Getting Here & Getting Around

5 km from downtown Nanaimo, most people access Gabriola via BC Ferries.
Once you’re here, there are 158 kilometres of roads to walk, cycle and drive.

Getting Here

Ferry

BC Ferries runs the ferry between Nanaimo and Gabriola. Foot passengers, bikes and vehicles are all welcome. Find the best times to travel.

Float Plane

Float planes run daily from the south terminal of Vancouver International Airport.

Private Boat

Arriving by boat? We have two marinas and a public wharf to welcome you.

Getting Around

Share the road

There are no sidewalks or bicycle lanes on the island. Ride or walk single file. Be aware of narrow road sections, poor road conditions, uneven edges and wildlife. There’s lots of deer on this island!

E-bikes are welcome and a common sight on the island!

Electric Cars

An electric car charging station is located in the Madrona Marketplace parking lot on North Road.

Boating

Cruise or sail to the southeast end of Gabriola where there are two marinas with docks, fuel and moorage in Silva Bay, and a public wharf with moorage in Degnen Bay.

Radio either marina on VHF 66A and they will assist you into a slip.

Use charts 3475 or 3443. Latitude 49.149965 and Longitude -123.695662.

Marine Forecast
Tide Chart
Fishing Licence
Fishing Regulations

Public Transportation

Community Bus

Ride GERTIE, the local community bus service that operates on a limited schedule Monday to Saturday.

Taxi

Note that only one taxi serves the island; it is best to pre-arrange pickups and drop-offs rather than call when needed. Call 250-247-0049 for schedule and availability.

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Coats Marsh Regional Park

Beaches and Parks

About

From the Regional District of Nanaimo: 'In 2008, a long-time Gabriola landowner used the federal eco-gift tax program to help The Nature Trust of BC and the RDN acquire and protect 44 ha of environmentally sensitive wetlands and forest. Coats Marsh Regional Park is the first protected wetland on Gabriola, an under-represented category in the Sensitive Ecosystem Inventory for the southern Gulf Islands which only have 1.7 per cent of their land base in wetlands. The balance of the new regional park contains second-growth Douglas-fir forest that will now be able to mature to old growth status in tandem with the woods of the large 707 Community Park next door. A rough trail network within the property lets you explore the sensitive habitat.'