5 Seriously Cool Things to do on San Juan Island this June

June on San Juan Island is packed with fun activities while leaving plenty of room for solitude, family time and long walks on the beach. Come on up. Join our kind island community. Treat yourself to once-in-a-lifetime adventures and the most delectable food from the “gourmet archipelago”.

Orca Sing

June is Orca Action month. Come celebrate with the touching Orca Sing event on June 24 at 7:00pm at the Whale Watch Park. First Nations speakers, islanders and visitors alike will join in song and drumming and watch for whales. Shuttles from the Friday Harbor Whale Museum are available.

Bioluminescent Kayak Tour

The fabulous San Juan Outfitters offer this very special guided bioluminescent kayaking tour in Summer. Bioluminescents are most active after hot summer days and during the new moon. Book tours from June 12 to June 21.

Pride Festival

Calling all LGBTQIA+ individuals, friends, and allies. Come celebrate Pride Month with live music, amazing food, vendors, artists, connection and fun. On June 17 at the Friday Harbor Fairgrounds, starting at 4:00pm.

Comedy & Wine

What could be better than laughing and local wine? Don’t miss the stand-up comedy on the comfy patio of the at Madrona cellars tasting room on June 24 at 7:00pm. Sip delicious, locally made wine, nibble on a charcuterie platter and giggle, shriek and snicker from the bottom of your heart.

Oyster Farm Tour and Lunch

Treat yourself to a guided farm tour and fresh seafood lunch overlooking the water at the unique and lovely Westcott Bay Shellfish Farm. Open Thursday through Monday. Reservations are a must.

Top Spots for a lovely Mother’s Day Brunch in Friday Harbor

What better way to celebrate the most amazing woman in your life than a leisurely brunch with marvelous food, a mimosa with freshly pressed orange juice, taken in lovely company at a spectacular place? If you find yourself in the cute coastal town of Friday Harbor on Mother’s Day, check out these renowned farm-to-table restaurants for brunch.

COHO

Chef Ryan Lockhart invites to delights like Lox Benedict, Dungeness Crab Omelet and so much more. Served from 9:00am to 1:30pm. Please make reservations. Even though this is a fancy place, utmost comfort is the goal here and PJs are welcome for this event.

Cynthia’s Bistro

Get an outside table in the beautiful garden patio and indulge in Cynthia’s superb pastries, fresh salads and creative, locally sourced small and large dishes. Available 8:00am to 2:00pm. Reservations encouraged.

The Restaurant at Friday Harbor House

Treat your family to classic brunch as well as fresh flavors like smashed avocado toast and yogurt and granola parfaits at this stunning locale situated on a bluff overlooking the harbor with a spacious deck and outdoor fireplace. Served from 8:00am to noon. Reservations required.

Litter Free by the Sea - Earth Day on San Juan Island

Spring into action this Earth Day (Saturday, April 22, 2023) and make our earth a tiny bit better by helping with the Great Island Beach Clean-up on San Juan Island. It’s so rewarding and fun. Everybody meets at the fabulous San Juan Brewery at 10:00am to get bags and gloves and a beach assignment. At 2:00pm we all meet back at the brewery, our garbage in tow. It will be weighed. There are prizes and raffles, live music, free beer for volunteers and a fantastic after party. Our friends at the Earthbox Inn & Spa and the Bird Rock Hotel participate every year (Thank you!). Find more details and why ridding our beaches of micro-plastic is so important in this fun article.

Best Places to spot Baby Wildlife on San Juan Island this Spring

It’s Spring on San Juan Island and everybody is having babies. San Juan’s lush pastures are dotted with baby cows and lambs. On the prairies, Bald Eagles, who mate for life, teach their eaglets how to fly and adorable baby foxes play with each other while Mom is out hunting. Soon the Humpbacks will return from Hawaii, calves in tow. It is a glorious time to come up for a visit. Find the 5 Best Places to spot Baby Wildlife on San Juan Island here.

Photo by Ivan Reiff with Western Prince Whale & Wildlife Tours.

Spring Ferry Reservations open on March 6, 2023

Vehicle reservations on the Washington Sate Ferry for spring travel from Anacortes to Friday Harbor for travel between March 26 and June 17 will become available at 7:00 a.m. PT on Monday, March 6.

30% of spaces are released 2 month before your travel date. An additional 30% are released 2 weeks before. 30% are released 48 hours before with 10% being available for stand-by travel each day. Reservations are highly recommended. No reservations are needed for walk-ons and bikes.

With early Spring the rich cultural offerings on the isle reemerge like the wildflowers on the prairie. Experience the renowned Salish Sea Early Music Festival at Brickworks featuring musicians from all over the world. Explore the three new Spring exhibitions at the Island Museum of Art or the hilarious Alfred Hitchcock play at the community theatre. Check out the new restaurants and shops and treat yourself to a rejuvenating anti-aging facial and a signature massage at the adorable Spa at Earthbox.

Witness the first wildflowers and baby foxes make an appearance, have a sunset picnic on the beach, yoga in the moss on top of a mountain, find a pot of gold on the self-guided St Patti’s Day scavenger hunt or go on the first whale watching tour of the season. Early Spring on San Juan Island is a real treat.

Winter Guide to San Juan Island

One of the best kept secrets about San Juan Island is visiting during Winter, when you have the beaches to yourself and it rains only half as much as in Seattle. Here is our guide for your Winter road trip to San Juan Island, complete with insider tips:

Where to Stay

The Earthbox Inn & Spa in Friday Harbor is the only hotel on the island with an indoor heated pool, sauna and hot tub, perfect after a day of hiking or before treating yourself to a soothing massage at their cute day spa. Or check out the historic and super romantic Bird Rock Hotel, just two blocks from the ferry landing, with 15 unique rooms, many featuring two-person jetted tubs, fireplaces and harbor views.

Insider Tip: Take advantage of the amazing Winter Specials these hotels are running.

Where to Eat

For a fancy night out, treat yourself to Downriggers on the waterfront, with its cozy bar and amble seating, reliable service and excellent Pacific Northwest fare. Don’t miss uncomplicated lunch or dinner at San Juan Brewery. Catch some live music and delight in their well-made ales and beers. If you are coming for a special occasion, check out the charming farm-to-table COHO Restaurant, open on all holidays, often featuring themed dinners and wine pairings.

Insider Tip: Take a cooking class at COHO (food and fun included) and learn to make a three course local, seasonal feast from the very best.

Galleries & Museums

Friday Harbor has three acclaimed museums and seven galleries and you can walk to all of them. Start at the Whale Museum, a remarkable natural history museum of our Resident Orca killer whales. Take in the charming Museum of Art, displaying local and regional art. Meander through the grounds of the open-air Historical Museum a few blocks away and see such gems as the first county jail.

Insider Tip: Support the Whale Museum by getting your souvenirs from their absolutely adorable gift shop.

Wildlife & Birding

The waters around San Juan Island are not only on the whale migration superhighway, but also on the Pacific migratory bird flyway, making Winter wildlife watching on the isle absolutely fabulous. Explore San Juan Island’s south around Cattle Point Lighthouse for some unforgettable birding. Head to Lime Kiln State Park, one of the best places to see Orcas from land in the country.

Insider Tip: Next to the Lime Kiln Lighthouse find an interpretive display with a button. Press that button and hear live what’s going on under the water in front of you.

Best Beaches

Jackson Beach is just a mile from Friday Harbor. This pretty driftwood and pebble stone beach features a shelter, barbeques, picnic benches and a bathroom. On a stormy day treat yourself to wild South Beach, the isle’s longest beach. Watch otters, foxes, sea lions, eagles and maybe even a family of Orcas while not seeing another human soul for miles.

Insider Tip: If it’s just too windy on South Beach, cross the road and hop on over to 4th of July Beach, which is sheltered by forest and calm even on a stormy day.

Must-do-Hikes

Find the Mt Young trailhead at English Camp National Historical Park. It’s a steep mile and a half to the top with unforgettable views. At Lime Kiln Sate Park go north along the cliffs and come to a rebuilt lime kiln, go further and enter a strange land of lime quarries in the deep woods. On South Beach go north, explore the prairie and its wildlife and find secret beaches.

Insider Tip: Treat yourself to a lovely seafood lunch at the Westcott Bay Shellfish Farm near English Camp

7 Not-to-Miss Things to Explore on your Romantic San Juan Island Getaway

Spoil your Sweetie with a romantic getaway to gorgeous San Juan Island this February. It’s so easy and fun. Love is in the air at the cute coastal town of Friday Harbor with its amble shops, galleries and restaurants. Treat yourself to a love-themed 6-course dinner at the utterly romantic Farm-to-Table restaurant COHO, a few blocks from our hotel. Find a beach for just the two of you at the vast and stunning American Camp National Park. Go birding, have a picnic at the whale watching park and renew your commitment to each other in paradise. Find 7 Not-to-Miss Things to Explore on your Romantic San Juan Island Getaway here.

San Juan Island for the Holidays

November 2022

Nothing is more peaceful and fun than a zero-stress San Juan Island getaway for the Holidays. Go beachcombing, light house-hopping and wildlife watching on the isle’s serene beaches and prairies, before treating yourself to an array of heartwarming, small town holiday events. Find gifts for everyone on your list in the delightfully walkable Friday Harbor, twinkling with Holiday lights, and bring back what the season is really about.

Where to stay for the Holidays

The Earthbox Inn & Spa, 3 ½ blocks from the ferry dock, not only has an adorable day spa, indoor heated pool with sauna, hot tub and exercise room and the cutest gift shop, they also offer amazing Holiday Specials.

Insider Tip: Reserve a Sea Place by the pool; a roomy studio with full kitchen, sky-light, two comfy queen beds, sofa and dining room table.

Where to Dine

Downriggers

Treat yourself to authentic Pacific Northwest cuisine and fresh seafood at Downriggers on the waterfront. Downriggers is usually open from 11:00am to 9:00pm, except on: Thanksgiving 1:00pm to 7:00pm, Christmas Eve until 8:00pm, closed on Christmas Day, open on New Year’s Eve and Day.

Insider Tip: Start your feast with fresh, local Vodka Oyster Shooters and leave room for S’Mores Pot de Crème.

COHO

This quaint farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Friday Harbor is open on all holidays for delicious, themed, multi-course dinners. Reservations are a must.

Insider Tip: Start your experience with a Gin Cocktail and pair your dessert with an Apple Brandy from the local San Juan Distillery

Duck Soup

With its lodge feel and stone fireplace, Duck Soup, located in the woods by a lake, has been serving local, organic, seasonal and foraged fare long before “farm-to-table” was even a term. Open Friday to Sunday 5:00pm to 9:00pm. Their last day of the season is December 18, 2022. Don’t miss this total treat.

Insider Tip: Consider the Duck Leg Confit or the Lamb Rack as your entrees.

Holiday Markets in Friday Harbor and on San Juan Island

Island Artisan Holiday Market  - November 25 & 26, 2022, at the Fairgrounds

This juried show and sale of our talented San Juan County artists wares is the place to find breathtakingly stunning, island-made jewelry, pottery, carvings, paintings and more. 10% of everything you spend will go directly to the Island Artists art scholarship program.

Holiday Art Making Bazaar – December 10, 2022, at the Alchemy Art Center

Visit the magical Alchemy Art Center in the heart of San Juan Island, browse local pottery, fabric prints and photography for sale in their fantastic geodesic dome and make holiday art at their studio with the entire family.

Old Fashioned Holiday Market – December 9-11, 2022, at Brickworks

Enjoy the indoor-outdoor holiday crafts market, island food vendors, local farm products, live music, and local libations in downtown Friday Harbor. Free activities for kids and grownups alike including hay and horse rides, kids crafts, marshmallows by the fire, and a visit from Santa, wohoo!

Enjoy the Beautiful Journey to San Juan Island

On the way to your island getaway this Fall, treat yourself to a sunset ferry ride to Friday Harbor. There is nothing like it to start your vacation. As of October 1, 2022 youth under 18 rides free on the Washington State Ferries.

San Juan Island in the Fall

The leaves are falling and the humpbacks are returning, while San Juan Island, tucked inside the Olympic rain shadow, shines in the Autumn sun. Find yourself alone with the sea lions and Bald Eagles on a stunning beach hike before treating yourself to a luscious, seasonal farm-to-table dinner at one of the cute Friday Harbor restaurants. Bike the highest mountain and hike the longest beach without another human soul in sight. Celebrate the long lazy days of Autumn on the isle with the authentic Oktoberfest at San Juan Brewing on October 1, 2022. Or treat yourself to the first in-person Friday Harbor Film Festival since 2019 on October 21-23, 2022 and see the newest environmental documentaries all over walkable Friday Harbor. Don’t miss the free Fall Family Art Days every Saturday at the San Juan Museum of Art and know that, starting October 1, youth under 18 years ride free on the Washington State Ferries. Find Everything you need to Know about travelling to San Juan Island in the Fall here.