The San Juans are an archipelago of islands scattered in the straits between mainland Washington and Vancouver Island. The San Juan Islands enjoy an average of 247 days of sunshine a year and average just 29 inches of rainfall a year—about half the rainfall of Seattle. Sheltered by the Olympic Mountains to the southwest and Vancouver Island to the west, they are in a rain shadow or “banana belt.”
The San Juans’ spectacular topography and diverse natural beauty—sheltered coves, lush forest, sunny meadows and temperate climate are ideal for outdoor activities such as kayaking, hiking, and bicycling.
Getting to the San Juans requires transportation aboard a Washington State ferry, airplane or passenger boat. There are no bridges connecting the islands to the mainland! Only four of the 172 named islands can be reached by the ferry—San Juan, Orcas, Lopez and Shaw.
Travel + Leisure magazine put Washington's San Juans and British Columbia's Vancouver Island among the top five islands in the U.S. and Canada for 2008.
The New York Times' Sunday, June 1, 2008, issue featured the San Juan Islands as one of the "31 Places To Go This Summer."
Sunset Magazine's 2008 special issue on summer trips features Orcas Island, reporting, in part, "As foodie tourism goes, Orcas is one of the West's best options. At the Saturday farmers' market, lines form for fresh homemade sausages, barbecued oysters, roasted coffee, and hand-blended spices. Trust us: You won't return home hungry."
Fortune magazine names the San Juan Islands as one of the new hot spots for second homes and retirement. According to writer Geoffrey Colvin, "They're gorgeous, not crowded, assessible only by ferry, and already frequented by Hollywood executives and software millionaires, but costs are far lower than in more famous retreats."
A Conde' Nast Traveler article featured a biking, hiking and kayaking trip in the San Juan Islands and called them an outdoor playground. Writer Tracy Young says, "Lying in the lee of the Olympic Range, the San Juans enjoy a more felicitous climate than other parts of the Northwest; the sun had already warmed the air enough that I can watch from the bow as we steam through what looks like a broken necklace of enormous evergreen pearls."
- NUMBER1EXPERTS™ 
