San Juan Islands—6 Day

Pebbled Beaches, Evergreen Forests, and Panoramic Views

Bordered by the deep blue waters of Puget Sound and accented with evergreen forests and pebbled beaches, the San Juan Islands offer some of the best cycling and most striking vistas in the United States.  “You won’t find a nicer place to ride than the islands in the Pacific Northwest’s Puget Sound,” says Fodor’s Travel Guide.  We also sea kayak along the peaceful shoreline, hike to panoramic viewpoints, and take a whale watch cruise.

Cycling Adventure Begins on Peaceful Guemes Island

The trip starts on Sunday morning in Seattle with a complimentary 90 minute van shuttle north to the waterfront artists’ town of LaConner.  After exploring the art galleries and boutique shops of LaConner, we cycle on wooded sideroads skirting Puget Sound to Anacortes, where an afternoon ferry takes us to San Juan Island.  Peaceful rural roads on San Juan Island lead to Lakedale Resort, our home for the next three nights.  The Fine Living Channel ranked Lakedale Resort as one of the 10 most romantic hotels in the world.  You’ll love its gorgeous lakefront setting.

Cycle Quiet Roads and Catch a History Lesson

On Monday we cycle beside the shore of San Juan Island, enjoying the open farmland and marine vistas from quiet country roads.  You’ll visit American Camp, a national historic park that was once part of the “Pig War” between England and the United States.

Kayaking in the Morning, Relaxing in the Afternoon

Tuesday is a layover day and you’ll have the chance to go sea kayaking in the calm waters of Puget Sound.  Bicycle Adventures has hired a local sea kayaking outfitter to supply us with two-person kayaks, guides, and instruction.  We’ll spend the morning watching and learning about the abundant bird and marine life along the rocky, tree-lined shore.  The afternoon is free to swim in the lake and relax at our inn, get a massage, hike nearby Mt. Young with commanding views of the islands, or browse the shops, art galleries, and whale museum in Friday Harbor, the largest town in the San Juan Islands.

Wildlife Cruise Seeks Out Orca Whales

Wednesday morning we board a whale watching boat for a wildlife cruise.  This cruise, included in the tour price, will seek out the resident pods of orcas around San Juan Island.  We’ll also see seals, bald eagles, and osprey.  A naturalist on board will help us spot and identify the wildlife, and teach us more about them.

Wednesday afternoon we board a ferry for Lopez Island and spend the next two nights at the Edenwild Inn, a lovely bed and breakfast.

Bicycling Lopez Island

On Thursday we explore Lopez Island.  Lopez is the flattest, most rural, and least populated of the three main San Juan Islands.  It's also considered the bicyclist's island for its quiet roads, gentle terrain, spectacular marine vistas, and friendly residents who wave as you cycle by.  A wonderful optional walk through a wooded park leads to a spot on the rocky shoreline where we can gaze down on seals basking in the sun, and across the water to a lighthouse on nearby San Juan Island. 

A Friday morning ferry takes us back to Anacortes and a visit to Guemes Island.  This small island is ideal for cycling, as it has no commercial facilities save for a charming country general store.  We ride around the periphery of Guemes on a road that hugs the shore, catching views of snow-capped Mt. Baker to the northeast and the major San Juan Islands to the west.  The trip concludes with a final ferry ride to the mainland and a van shuttle back to Seattle.

To read Adventure Cycling magazine's account of this tour, click here.

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