Beaches you can walk to, a seaside town five minutes away, world-famous gardens at fifteen, and islands by ferry at ten. Here is how our guests actually spend their days.
You don't need the car for the first stop. Pat Bay Beach is a two-minute walk, facing west over the Saanich Inlet, which is why the sunsets look the way they do in our photos. Expect herons on the shoreline, eagles overhead and float planes landing at the airport across the bay.
Sidney is a walkable seaside town: Beacon Avenue runs from the highway down to the water, lined with cafés, restaurants, independent shops and more bookstores than a town this size has any right to. At the bottom is the pier, the waterfront walkway and the Shaw Centre's aquarium of the Salish Sea.
The peninsula is small enough that you can hike an old-growth summit in the morning and be on a beach by lunch. John Dean Park (ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱) is the classic: Douglas fir, arbutus and a viewpoint over the Gulf Islands. For a long flat ride, the Lochside Regional Trail runs from near the ferry all the way into Victoria.
Butchart Gardens is fifteen minutes away in Brentwood Bay and worth it in every season: bulbs in spring, Saturday-night fireworks in July and August, Christmas lights in December. Around it, the peninsula is farm country — cideries, small wineries, farm stands, a Saturday farm market and the Saanich Fair on Labour Day weekend, one of the oldest agricultural fairs in Western Canada.
The Swartz Bay terminal is ten minutes from the farm, which makes the Southern Gulf Islands day-trip territory. Salt Spring is the big one — the Saturday market in Ganges runs April to October — while the Penders, Galiano, Mayne and Saturna are quieter. Check sailing times before you go; some routes run only a few times a day.
Victoria is a comfortable day trip: the Inner Harbour, the Royal BC Museum, the Parliament Buildings, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown and Beacon Hill Park are all within a few blocks of each other. Go in for the day and come back to the farm for a quiet evening.
Spring (March–May): cherry blossoms, Butchart's bulbs, the first markets, and the calmest water for whale watching as the season opens.
Summer (June–September): long evenings on the patio, Sidney's Thursday street market, Butchart fireworks, Sidney Spit, Gulf Islands ferries and the Saanich Fair on Labour Day weekend.
Autumn (October–November): apple harvest at the cideries, quiet trails, storm-watching light over the inlet.
Winter (December–February): Butchart's Christmas lights, mild temperatures by Canadian standards, and the best rates of the year.
A bright, brand-new suite with a private entrance and patio overlooking the farm. Two bedrooms with full ensuites, a queen loft and a powder room. Great for couples, small families or two couples travelling together.
A 4,500 sq ft solar-powered home for families and groups: four bedrooms each with a private bathroom, a chef’s kitchen that seats 12, a home gym and the same farm views. Step-free entry.
It helps. Sidney is five minutes away, Butchart fifteen and Victoria thirty-five, and the best beaches and trails are spread around the peninsula. The airport's rental desks are three minutes from the farm, or ask us for a Turo link.
Pat Bay Beach, a two-minute walk from both rentals, on the Saanich Inlet side of the peninsula. It faces west, so the sunsets are the ones in our photos. Island View Beach and Coles Bay are short drives.
Yes. The Swartz Bay terminal is ten minutes away, with BC Ferries sailings to Salt Spring, the Penders, Galiano, Mayne and Saturna. Salt Spring's Saturday market in Ganges is the classic day out from April to October.
Yes. Spring bulbs, summer blooms and Saturday-night fireworks in July and August are the famous seasons, but the Christmas lights in December are a local tradition, and the quieter winter gardens are fifteen minutes from the farm.
The beach, the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea aquarium in Sidney, the BC Aviation Museum beside the airport, the Butterfly Gardens near Butchart, and watching the chickens, deer and eagles from the patio.
Two rentals, one farm, everything above within a short drive. Send us your dates and we'll confirm availability within a few hours.
Send a Booking Inquiry