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Bowen Island Overnight: A Cottage in Snug Cove

Day Trips & Getaways

Bowen Island Overnight: A Cottage in Snug Cove

A 20-minute ferry from Horseshoe Bay, a wood-stove cottage, and the moment the last ferry leaves and Snug Cove is entirely yours.

Bowen Island's great party trick is this: everyone can get there in 20 minutes from Horseshoe Bay, so everyone does. The secret is staying when the last ferry leaves and takes the day-trippers with it. Snug Cove becomes your own tiny harbour village: heritage marina cottages with wood stoves, a lake for swimming before breakfast, mossy rainforest trails up Mount Gardner, harbour patios where the only schedule is the tide. Light a fire, open a bottle, watch the boats go still. There are no traffic sounds. There is nothing requiring your attention. It is, frankly, an unreasonable amount of romance for a 20-minute commute. The easiest possible getaway from the city, provided you can resist checking your phone long enough to remember why you came.

cozyromanticcoastalrelaxingeasy-escapeoff-the-beaten-path
Duration
Full day
Best time
Daytime
Price / person
~$130–320 / person
Setting
Outdoor
Neighbourhood
Snug Cove & Deep Bay
Best season
spring, summer, fall

Estimated ~$130–320 / person for per person for a weekend (ferry, a night's stay, food), as of 2026-06-22. A ballpark, not a quote. Call ahead or check the website for exact pricing.

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Plan your getaway

Bowen Island, BC · from Vancouver

door to door

~20-min ferry from Horseshoe Bay

from Vancouver

25 km

how long

1 night

best window

May-October

Getting there

BC Ferries Horseshoe Bay -> Snug Cove (Bowen Island), ~20 min. You pay outbound only; the return Snug Cove -> Horseshoe Bay is the free leg. This route is first-come (not reservable), so on summer weekends arrive early or simply walk on, since the village is so walkable.

No car needed, Snug Cove, the cottages, the lake and the restaurants are all walkable. If you want to reach Cape Roger Curtis or Mount Gardner trailheads, bring a car, e-bike or use the island taxi/shuttle.

No car? There's a route for that↓

Very easy car-free: walk on the ferry, walk to your cottage and the lake; for the far trailheads use the local shuttle/taxi or rent a bike near the dock. Genuinely doable.

books out

The Union Steamship cottages (especially wood-stove ones) and weekend nights book out early in summer, reserve your room 2-3 weeks ahead. The ferry isn't reservable, so arrive early or walk on.

Don't miss

  1. 1Swim or paddle the Killarney Lake rainforest loop
  2. 2Stay in a wood-stove cottage on the Union Steamship harbour
  3. 3Patio dinner and a pint overlooking the boats in Snug Cove
  4. 4Sunset at Cape Roger Curtis lighthouse
  5. 5Morning hike up Mount Gardner for Howe Sound views
  6. 6Browse the village bakery and little shops after the daytrippers leave

Where to eat

Barcelona Tapas & Wine Barrestaurantdinner★ 4.6

Somehow the best tapas within splashing distance of a ferry dock belongs to an island of four thousand people. Ranked first of fifteen restaurants here, plates arrive small, pretty and briefly. Book ahead, guard your share. Small room on Bowen Island Trunk Road; reservations strongly recommended

~$35-55/person
Tuscany Restaurantrestaurantdinner★ 4.3

A stone oven pizzeria inside an old character home by the water, which is exactly the thing islands are supposed to have and mainlands mysteriously never do. Regulars swear by the Tuscany Veg. Gloat quietly.

~$20-35/person
Artisan Eats Cafecafelunch★ 4.6

The ham and cheese croissant arrives filled with bechamel, which is French for you will think about this on the ferry home. Fireplace inside, mountains and ocean outside, smugness included at no extra charge. Up the hill at 539 Artisan Lane, not in Snug Cove itself

~$10-20/person
The Snug Cafecafesnack★ 4.6

A Bowen institution where the whole island appears to rotate through on the ferry schedule. The eggs benny and cinnamon rolls have quiet fan clubs. Arrive early or prepare to learn several strangers' names in line. Breakfast and lunch spot; daytime hours only

~$10-20/person
Bowen Island Pubpub foodlunch or dinner★ 4.4

Three hundred metres uphill from the ferry, open seven days, with a heated patio that on a drizzly island afternoon feels less like hospitality and more like a rescue operation. Dogs welcome, umbrellas supplied.

~$20-30/person

Where to stay

Union Steamship Marina Resort cottagesheritage harbour cottagescozyromantic

Steps from the ferry overlooking Snug Cove; many cottages have full kitchens and wood-burning stoves, the signature romantic stay (call 604-947-0707).

see this spot →book / details →
from ~C$294/night (Cottage 1, off-season; ~C$320-384 in summer)
The Lodge at the Old Dormboutique B&Bcharming + good for solo

A characterful heritage B&B a short walk from the cove, warm, quiet and easy on your own.

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from ~$180/night
Bowen Island cottage & cabin rentalsself-contained cabinsrange of budgets

Private island cabins and suites listed via Tourism Bowen Island, book early for summer weekends.

see this spot →book / details →
from ~C$120/night, averaging ~C$190-260

Trip details as of 2026-06-22. Prices and ferry schedules change, so confirm when you book.

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