How to Get There 

Sooke is less than an hour drive from Victoria, BC on Vancouver Island. To get to the island from the mainland you can take a ferry, fly into Victoria airport, or take a seaplane right into Victoria harbour! Sooke isn’t a very walkable destination, so we recommend either driving onto the ferry, or renting a car on the island. We drove from Victoria and it’s a really beautiful drive, the island has so much natural beauty!

The Resort 

Prestige Resorts has locations all over the province, and their Sooke resort is truly stunning. The property is right on the water and it has the most beautiful ocean views! They are also pet-friendly, which means that little Theo got to come along, and that is so much fun for us. We spent our mornings cozied up in our room relaxing, and our afternoons exploring the property and taking Theo for walks by the water. The full service resort also has an on-site cafe, restaurant, bar, fitness centre, spa, and pool, so you’ll have everything you need during your visit! It’s such a perfect place to slow down and enjoy island living, we absolutely loved it. 

The Rooms

There are a variety of rooms available at the resort, including many with an ocean view and beautiful balconies! There are also options with kitchenettes and dining areas, which are perfect for longer stays. The accommodations are all beautifully decorated with luxury amenities, it’s really such a comfortable resort where you will feel right at home. We stayed in an oceanfront room with a huge balcony, and our favourite thing about it was the beautiful view of Sooke Harbour! We highly recommend this resort if you’re looking for a unique getaway on Vancouver Island, it’s a perfect escape from Victoria and a great starting point to exploring Sooke. You won’t be disappointed! 

The Town of Sooke

Sooke is a quiet, seaside community best known for its amazing nature activities. You can go whale watching, kayaking, and hiking, and explore the amazing beaches in the area. There is such an abundance of things to do any time of year, even if you’re coming for a relaxing vacation we highly recommend venturing out at least a little bit! As a same-sex couple, we found Sooke to be extremely safe. The resort and all the businesses we visited in town were very kind and welcoming. We felt completely comfortable being out and open as a lesbian couple, and the entire community felt really inclusive. BC travel destinations tend to be some of the most LGBTQ+ friendly spots in Canada, and Vancouver Island is no exception. We love taking trips in our home province and we can’t recommend it enough to other queer travellers! 

For more information on Prestige Resorts and their different locations, you can visit their website here.

Disclosure: Prestige Resorts generously hosted us (and Theo) for our stay in Sooke. We had such a wonderful experience and are so excited to share them with our audience! 

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How to Get There

Located just steps from the ferry in Sturdies Bay, The Galiano Inn & Spa is in the most accessible location on the island. Ferry service from Tsawwassen on the mainland is fast and easy, and the sailing only takes one hour. It’s a very easy trip to do from the city of Vancouver or anywhere in the Fraser Valley! If you don’t want to bring your vehicle to the island, you can leave it on the other side and walk up to the inn from the ferry terminal. The Galiano Inn even has smart cars available to tour the island if you want to get out and explore!

The Hotel

The Galiano Inn & Spa is a fully equipped boutique resort with inn rooms, villas, a beautiful restaurant, pizza patio, and spa. The property is right on the water with the most stunning views, and the gardens and grounds are really lovely to explore. Atrevida, the onsite restaurant features a seasonal menu of West Coast cuisine, and their outdoor pizza kitchen La Lena offers wood fired pizzas with beautiful water views! The staff is happy to help you arrange excursions during your stay like renting a kayak, moped, or e-bike, or you can enjoy the spa services on the property. The Galiano Inn is a pet-friendly hotel (which we love), with one inn suite and one villa allowing pets. Your furry family member will love to come along!

The Rooms

The hotel has ten inn rooms and ten villas, all with beautiful oceanfront views! Our stay was in the Esperanz Villa, which featured a full kitchen, a spacious bedroom with king size bed, a very comfortable living space, and a gorgeous patio. The outdoor space had a fireplace, BBQ, and hydrotherapy tub, not to mention the gorgeous views of the water. We highly recommend booking a villa if you want lots of space, a kitchen to prepare meals, and an outdoor tub to soak in! We loved eating our breakfast outside and enjoying the view with a glass of wine in the evenings. The hotel has a really lovely and relaxing atmosphere. It’s the perfect place to rest and recharge, and you will have everything you need (and more) for an enjoyable stay. We highly recommend this spot for a luxury experience on Galiano Island, you won’t be disappointed!

The Island

Galiano Island has so much to offer from its stunning provincial parks, to its unique sandstone cliffs and caves. You will have so much fun hiking and exploring, or just relaxing and soaking up the beauty of this destination! If you do plan to do some sight seeing, we highly recommend checking out Montague Marine Provincial Park, and Bodega Ridge Provincial Park. You also can’t go wrong with a rental from Gulf Island Kayaking to explore the waters! For a full list of what to do on Galiano Island, be sure to read our complete guide here. We really enjoyed our stay and felt so comfortable as a same-sex couple. The hotel staff and all of the locals we encountered were very warm and friendly! We can certainly recommend this destination to other LGBTQ+ travellers, and we can’t wait to hear what you think after your visit!

For information on The Galiano Inn & Spa and more about Galiano Island, you can visit their website here.

Has anyone else been to the Southern Gulf Islands in BC? Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: This post is in no way sponsored by Galiano Tourism or The Galiano Inn & Spa. The Galiano Inn did generously host us (and Theo) for a portion of our stay on Galiano Island, and we are so excited to share them with our audience. We had a wonderful experience and highly recommend both this property and destination!

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How to Get There

The Oceanfront Hotel in Sointula is a beachfront property located steps away from the Malcolm Island ferry terminal. Ferry service from Port McNeil on Vancouver Island is quick and easy, and your fare includes a return trip. Port McNeil is about 4 hours from Nanaimo, which has regular ferry service to the mainland, and it’s a beautiful drive. There are plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife on your way, we even saw a baby black bear! A day of travel is absolutely worth it once you get to the paradise that is Malcolm Island. You will immediately relax looking out at the stunning ocean views and you can fall asleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach.

The Hotel

The Oceanfront Hotel has been owned by a lovely local couple for the past 40 years. The property is right in the centre of the island’s small town, with unbelievable ocean views. There is an onsite pub, which is currently closed due to COVID-19 regulations, but they’ve opened up a take-out window! Open for lunch and dinner every day 11:30am-1:30pm and 5pm-8pm. There are also plenty of activities you can have arranged during your stay if you’re interested. Ask the owners Robin and Ray about whale-watching tours, fishing/crabbing charters, and kayaking! From the hotel’s beach you can spot minks, sea lions, eagles, and more, and you’ll be in the perfect spot to watch the most beautiful sunsets.

The Rooms

The hotel has a variety of rooms available including pet-friendly options, wheelchair accessible rooms, rooms with private kitchens/kitchenettes, and plenty of ocean view options. There is also a communal kitchen in the building that all guests have access to. Our stay was in the Green Lodge 3 Apartment, which we highly recommend if you want lots of space, a full kitchen to cook in, and a large balcony overlooking the beach! We ate all our meals outside, and spent every morning and evening looking out over the water and enjoying the view. The hotel has a lovely rustic charm and we felt right at home. The bed was super comfortable, there was plenty of hot water, and we had everything we needed for an enjoyable stay. We also got a tour through the hotel to see the other rooms and each one had it’s own unique feel. You truly can’t go wrong here!

The Island

Malcolm Island has so much to offer from great hiking trails to an incredible whale watching spot. We highly recommend exploring the island during your stay and enjoying some of the most popular spots including Bere Point, Big Lake, and the Pulteney Point Lighthouse. For a full list of what to do on Malcolm Island, be sure to read our complete guide here. Outside the small town of Sointula, keep in mind that most roads are unpaved and you will lose cell service in some spots. Be sure to plan ahead for your daily outings! Everywhere we went on the island we felt safe and comfortable to be ourselves. The hotel owners and all of the locals in town were warm, welcoming, and completely accepting of us as a same-sex couple. We highly recommend this destination to other LGBTQ+ travellers and we truly can’t wait for more people to experience this special gem!

For information on The Oceanfront Hotel Sointula and more about Malcolm Island, you can visit their website here.

Has anyone else been to the Northern Gulf Islands in BC? Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: This post is in collaboration with The Oceanfront Hotel Sointula. We are so happy to be working with them to share their beautiful family owned property with our audience! The Oceanfront Hotel Sointula generously hosted us (and Theo) for our stay on Malcolm Island. We had a wonderful experience and cannot recommend this property and this destination enough.

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