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Recently we spent a weekend on Bowen Island, which is just a 20-minute ferry ride from Vancouver. We stayed at Nectar Yoga Bed & Breakfast. Here are some highlights from our short stay.
You can find more details on our stay at Nectar Yoga here.
FEAST ON DAIRY FREE PIZZA AT TUSCANY RESTAURANT
When we were planning our trip to Bowen Island, we were concerned that it would be difficult to find vegan/dairy free food on the island. We were pleasantly surprised to find that Tuscany Restaurant has vegan cheese which they use on pizzas and pasta! The margherita pizza was very good and the large size is a generous portion as well. Their pizzas are baked in a stone oven. Tuscany is located near the water and within walking distance from the ferry terminals. It’s a great spot for date night and has a cute outdoor dining space.
DINE AT BARCELONA TAPAS & WINE BAR
Another great spot for date night on Bowen Island is Barcelona Tapas & Wine Bar, located right beside Tuscany Restaurant! We loved the ambiance of the restaurant and there’s a beautiful outdoor patio space as well. Though we were a bit limited with what we could order (we were eating mostly vegan food that weekend), we still enjoyed the tapas. The restaurant was able to modify a few tapas to accommodate our dairy allergy.
SNACK AT BRANCH ON BOWEN
Branch on Bowen is a seasonal taco and ice cream bar. It’s in a prime spot right on Bowen Island’s Marina Pier with outdoor seating along the boardwalk. On a sunny day, the views here are unbeatable. I enjoyed The Nuni taco with wild smoked salmon. Unfortunately when I went, they were sold out of the Zo Zo taco which is their only vegan option. Branch on Bowen also serves up scoops of Earnest Ice Cream with rotating vegan flavours.
WALK THE TRAILS AT KILLARNEY LAKE
If you’re looking for a quiet, easy stroll on Bowen Island, I’d recommend the hiking trail at Killarney Lake in Crippen Regional Park. On the first day of our weekend stay, it was raining so we were looking for a flat trail with covered areas. Most of this trail is fully covered by trees, which allowed us to walk around without an umbrella. At a medium pace, it took us about 1.5 hours to walk around the lake. There is free parking just a short drive from Snug Cove ferry terminal, but spots are limited so I’d recommend going early.
HIKE UP MOUNT GARDNER
On the other hand, if you really want to be challenged, you can hike up Mount Gardner, the highest point on Bowen Island. This was no leisurely stroll, with high elevations and steep inclines. We took a back trail from the property of Nectar Yoga which led to the main paths of Mount Gardner. The climb took us about 2.5-3 hours and I was definitely worked up a sweat. The trail is not always very clearly marked and if we hadn’t encountered other hikers along the way we would not have known to go to the North summit for 360 views. The descent felt longer and more dangerous, taking us about 3 hours as well. I slipped and fell a few times (nothing serious) on loose gravel and slippery rocks. If you are going on this hike, I’d strongly suggest wearing proper hiking shoes and bringing water and snacks. Including the time we spent at the top of the summit, we were gone for a full 7 hours. The view at the top makes the trek all worth it!
