Exploring Gabriola Island
Taylor and I had already planned to get away for a bikepacking weekend, but our destination changed when one of her friends mentioned that a few people had backed out of a campsite reservation on Gabriola Island. It didn’t take much convincing. We packed up our bikes, loaded our camping gear, and just barely made the ferry over. It was Taylor’s first time visiting the island, while this was my second trip there this summer, so I was excited to play tour guide for the weekend.
Interested in riding this route yourself? You can find the GPX route here!
After getting settled at camp, we spent some time exploring the area before heading into town for dinner at Woodfire Restaurant. Between the pizza and a pasta dish that might have been one of the best meals I’ve had in a while, we left completely stuffed. With plenty of carbs on board for the next day’s ride, we made our way over to Malaspina Galleries for sunset. We wandered through the tide pools looking for starfish, enjoyed the warm evening, and then headed back to camp for an early night.
The next morning started at Ground Up Café before heading out for a gravel ride around the island. I had built the route using sections from a couple of existing rides and was pretty proud of how it turned out. It was flowy, scenic, avoided most of the bigger climbs, and took us through some of the best parts of Gabriola. Near Descanso Bay we spotted a sea otter swimming along the shoreline, which was definitely one of the highlights of the day. I grabbed a few photos with the Ricoh, but for the most part we focused on riding rather than stopping every few minutes to shoot.
After making our way around much of the island, we rolled back into town and ended up at Ground Up Café for lunch. From there it was back to camp to pack up our gear before making a slightly rushed dash for the ferry. Somehow, we managed to just barely make that one too.
This was my second trip to Gabriola this summer, and it’s quickly becoming one of my favourite places for a weekend getaway. The gravel riding is fantastic, the food is great, and the slower pace of island life makes it easy to keep coming back. I already can’t wait for the next trip.
