Bowen Island

planning your visit to Bowen Island

Bowen Island (pop. 3,362) is just a 20-minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. The quiet, forested island of 52sq km/20sq mi lives up to its slogan of "Within Reach. Beyond Comparison." Water lovers enjoy kayaking around Bowen Island's sheltered bays, swimming at sandy beaches, and mooring their boats at local marinas. And from mighty Mount Gardner to the shores of Killarney Lake, hiking and mountain biking offer both hilly challenges and pure relaxation.

Just 25km/15.5mi northwest of Vancouver, Bowen Island is also easily accessible by water taxi from downtown's Granville Island. Shopping and dining await a short stroll from the ferry in Snug Cove. Dilly-dally happily with artwork, jewelry, fair-trade goods, and Mediterranean and West Coast food in Village Square, Artisan Square, and the Marina on the Pier.

Bowen Island
Time

British Columbia Time

Bowen Island
Weather

Nearest airport serving Bowen Island

Vancouver International Airport

for flights throughout Canada and International destinations

Travelling from YVR to Bowen Island by transit and ferry

Outside the main terminal,
take the escalator up to the
Canada Line Station.
Trains every 8 minutes approx
YVR AIRPORT to
VANCOUVER CITY CENTRE
travel time about 25 minutes

Purchase a 2-zone ticket from the
platform ticket machine (cash/card)
Mon-Fri daytime
$8.75 adult, $7.50 concession
Evening/weekend
$7.50 adult, $6.75 concession
(see note ** below)
Valid for 90 minutes from time of issue

From the station, cross over
West Georgia Street to the bus stop
outside Hudson Bay Company store.
Bus 257 (Horseshoe Bay Express)
WEST GEORGIA STREET
to HORSESHOE BAY
travel time about 45 minutes

your 2-zone ticket is valid
providing you board the bus
within 90 minutes of buying your ticket.

On the bus, validate your ticket in
the ticket machine by the driver.

Alight at Horseshoe Bay
(outside BC Ferries Terminal)
purchase ticket to Bowen Island.
Wait in terminal for boarding
HORSESHOE BAY to
BOWEN ISLAND (Snug Cove)
crossing time about 20 minutes

Purchase a walk-on fare at the
ferry terminal before boarding.

Adult $10.20 + 5% fuel surcharge
Child $5.10 + 5% fuel surcharge
Remember these are RETURN fares.
Keep your ticket for use on
your return ferry crossing.

** Fare includes a $5.00 supplement for any journey starting from YVR Airport. The supplement does not apply on the return journey.

Alternatively, a DAY PASS may be purchased for unlimited travel all day on buses, skytrain or seabus for just $9 adult, $7 concession. Day passes are not available from the platform ticket machine at YVR, but may be purchased at either Pharmasave or the Seven-Eleven store, both located in the domestic terminal building at YVR. Your DAY PASS is also valid for travel on buses C10 and C11 on Bowen Island, but not on BC Ferries.

Scheduled floatplane services

There are no scheduled floatplane services to Bowen Island

Car and Passenger Ferries to Bowen Island and Horseshoe Bay

Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) - Bowen Island (Snug Cove)

No advance
reservations

Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) - Nanaimo (Departure Bay)

Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) - Langdale (Sunshine Coast)

getting around by local public transit

From downtown Vancouver, the Horseshoe Bay Express bus (route 257) operates every 20-30 minutes to Horseshoe Bay Ferry terminal

The following public transit routes operate on Bowen Island

route C10 : Snug Cove - Bluewater

route C11 : Snug Cove - Eaglecliff

For full details of public transit routes in West Vancouver, Horseshoe Bay
and Bowen Island click on the Rider's Guide alongside.

Bowen Lift Stops

Want a lift ?

Our goal is for LIFTs and hitching to be friendly, dependable, everyday community transportation, and to reduce our car use on Bowen. Look for a Bowen Neighborhood LIFT Tag for your destination on vehicles parked on the ferry, at the general store , the post office or any place where Bowen Islanders gather. Politely ask the vehicle driver if they have room for you to share a ride.

Bowen LIFT has installed signed roadside pullouts at safe strategic places around the island for picking up hitchhikers in addition to traditional thumbing. There are four simple messages to remember:
- Drivers don't have to take the first in line
- You're not obliged to accept a ride, that's fine
- You accept a ride at your own risk
- But the ride is free, so consider it a gift.

Water Taxis

A frequent water taxi runs between Granville Island in downtown Vancouver and Snug Cove on Bowen Island, operated by English Bay Launch.
A late night water taxi runs every day between Horseshoe Bay and Bowen Island, operated by Cormorant Marine. This service leaves Snug Cove at 11.15 pm and returns from Horseshoe Bay at 11.30 pm. On Fridays and Saturdays the service runs one hour later in both directions

Bowen Island map

View Location Map

where to find more information about Bowen Island

official BC tourism site

Bowen Island Toursim