Friday Harbor and the San Juan Islands have long been recognized as one of the premier vacation destinations in Washington. For its relatively small size, San Juan Island offers a diverse topography ranging from pebbly beaches to mountain meadows and lush valleys. It is truly one of nature's playgrounds. The wildlife includes such exciting creatures as orca whales, harbor seals, minke whales, porpoises and sea otters. It's not uncommon to see fox, wild turkey, rabbit, raccoons and small black tail deer, as well as bald eagles, great blue herons, trumpeter swans, hawks, peregrine falcons, ospreys, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, cormorants, sea gulls and many more. There are no poisonous snakes, no lions, tigers or bears, so hiking and exploring is safe and fun.

    Friday Harbor, Washington boasts a multitude of restaurants offering the finest in dining, from lovely open-air bistros to delicious ice cream parlors. You'll also find shops galore, with clothing and jewelry to paintings and sculpture, hand-crafted by local artists. Westcott Bay Reserve offers a 19-acre Sculpture Garden that allows visitors to stroll and enjoy the many varied works of talented islanders. Rent a bicycle, boat, kayak, moped or car to explore the island on your own, or partake in guided charters for whale watching, sailing, kayaking, fishing or island flight tours. Friday Harbor lodging ranges from B&B's, inns, hotels and motels, to houseboats or camping. We have a 9- and 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, museums, movie theater and a community theater that holds plays and concerts. Our parks are lovely and our beautiful beaches consistently rank at the top of annual, national magazine surveys. scored higher than any other beaches in the U.S. in a recent national magazine survey.

    Check out the history of San Juan Island and its links to Vancouver Island and the "Pig War." Friday Harbor also makes a great centrally located headquarters for exploring the other San Juan Islands or Victoria on Vancouver Island. The inter-island Washington State ferries make the trip over relatively inexpensive and fun.

    The people that choose to live here are as interesting and diverse as the wildlife. The islanders are an independent, but friendly, lot who take pride in their environment, as well as colorful history and stories. We've included some here for your enjoyment or, better yet, find a local who will tell you one of their favorites.

    Local breeders raise a variety of animals, such as sheep, goats, horses, cattle, llamas, alpacas, rabbits and fowl. There are also many local herb, vegetable, flower, lavender farms and fruit farms that sell their wares at the Saturday farmer's market downtown. The island also boasts a winery and vineyard with a tasting room, plus a local microbrewery, sure to quench even the fiercest thirst.

    Once a mountain range, but now an archipelago, the 100-million-year-old San Juan Islands feature some of the most spectacular scenery in the Pacific Northwest. Depending on the tides, the San Juans number anywhere from 428 to 743 islands. Only about 170 have names, including the four largest: Orcas, San Juan, Shaw and Lopez. The islands were explored (1790-92) and named by the Spanish Francisco Eliza expedition.

    San Juan Island is located in a "rain shadow". On days when the Seattle area is rainy and damp, chances are the sun is shining brightly in Friday Harbor. Seattle averages 58" of rain, Friday Harbor averages about 22". Here, the sun shines an average 247 days out of the year. In the dry summer months, and especially during September and early October, the islands often go for weeks without a cloud in the sky.

    The San Juan Islands are protected by surrounding ocean waters and mountain ranges. The ocean temperatures average 45 degrees in the winter and 52 degrees in the summer. The Cascade mountains to the east help to block the freezing cold weather systems that come down from Canada, whereas the Olympic mountains and Vancouver Island tend to push most prevailing winds up into cooler air and force them to dump their rain before it reaches the islands. Our own Mount Young and Mount Finnleson offer outstanding views of Vancouver Island, Mt. Baker, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

     Long periods of gray skies, high humidity and extreme temperatures are rare in the islands. We do occasionally experience a winter nor'easter when the arctic cold roars down from the Yukon. But overall, we're spoiled with mild winters and beautiful spring, summer and fall weather. Here, nasty weather never lasts long.

    We at FridayHarbor.com would like to extend an invitation to you to visit San Juan Island for a few days...or longer. But be careful, you may find yourself wanting to stay forever and make the islands your home. Check out the links below for additional information. Have questions? We'll be happy to answer them for you. Click Here . We will look forward to your visit.

    Advance Reservations are suggested for all activities and lodging.

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