San Juan Islands: Washington’s Travel Gem
An archipelago of four islands that include Orcas, San Juan, Lopez and Shaw, the San Juan Islands are one of Washington’s best travel destinations. A popular site to spot marine life like orca whales, sea lions and porpoises, the San Juan Islands also offer bustling villages, lively arts and culture and numerous choices for outdoor adventure.
Charming Historic Villages
A paradise for visitors, the beautiful villages of Eastsound on Orcas Island and Friday Harbor on San Juan Island are both completely walkable and teeming with historic buildings, art galleries, antique shops, bargain boutiques, restaurants and cafes. You can also learn about local history and heritage in these villages at museums like the Orcas Island Historical Museum and the San Juan Historical Museum. Eastsound and Friday Harbor both also offer a wide range of hotel and lodging choices.
The Funhouse Commons and Orcas Center
Located on Orcas Island, this fun center offers fun for all ages with hands-on activities focused on a variety of subjects from science to music, art, history, geography, sports and the human body.
Moran State Park
Regarded as one of America’s most beautiful state parks, Moran State Park covers more 5,000 acres on Orcas Island. Here, you can enjoy scenic drives and miles of hiking and biking trails to that lead up to Mount Constitution where you can glimpse wildlife and enjoy spectacular views of the mountains and sea.
Arts and Culture
Orcas Island and San Juan Island offer the most vibrant of arts and culture scenes. Orcas Island Artworks is where you will find an extensive collection of arts ranging from pottery to wood sculpture, ceramics, paintings, jewelry, glass and photography. Other notable art venues on Orcas Island include Crow Valley Pottery, Orcas Island Pottery and the Lambriel Museum. Additionally, the Orcas Center presents more than 40 live productions of performing arts every year.
At the historic marina of Roche Harbor Resort on San Juan Island, you will find the San Juan Islands Museum of Art Sculpture Park, which displays more than 100 sculptures in a beautiful, natural setting.
Outdoors
With pristine beaches and gorgeous state parks abundant in lush forest and native wildlife, there is no end to the outdoor adventure you can enjoy on the San Juan Islands such as sea kayaking, swimming, whale watching, hiking and bird watching. Lopez Island is a paradise of unspoiled parks and wildlife sanctuaries where you can view the likes of sea lions, seals and numerous bird species. On Orcas Island, the Lime Kiln Point State Park is an excellent destination to watch orca whales while Deer Harbor is where you can enjoy a number of marine activities like sailing, kayaking and whale watching tours.
Saturday Farmer’s Markets
The islands of Orcas and Lopez offer fantastic farmer’s markets that should not be missed. Located on the scenic picnic grounds next to the community center, the Lopez Farmer’s Market is where you can browse booths selling fresh meat and seafood, produce, herbs, homemade breads and jams and a wide variety of arts and crafts.
At the Farmer’s Market in the village of Eastsound, you can enjoy live music as you check out the numerous vendors selling locally grown produce, homemade foods, arts and crafts and refreshments.
Climate
One of the best things about the San Juan Islands is the year-round temperate climate where you will never feel too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.
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