The Heriot Bay Inn was founded in 1895 by Mr. Hosea Arminius Bull; the building visible today was built in 1912. Heriot Bay combines this local history with cultural offerings and opportunities for paddling and hiking on Quadra Island. This offers different focuses for planning a trip: culture in town, the ferry connection to Cortes Island, and destinations and trails in the north of the island. This mix helps you weigh your interests for a stay without assuming a fixed itinerary.
Local History and Culture
The University of Quadra is an informal lecture series at the Heriot Bay Inn. It has been running for over a decade and takes place on Wednesdays from October to May. Check the current schedule before your visit to make sure a lecture falls within your travel dates.
At the end of the year, the University of Quadra celebrates its graduates with a ball featuring formal attire and dancing. The specific dates may vary; if the ball is important to your trip, check the dates. Copper Coast Gallery and Gifts provides another cultural highlight. The shop in Heriot Bay on Quadra Island showcases artists from the West Coast, many of whom are from Quadra Island and Cortes Island. Heriot Bay thus offers both a lecture series and a showcase of artists with ties to the two islands.
Paddling and Experiencing Nature
No experience is required for kayaking tours with Quadra Island Kayaks. The operator’s paddling routes in Heriot Bay pass rocks where resident Pacific harbour seals gather. Whether you see wildlife on a particular tour can vary. Paddling therefore combines an on-the-water activity with the opportunity to observe wildlife along the routes.
In the area around Heriot Bay, Main Lake Park on Quadra Island offers opportunities for wilderness recreation, including wilderness camping, canoeing, kayaking and hiking. The park brings together several ways to enjoy nature: in addition to activities on the water, there is wilderness camping and hiking.
Ferry and Northern Quadra Island
BC Ferries sail from the Heriot Bay ferry terminal to Whaletown on Cortes Island. Check the schedule for your travel day if you plan to use this connection. This also makes it possible to combine a visit to Heriot Bay with a trip that includes Cortes Island.
Heriot Bay serves as a gateway to the northern part of Quadra Island. Destinations there include Granite Bay, Bold Point, Surge Narrows, Walcan, the Main Lakes Chain, Open Bay and Village Bay Lake. Many hiking trails also cross the upper part of the island. If you want to explore the landscape on foot, you can consider these trails as a separate activity option alongside paddling. The place names listed mark individual destinations, while the hiking trails cross the upper part of the island.
Discover more destinations: Mansons Landing, Refuge Cove, Comox-Strathcona G, Kyuquot, Whaletown, Sayward, Minstrel Island
For the broader travel overview: Strathcona.
