For information on all the islands, contact the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 1330, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 (tel. 888/468-3701; www.guidetosanjuans.com).
For specific information on San Juan, contact the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce, 135 Spring St. (P.O. Box 98), Friday Harbor, WA 98250 (tel. 360/378-5240; www.sanjuanisland.org). For Orcas, contact the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 252, Eastsound, WA 98245 (tel. 360/376-2273; www.orcasislandchamber.com). And for Lopez, contact the Lopez Island Chamber of Commerce, 6 Old Post Rd. (P.O. Box 102), Lopez, WA 98261 (tel. 877/433-2789 or 360/468-4664; www.lopezisland.com).
Also check out www.thesanjuans.com.
Getting There
Washington State Ferries (tel. 800/84-FERRY, 888/808-7977 in Washington, or 206/464-6400; www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries) operates ferries between Anacortes and four of the San Juan Islands (Lopez, Shaw, Orcas, and San Juan) and Sidney, British Columbia (on Vancouver Island near Victoria).
The round-trip fare for a vehicle and driver from Anacortes to Lopez is $24 to $36, to Shaw or Orcas $29 to $43, to San Juan $34 to $51, and to Sidney $43 to $54. The higher fares reflect a summer surcharge, and the lower fares (with the exception of trips to Sidney) are Sunday-through-Tuesday fares.
The round-trip fare for passengers from Anacortes to any of the islands ranges from $9.85 to $13 ($16 from Anacortes to Sidney). The fare for a vehicle and driver on all westbound interisland ferries is $17 to $21; walk-on passengers and passengers in cars ride free. Except for service from Sidney, fares are not collected on eastbound ferries, nor are walk-on passengers charged for inter-island ferry service. If you plan to explore the islands by car, you'll save some money by starting your tour on San Juan Island and making your way back east through the islands.
During the summer you may have to wait several hours to get on a ferry, so arrive early. If you plan to leave your car on the mainland, any time between May 1 and mid-October, you'll pay $10 to park it overnight at the Anacortes ferry terminal ($25 for 3 days, $40 for 1 week).
There are also passenger-ferry services from several cities around the region. Victoria Clipper (tel. 800/888-2535, 206/448-5000, or 250/382-8100; www.victoriaclipper.com) operates excursion boats between Seattle and Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. There are also boats that go to Victoria. The round-trip fare to Friday Harbor is $70 to $110 ($35-$55 for children 11 and under), depending on the time of year. Discounted 1-day advance-purchase round-trip tickets are available, and if you book in advance, children travel for free.
Between Port Townsend and Friday Harbor, passenger service is available from mid-April to early October from P.S. Express (tel. 360/385-5288; www.pugetsoundexpress.com), which will also carry bicycles and sea kayaks. One-way fares are $50 to $53 for adults and $35 to $43 for children ages 2 to 10; round-trip fares are $63 to $73 for adults and $45 to $49 for children.
From Bellingham, there is passenger service to Friday Harbor (San Juan Island) on the San Juan Island Commuter, Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 335 Harris Ave. (tel. 800/443-4552 or 360/738-8099; www.islandcommuter.com). The round-trip fare is $59 for adults and $39 for children ages 6 to 12. These passenger ferries operate between mid-May and early September.
If you're short on time, you can fly to the San Juans. Kenmore Air (tel. 866/435-9524 or 425/486-1257; www.kenmoreair.com) offers floatplane flights that take off from either Lake Union or the north end of Lake Washington. Round-trip fares to the San Juans are between $213 and $245 (lower for children and lower fares available on website). Flights go to Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor on San Juan Island; Rosario Resort, Deer Harbor, and West Sound on Orcas Island; and the Lopez Islander on Lopez Island. You can also get from Bellingham or Anacortes to the San Juans on San Juan Airlines (tel. 800/874-4434; www.sanjuanairlines.com).
You can also get from Sea-Tac Airport or downtown Seattle to the San Juan Islands ferry terminal in Anacortes on the Airporter Shuttle (tel. 866/235-5247 or 360/380-8800; www.airporter.com), which charges $33 one-way and $61 round-trip.
Getting Around
Car rentals are available on San Juan Island from M&W Auto Sales, 725 Spring St. (tel. 800/323-6037 or 360/378-2886, or, on Orcas Island tel. 360/376-5266; www.interisland.net/mandw), which charges between $50 and $80 per day during the summer. Cars are only available on Orcas Island from mid-May to mid-October.
Cars can also be rented from Susie's Mopeds, 125 Nichols St. (tel. 800/532-0087 or 360/378-5244; www.susiesmopeds.com), which is 1 block from the top of the ferry lanes in Friday Harbor. Susie's rents scooters and mopeds as well, for $25 to $50 per hour or $63 to $125 per day.
For a cab, call Bob's Taxi (tel. 360/378-6777).
During the summer, San Juan Transit (tel. 800/887-8387 or 360/378-8887; www.sanjuantransit.com) operates a San Juan Island shuttle bus that can be boarded at the ferry terminal. It operates frequently throughout the day, stopping at all the island's major attractions, which makes it a great way to get around for those traveling without a car. Day passes are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, and $5 for children 5 to 12. Two-day passes ($25 for adults, $21 for seniors, and $10 for children), one-way tickets ($5 adults, $2 children), and round-trip tickets ($8 adults, $3 children) are also available. Children 4 and under always ride free. Over Memorial Day weekend and from the end of June to the middle of September, the Orcas Island Shuttle (tel. 360/376-7433; www.orcasislandshuttle.com) can transport you around Orcas Island. The fare is $5 per person between any two points on the island or $10 for a day pass. This same company also provides taxi service and rental cars.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
