Lopez Island

North America > United States of America > Pacific Northwest > Washington (state) > San Juan Islands > Lopez Island

Lopez Island



Lopez Island is the third largest of the San Juan Islands in Washington State. This relatively flat island features some of the best natural parks and preserves in the San Juan Islands. Its bucolic charm makes it a place to escape the busy world and appreciate nature and community.

Understand

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Iceberg Point on Lopez Island

Compared to its larger neighbors Orcas Island and San Juan Island, Lopez remains quite undeveloped. This is a conscious decision by local residents, who prefer a rural lifestyle, even if it means forgoing modern conveniences such as phone service, and being underpopulated enough to be considered flyover space by the pilots at Whidbey Island Air Force Base. Many residents rely heavily on local agriculture, as high prices make it cost-prohibitive for many residents to eat imported food out of season.

Get in

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By ferry

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Washington State Ferries operates the Anacortes / San Juan Islands route:

The ferry also makes stops at:

The ferry schedule is complicated. There's a sailing about once an hour in the summer, a little less often in the winter. One vessel makes several interisland loops, while the other vessels run from Anacortes to one or more islands and back.

Reservations are recommended for the San Juan Islands ferry, especially for summer weekends, when the wait for loading cars can be notoriously long. It is not unusual to wait in line for many hours, and missing the last ferry can mean a desperate search for accommodations to spend an unplanned night on the islands.

Walk-on passengers should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to sailing. Vehicle traffic should arrive at least 60 minutes prior to sailing, or 90 minutes during peak afternoon and weekend sailing.

By boat

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Lopez Island has two marinas with guest moorage, both in Fisherman Bay:

By seaplane

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Get around

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Map
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Map of Lopez Island

Bring a car on the ferry. While the roads are great for cycling, you won't want to bike the whole way to the South End.

There is an island taxi service but it is not reliable.

See

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boats docked at Lopez Island
  • 1 Aleck Bay (south end). (updated Jun 2025)
  • 2 Odlin County Park. (updated Jun 2025)
  • 3 Watmough Bay, Watmough Bay Rd. (updated Jun 2025)

Do

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Locals and tourist enjoy spending their time hiking, biking and kayaking.

The locals are very community oriented. The library, community center, and grange feature events each week from concerts to guest speakers.

Beaches

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Buy

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Most businesses on the island are in Lopez Village, at the entrance to Fisherman Bay.

  • 1 Lopez Bookshop, 211 Lopez Rd. A book store 
  • 2 Blossom Grocery, 295 Village Rd. A small organic grocery store 
  • 3 Lopez Village Market, 162 Weeks Rd. The main grocery store, and also the only store with liquor sales. 
  • 4 Chimera Gallery, 211 Lopez Rd. An art gallery 

Eat

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  • 1 Fine Mess Bakery (formerly Holly B's Bakery), 211 Lopez Rd #4. A great bakery. This favored spot of the island's visitors is open mostly during the summer. 
  • 2 Haven, 9 Old Post Rd. One the water, fun menu, village location (updated Sep 2018)
  • 3 South End Market & Cafe (Formerly Islandale Store), 3024 Mud Bay Rd. in the Islandale building on the South End. 
  • 4 The Galley, 3365 Fisherman Bay Rd. Attached to the bar, featuring fried foods and a few healthier entrees. 
  • 5 Ursa Minor, 210 Lopez Rd. An upscale, farm-to-table dining experience. (updated Sep 2018)
  • 6 Vita's Wildly Delicious Cuisine, 77 Village Rd. A to-go gourmet deli and wine shop inspired by the owners' Francophilic bent. 

Drink

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  • Lopez Islander Resort, The Galley and Haven have dedicated bars.
  • Vita's Wildly Delicious is a gourmet deli and wine bar. You can buy wine by the bottle or glass.
  • Lopez Village Market has a large selection of beer, wine and liquor but closes early.

Coffee

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  • 7 Isabel's Espresso, 308 Lopez Rd. A local favorite and a great place to catch the Island Vibe 
  • 8 Lopez Coffee Shop, 211 Lopez Rd. Family run coffee shop that makes wonderful drinks. (updated Sep 2018)

Sleep

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  • 1 The Edenwild Boutique Inn, 132 Lopez Rd (in Lopez Village), ☏ +1 360 468-3238, . A small centrally-located hotel open year-round. A bike and kayak rental shop is located onsite that also offers rentals and whale tours. (updated Jun 2025)
  • 2 Lopez Islander Resort, 2684 Fisherman Bay Rd. The hotel features a pool, restaurant/bar, marina and proximity to kayak and bike rental shop. (updated Jun 2025)
  • 3 MacKaye Harbor Inn, 949 Mackaye Harbor Rd. The only B&B on the island and is open during the spring and summer months. (updated Jun 2025)

Most lodging on the island requires reservations. Vacation home rentals require that their owners' post a County Vacation Home Permit in their listing to be a legal accommodation.

Connect

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Go next

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This city travel guide to Lopez Island is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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