A blend of history and beauty

San Juan Island is the busiest of the archipelago islands. The ferry to San Juan Island arrives smack in the center of Friday Harbor.

The island offers restaurants, shops, galleries, and activities galore. Within the easily walkable one square mile town itself, visitors will find a full selection of sophisticated cuisine along with casual pub fare, chocolate shops, ice cream shops, cozy bookshops, and quirky stores. In the mood for a movie? The island has had a movie theater since 1915. In the mood for disc golf? The island has that too.

The Whale Museum is located downtown, offering a look at some of the world’s largest endangered species. Be sure to visit the San Juan Islands Museum of Art, where travelers can view local art from around the islands.

Between the north and south ends of the island, visitors will pass through fertile farmland scattered with animal life. Don’t be surprised to see deer grazing amongst the cows as they are the most populous animal on the island. Watch out for these frequent road-crossers.

Look out for the alpaca farm, where visitors can purchase alpaca items with wool coming from the very alpacas in the field right outside!

There are nine lakes on the island. Egg Lake is a popular swimming hole – turn onto Egg Lake Road from Roche Harbor Road to find this sweet swim spot.

While San Juan Island doesn’t have the mountainous terrain of Orcas Island, hiking options can still provide enough exertion to get the heart rate up. A 2.2-mile trek to the top of Young Hill will reward hikers with panoramic views of the islands from a breathless 600 feet of altitude.

Another worthwhile hike will take visitors to English Camp which once housed British soldiers during the infamous Pig War of 1859.

Of course, the west side of the island provides views of sunsets over the Haro Straight.

Wander over to the 41-acre day use Lime Kiln Point State Park and, with a bit of luck, visitors will get to enjoy a show put on by orcas and transiting gray whales.

The second busiest town on the island is Roche Harbor, home to The Hotel de Haro, which was originally built in 1845 as a Hudson’s Bay trading post. Later, the island’s rich lime deposits struck the interest of Tacoma lawyer John S. McMillin, who thus founded Roche Harbor Lime and Cement company in 1884. In 1954, Reuben Tarte purchased the land and transformed it into a hotel and added slips in the marina, making it the hugely popular boating destination it is today.

McMillin’s home has been converted into restaurants where guests can find both casual and fine dining. The church the McMillin family built remains active today.

While in Roche Harbor, walk through the garden designed by McMillin’s wife, a hike around the lime quarries, check out the McMillin mausoleum, visit San Juan Sculpture Park and explore Roche Harbor Farm.

An annual not-to-miss event on San Juan Island is the Friday Harbor Film Festival, taking place in 2025 from October 23-26. See page 60 for more information.

Visitors can set their watches to island time for the duration of their stay on San Juan Island; the mainland and all of life’s everyday worries can wait.

For more information, visit visitsanjuans.com and sanjuanisland.org.