gabriola sands provincial park

The sandstone shore rocks here are amazing. You feel like you are on another planet. Great way to escape and relax

easy to find, beautiful, lots to exploring to do low tide, and you can cross the road to the other side as well, for more exploring!

Take Taylor Bay road, it is the very first left after the ferry terminal, and turn left again at Ricardo road. We liked the swim in Pilot Bay which is on the right side. It is quiet, the beach has nice white sand. It is a gradual descent to almost 2 meters 100 meters from the beach. Great place for kids to swim and for parents to either stay at the beach or float/swim around them. Next time we will try the Taylor Bay side which is on the left side.

Gabriola is a short 20 minute ferry ride from Nanaimo and a world apart. It has amazing beaches, some majestic with weathered sandstone and views of rushing channels of water and small offshore Islets like Drumbeg or what appears to be drifted sandstone rock carved in the shape of giant waves like Malaspina Galleries, or family friendly swimming spots like Twin Beaches. Of course there are rolling farmlands and wooded hills to explore as well. The general atmosphere is laid back and relaxed in a way that only small islands can be. Kids still take off in the morning on their bikes and parents know that children are welcome and safe everywhere. I was lucky enough to have lived here for five years when my daughters were small and I know that there comfort with adults and confidence has a lot to do with a community where everyone is included and welcome from all age groups. Silva Bay has regular float plane service to Vancouver Airport South Terminal that takes less than 20 minutes and is a great ride and possibly a chance to see Killer Whales but always an amazing view of the islands. If possible, bring your bikes. You will always find a selection of first rate Artist galleries scattered around the Island and the weekend market with fresh produce, hand crafted cosmetics, wonderful baked goods and more is not to be missed. Take a trip back in time to a better place and spend a couple days of Gabriola. You won't be sorry.

We had a day to spend on this beautiful island, only twenty minutes by ferry and you are here. a small island but you need a car to get around. We headed to the end of the island, Silva Bay, the Pier Gallery is here and I was told that there is a handbag designer and creator of fine leather handbags who has handbags for sale here. This was my priority to come to the island and I was not disappointed as there were several styles of purses to choose from and I found one that would suit my needs .After making my purchase we had lunch overlooking Silva Bay at a nice little outdoor restaurant which is very casual. We drove around the island and there are crafters everywhere along the roads. We checked out the rock formations on the other end of the island and walked along the water. kayaking would be fun here and there are a lot of b& b's