The San Juan Islands offer a treasure trove of vacation homes in the heart of Puget Sound. Part of the charm that attracts second homeowners is the fact that each island has a character of its own - both in terms of geography as well as the lifestyle of the people who live there.
The four islands served by the Washington State Ferry System - Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, and Shaw - are the usual destinations for weekend getaways and extended stay vacations. Here, second homeowners and vacation goers enjoy kayaking, bicycling, whale watching, and of course, relaxing.
The remaining islands, about 40 of which are inhabited, can only be accessed through special arrangement. The majority of the San Juan Islands are quite hilly, with some flat areas and valleys in between. The coastlines are a mixed bag of sandy and rocky beaches, shallow and deep harbors, placid and reef-studded bays.
Gnarled, ochre-colored madrona trees grace much of the shorelines, while evergreen fir and pine forests cover large inland areas. Eighty-three of these islands are protected as part of the San Juan Wildlife Refuge, home to seabirds, seals and sea lions. About 90 Orca whales are year-round residents of the area.