Roche Harbor

A PIECE OF HISTORY TO THIS BOATER’S PARADISE

BOOK A FLIGHT

FLOAT AWAY TO THIS BOATER’S PARADISE

Step off your Kenmore Air floatplane and onto the dock of a boater’s paradise. Roche Harbor is located on the north end of San Juan Island, home to an incredible resort featuring 19th-Century clapboard buildings, pristine gardens, and unbeatable sunsets. Looking to be pampered: there’s a full-service spa. Want to get out on the water: This is the perfect starting point, and once you get back, there are three restaurants on-site, a shopping market, and the justifiably renowned donuts at the Lime Kiln Cafe.

The Roche Harbor Resort is luxurious, it is historic and it is absolutely unique with its brick-lined paths and expansive properties. A trip from Seattle requires almost four hours aboard a ferry and then a 20-minute drive on the island, but it’s just 60 minutes in the air aboard one of Kenmore Air’s float planes. You’ll arrive at the 377-slip marina at the site of what was once a company town for John McMillan’s lime works and is now an utterly unique Northwest vacation destination.

SEAPLANE

FLOATPLANE

Fly to Roche Harbor year-round from either Kenmore Air Harbor or Lake Union, arriving at the pier aboard one of Kenmore Air’s six-seat de Havilland Beavers or 10-seat Otters. If you’re seeking something more intimate, the Cessna 180 is a two to three passenger floatplane that is the most economical charter option. Sorry, no complimentary baggage storage on-site.

suitcase

ACCOMMODATIONS

The Roche Harbor Resort is a piece of Northwest history with the longest continuously operating hotel and it is a posh getaway with a full-service spa. Former President Teddy Roosevelt and the actor John Wayne. Today, your lodging choices range from a fully modern home to a quaint cottage to one of the 20 rooms in the historic Hotel de Haro. Tucked away on the west side of the island at Mitchell Bay, Snug Harbor Resort is a hidden gem, offering cabins and suites with vaulted ceilings and upscale rustic interiors.

kayak

ACTIVITIES

Orca whales draw the majority of the attention in the San Juan Islands, and deservedly so. They’re remarkable. But whether it’s minke whales, stellar sea lions, or osprey, there is so much to see and booking a wildlife tour in advance is the best way to make sure you don’t miss out. There’s a local distillery, a 20-acre sculpture park sits at Roche Harbor and again, don’t forget the donuts at the Lime Kiln Cafe.

ROCHE HARBOR

Maps were disabled by the visitor on this site. Click to open the map in a new window.

SAN JUAN ISLANDS: QUIET SEASON

To say that it’s a quiet season for tourism implies something missing, but in the winter months on San Juan Island, quiet can be the whole point of your visit. Lush and serene. Silent and soulful. The overcast skies are like a blanket, tucking you in to a weekend of deep and lasting peace. Touch down, tune out, recharge. (Video by Rock Island Media)

PRIMARY CTA