside trail down to South Beach, with the mainland on the horizon.
kim sun smart savary island
Kim's really getting into the whole "explorer" vibe while walking along Savary's south shore.

View wildlife

You're guaranteed to see plenty of eagles, deer, snakes (not dangerous at all), seals. Keep your eyes out for whales, porpoises, otters, and sea lions too.

red crab up close
"Please don't eat me."
close up of eagle on savary island
You will see eagles EVERYWHERE on Savary. And, without a doubt, they'll see you and a whole lot more from their perches.
harmless beach snakes savary island
Don't worry. The snakes on Savary don't bite.

Shop

Pick up some souvenirs and artisanal goodies at the Savary Island Farmers Market (Facebook page). It's every Tuesday in July and August from 11 a.m to 1 p.m.

Attend a dinner club

Make some new friends and take a night off cooking for yourself by going to the Savary Island Dinner Club at Savary Island Resort.

group eating meals together on savary island
No TV dinners on Savary. Every meal is a multi-hour social occasion.

Go clamming

Five of us collected 469 clams in less than twenty minutes this year. Then we ate them in chowders and pastas.

Edit: Gail points out in the comments that there's a daily limit of 75 clams per person before you need a fishing permit. You've been warned! And please don't tell on us.

shot of kim clamming from above
Clams are incredibly abundant on Savary. You just have to go to the right spots.
clam linguine fresh savary island clams
The "hard work" of clamming pays off with some delicious clam linguine.

Read

If you're looking for a good book to read, tell Chris what you're looking for in the comments and he'll happily suggest something.

Play cards and board games

They're way better than video games.

Listen to Cortes Radio

Neighboring Cortes Island may only have 1,000 residents, but it has its own radio station. The music is eclectic and the DJs are exactly what you'd expect from a tiny radio station.

Watch the sunset

The sunsets from the western end of the island are particularly beautiful.

savary sunsets photos don't do justice
The sunsets are particularly stunning on Savary's western tip.

Do a beach workout

Use nature's gym to do unusual terrain-ing, one of our seven tips to stay fit while traveling.

Or play ping pong.

outdoor ping pong game on savary island
Outdoor double ping pong is about as intense as it gets on Savary.

Play tennis

All tennis players are familiar with clay courts, grass courts, and hard courts. But wooden courts? Only on Savary.

wooden tennis court on savary island
Watch out for the odd unexpected bounce when playing tennis on Savary's wooden tennis courts.

Cook and eat with family and friends

When we go up with friends, each couple is in charge of one meal.

group eating kitchen island savary island
Enjoy family-style meals with family and friends.

Chop wood

Reacquaint yourself with a Canadian pastime.

jeff chops wood for the wood burning hot tub
Perfect execution of the Canadian karate chop.

Do a triathlon

Now in its 18th year, The Savary Island Triathlon is more like a you-don't-have-to-"Tri"-to-hard-athlon. It's fun-for-all-levels "race" held towards the end of July that raises funds for the volunteer fire department.

Catch Up

Disconnect and reconnect.

Savary Island map
Handy Savary Island map from the handy site, SavaryIsland.ca.

Other Savary Island Guides:

  • The Guide to Savary Island by HikesNearVancouver.ca is wonderful
  • Savary.ca, run by a local realtor, is charmingly ill-formatted, but it is up-to-date and has a good listing of B&Bs and rentals.
  • SavaryIsland.ca is a new (2022) site with info on accommodation, things to do, services, and logistics.
  • Let us know what other resources you've found helpful and we'll update this list accordingly!

Vancouver mountains and buildings
Whenever you're lost, look for the mountains. They'll tell you which way's north.

Life Away from Savary

Eventually, you'll have to leave Savary and return to civilization. To diminish the despair (slightly), here are some ideas for things to look forward to back in our hometown of Vancouver:

Savary Island Pinterest pin

Disclosure: Whenever possible, we use links that earn us a cut if you pay for stuff we recommend. It costs you nothing, so we'd be crazy not to. Read our affiliate policy.

15 thoughts on “Savary Island: A Guide to Vancouver's Favorite Beach Island Getaway”

  1. The store is well stocked when ever I have ran it. The year you must have been there was when some other inexperienced people leased the store
    they sucked at it.
    The store is currently in the process of having a Rural Agency Liquor Store approved hopefully which will help the store be better stocked and have a longer season. This has been applied for many times and has been denied in the past. Keeping the store in the stone ages. Hopewecan serve you better next time.

    Reply
  2. Might be helpful if you tell people there is a daily limit on clams (75 for each person) and you do need a fishing license. The number of clams you noted in this article exceeded the daily limit. Not goid

    Reply
  3. I found your website while searching about Savary Island. I vaguely remember someone talking about it long ago but I wasn't familiar. How I became reacquainted with this island location is from all places…. on my instagram. I am amazed that the island is off grid. It sounds like a lot of peace and quiet. I have seen a few places for sale. With a mostly permanent population of 100, I wonder what are the major income earning jobs or businesses are? This must sound like a city-dweller question, but in earnest I am so curious of this island and am looking forward to visiting it's quiet grandeur.

    Reply
    • Hey Anna. I doubt think there's much you can earn a year-round living from on Savary itself. But if you could find yourself a solid WiFi connection, you'd be set!

      Reply
  4. Remember, for day trippers and campers not at the designated campgrounds, there are NO public washrooms and some people own the wee bit of beach at the bottom of their properties all around the island, including the wharf area. It's a true paradise and the dunes are fragile, so no writing initials in them or climbing them. And ZERO fires during a ban. There. Rules are rules and I'm a fun buster. But 40+ years on that glorious island will do that to you during the busy summer months.

    Reply
    • Hi SavaryGal,

      Was hoping to come over for a half day later this week while visiting the area, am surprised to read in several places the reference to no public washrooms. Are day trips discouraged then? Just trying to understand before planning any further. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks

      Reply
      • i would like an answer to this too as we are planning a day trip next week – must have access to a public washroom…

        Reply
  5. Hi there, I just came accross your site and found it to be a very good resource for those wanting to know more about Savary Island. We are a water taxi company based in Campbell River on Vancouver Island and were wondering if you might consider adding our services as an option of how to get there. We offer year round charter and summer scheduled services to and Savary island. Our services offer the people of Vancouver Island an option to get to Savary Island in a much more timely fashion. We have found that guests going to and from the island tend to take an abundance of necessities to make their stay as enjoyable as possible, bikes, kayaks, food to name a few items. Our vessels offer the capacity to make this happen. Thank you and look forward to hearing from you, Happy Trails!

    Reply

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