Bowen Island sits in spectacular Howe Sound just a 20 minute ferry ride from West Vancouver via an 80 car ferry. Because of the proximity to downtown the majority of the islands year-round residents (approx. 3000 pop.) commute daily. As the ferry schedule is almost hourly, fitting a trip to the city into your day is no problem giving you the best of both worlds. If your day on the continent is a little longer, a 45 passenger water taxi (foot traffic only) runs nightly around midnight. There is an island bus service during rush hours and a 24 hr. taxi. Check out our new video by clicking here. You must have a broadband connection to view the movie (cable modem or DSL for instance).

We have an excellent resident physician, adjacent to the pharmacy and a professional 911 ambulance/paramedic team. Grocery shopping in Snug Cove (as downtown as we get) is very casual. Liquor & wine is available at the General Store, along with most everything else you require including video rentals. Several restaurants, pubs and a gourmet deli cater to you when you're "all" on vacation and the "Bushwacker's" deliver pizza and more most anytime. Fishing and yacht charters are available locally, with boat rentals in nearbyHorseshoe Bay. For the adventurous or just the curious, seasonal sea-kayak rentals and lessons are available, a great way to explore the surrounding waters. The island is a mecca to mountain bikers, and hikers enjoy the well maintained trails crisscrossing the landscape.

The Cottage

Situated on the Western shore of the island our WSW exposure affords you the longest summer days and spectacular sunsets. Access to Georgia Strait is immediate and sport fishing here (particularly salmon) is renowned and for the avid sailor the typical summer Westerly breezes make the surrounding waters a paradise. The cottage sits in a sunny clearing on a quiet and very private 1 acre of a 3 acre property surrounded by old growth firs and cedars approx. 150 ft. back from the shoreline with a driveway to your door. The beach is easily accessed by your own private gateway to a path that meanders alongside a lush fern filled creek to a very tranquil, safe and clean low-slope pebble swimming beach. Because of the exposure of the beach, swimming throughout the summer can be enjoyed until well into the evening and on a busy summer weekend the beach rarely has a population of more than a handful. A guest deep water mooring buoy, suitable for boats to 30 ft. is just off the beach but boaters must provide their own dinghy transport ashore.

A classic 1000 Sq. Ft. West Coast post & beam design with spruce ceilings throughout and an open living room/dining area with a "Casablanca" ceiling fan and a stone fireplace. Centrally heated and carpeted with double glazed picture windows and French doors that open onto a further 1000 square feet of step-down sundecks. A separate gated private hot-tub deck along with an outdoor hot shower by the beach entrance open onto the extensively landscaped grounds. The decks are comfortably furnished and include a barbecue and outdoor kitchen area. The living room area includes cable TV, VCR, Stereo (with CD and Cassette players), telephone and rattan furnishings. One sofa opens to a double hide-a-bed for extra accommodation. The kitchen is traditional "Galley Style" naturally lit and containing all necessary appliances along with a micro wave,coffee maker(& grinder), blender, juicer, all the cooking implements and a variety of spices.

The master bedroom has a full bath/shower ensuite and the picture window enables you to enjoy the eagles and passing boat traffic from your king size bed. A ceiling fan allows you to keep the room at your own comfort level. The second bedroom contains 2 twin beds (that can be modified to another king size bed upon request) naturally lit and adjacent to a second full bathroom. All bedding, sheets, towels (NOT Beach towels) etc. are on hand, but maid service and laundry service is not supplied. The cottage has an apartment size washer and dryer. As this is a Nonsmoking home and as a courtesy to others we ask that smoking be confined to outside. Your pets are welcome, but we ask "pet-parents" to be considerate of those who follow. Dog control regulations are enforced during the summer months on the beaches.

We want your stay to be relaxing "Island Style" so put your watch away and your feet up. To enable you to travel light, ideally you should find almost every little household item from a cork screw to an elastic band. As the ocean water is clean, clear and quite comfortable, snorkeling gear is always lots of fun to have. Of course if you are visiting us in the Winter when the face of the island is quite different, you may prefer to curl up in front of the open fire and watch the weather systems pass through (real firewood is always on hand).

Tennis and Sailing

Many of our guests have felt an urge to "taste" sailing while staying at Bluewater Cottage. Your hosts, being keen local sailors enjoy this pastime constantly during the summer months from right in "your front yard". Although not trained as sailing instructors, 15 years of competitive racing around these parts does gain you some definite experience. Our family boat is an exciting 26' custom performance cruiser and day-sailing adventures can easily be negotiated. You can select the perfect day, you can select the level of thrills required and we will show you the islands from a vantage point very few experience. Our private ocean front tennis court is regulation size and professionally surfaced with the "World Class" finish. The area surrounding the court has been landscaped to accommodate several viewing areas, complete with a mid-court shade garden for relaxing between games. Of course tennis is "complimentary" to our registered guests and professional coaching can be arranged. As the island tends to have a "micro-climate" often quite different from that of neighbouring Vancouver, our experience has shown that with the luck of a mild winter many great tennis days can be enjoyed virtually year-round.

Here is professional Susie Fought's thoughts on our tennis adventure. "Tennis at Bluewater Cottage is truly a magical experience. The spectacular ocean views and the tranquil forest setting provide an atmosphere unmatched anywhere. Their attention to detail in the construction of the court provides the tennis enthusiast with an exceptional surface allowing for quick drying, lots of shock absorption, and true even bounces with plenty of room for runbacks. As a competitive tennis player all of my life, I would highly recommend Bluewater Cottage for anyone who wants an incredible getaway and the chance to play on one of the most beautiful courts in BC."

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