What Napa is to California, Pender Island aspires to be for the Pacific Northwest. The same gentle climate that allows subtropical plants to thrive also nurtures vineyards producing wines that have earned international recognition. The island's winemakers take advantage of long summer days and cool maritime nights, crafting vintages that express the unique terroir of these gulf waters. Visitors can tour the vineyards, sample offerings in tasting rooms with views across the strait, and carry bottles home as souvenirs of an island that defies geographical expectations. The soil here seems blessed, and those who work it have transformed Pender into an unlikely but genuine wine destination.

Sailors cruising these waters know Bedwell Harbour as one of the finest anchorages in the Southern Gulf Islands. A marine park wraps around protected waters where boats swing gently on their anchors, their crews rowing ashore for supplies or a meal at the resort perched above the dock. For those arriving from international waters, Bedwell Harbour also houses the Canada Customs office, making it the first landfall for vessels crossing from the American San Juan Islands to the south. The harbour captures everything that makes Pender special: natural beauty, maritime tradition, and the easy hospitality of an island community accustomed to welcoming travelers from across the sea.

Keep your eyes lifted as you explore Pender's trails and shorelines. Black-tailed deer move through the understory, their dark eyes watchful but unafraid of humans who have long shared this island with them. Raccoons emerge at dusk, patrolling the forest edge with their distinctive masked faces. Above, bald eagles ride thermals rising from sun-warmed rock, their white heads gleaming against evergreen canopy. And standing motionless in the shallows, great blue herons hunt with infinite patience, their dagger bills poised to strike at unwary fish. The Gulf Islands National Park Reserve ensures that much of this habitat remains protected, a sanctuary where wildlife and visitors coexist in mutual appreciation.

Float planes descend from Vancouver International Airport, touching down on protected waters and taxiing to docks where passengers step directly into island life. For those preferring a slower approach, BC Ferries connects Pender to the mainland and neighboring islands, the voyage itself becoming part of the experience as the vessel threads between forested islands and past rocky outcrops crowned with twisted arbutus trees. Once ashore, the island reveals itself gradually: a gourmet meal here, a gallery showing local artists there, a hike through national park trails, and always the opportunity to simply find a beach and let time dissolve in the rhythm of waves against stone.