Escape to Bowen Island #ExploreBC

Just a short ferry ride away lies a little paradise worthy of many days of exploration – Bowen Island. We headed over for a night and wished we’d booked for longer, but we managed to get a lot of tasty treats in in a very short time.

Thanks to our sweet ride, the Honda 2018 Acccord Touring V6, we had lots of room to pack, a cabin that felt like we were in a much wider ride, and superb handling to nip around those winding Island roads. Thought we’d take a shot of the car vs something a little older on the farm we stayed at. Don’t mind the crazy hair day I was having.

Our accommodation choice was a great one, Alderwood Farm, complete with chickens, roosters an emu and donkeys. We stayed in the Courtyard En-Suite, but we also checked out the cabin, which was a little larger and had the kitchenette. This is such a lovely spot to stay at and we’ll definitely be back here. There’s even an onsite shop that is a go-to for Islanders with lots of super-healthy food, and pizzas and pies galore!

Breakfast in the morning was delivered and delicious just baked croissants, fresh fruit and excellent coffee. Alderwood Farms also hosts weddings and would be a great spot for a farm to table dinner, we may have to organize something this summer.

For dinner we headed to Barcelona Tapas and Wine Bar where we met up with a friend who lives on the Island and in the know of where to eat there. This is a charming spot, and the patio is now open for the summer, so you can eat al fresco or choose to sit inside as we did on a table made from a wine barrel. They’ve got a great selection of wine and you’ll want to order all the tapas here so bring friends to share.

We loved the prawns and meatballs and had a beautiful salad and a tender pork stew. Super friendly service here and we ran into a few other people who had the same idea as we did, to nip on over to the Bowen Island for a little getaway.

After a restful night we lounged about at Alderwood Farm and went to visit the farm animals and tour the property before popping down to Artisan Square for some lunch and a little shopping before heading back to Vancouver.

You’ll want to check out Artigiani Milanesi Cashmere, Cocoa West Chocolates and Maison Saskirt in the very least, and there’s lots of places to work out here should you want to.

We also had to stop in twice during the trip to Artisan Eats and you’ll want to head here for at least one breakfast or lunch and to stock up on baked goods to bring home. The owners, Julie, Chistophe and Michael are super passionate about quality food and have now just finished their latest project, a bed and breakfast, also in the square.

There’s a lot more to do on Bowen and the hiking is great now that the weather has improved. It’s just a quick ferry ride away as well, so get adventurous and plan your getaway soon.