San Juan Island is the most popular island of the San Juan Islands in Washington state. These islands are gorgeous little microcosms of the Pacific Northwest where you can experience everything the bountiful sea and land has to offer— from waterfront fine dining to sea kayaking, whale watching tours or even float-plane rides! Roche Harbor Resort on San Juan Island is the premier marina with world-class marina hosts and an excellent seaside resort. And here at OrcasCars, we’ve got all your Roche Harbor car rental needs under control!
Roche Harbor Car Rental
On San Juan Island, there is plenty of choices for a Roche Harbor car rental and a Friday Harbor car rental— OrcasCars & M&W Auto rent cars here! Both companies make it easy to pick up and drop off your car from either Friday Harbor or Roche Harbor.
OrcasCars.com
OrcasCars offers brand new cars with high-tech features. Their website is very easy to use! Setting up a reservation is all done online. After finding a car and dates for your rental you show proof of insurance and sign a rental agreement. You’ll then have only to find your car at the agreed-upon pickup location. If you are looking for an easy setup and a new car this is the perfect option for you.
M&W Auto specializes in affordable cars at a decent price. Their website says to keep in mind that their cars are “older reliable” cars. This company is a neat alternative if you are looking for something out of the ordinary; in addition to regular type renter sedans, they offer convertibles, up to 15 passenger buses, euro vans, trailers, and pickup trucks.
Getting Around San Juan Island
To get to the island you take a ferry! You can drive your car onto the ferry to San Juan Island from either Sydney Canada or Anacortes, Washington state. From Seattle to Anacortes is about a two-hour drive. The ferry reservations are easy to make online.
As far as getting around San Juan, there are the cutest little country roads that weave through farmed fields and patches of forest and eventually line along the far edge of the island. If you would rather not drive yourself around, there is a Roche Harbor/Friday Harbor Shuttle that will take you around to different tourist locations on the island. They keep a pretty tight run so make sure you check out their schedule before planning your trip.
Roche Harbor Ferry (There Isn’t One)
One of the things that Roche Harbor doesn’t have is a ferry. There is no Washington State Ferry to Roche Harbor— the only ferry to this whole island lands at Friday Harbor. To get to Roche Harbor you either need a small watercraft that you can park at the marina, a car to drive in from Friday Harbor, or a flight into Roche Harbor’s airport.
Roche Harbor Airport
If you are wanting to have your own car to do whatever you’d like when you like but you’d rather not drive all the way to Anacortes, plus a ferry— whew! — taking a plane to Roche Harbor Resort is a super fun option. Located right next door to the Resort, the Roche Harbor Airport sports a couple of different options for flying in, such as Kenmore Air and San Juan Airlines. This means you can simply fly into SeaTac and catch another flight to Roche Harbor for a gorgeous sky view of the San Juans. I just took my first flight out of the San Juans back to Seatac with Kenmore Air and it was so stunning! The flight here just might be your favorite part of the trip!
Roche Harbor Resort
Roche Harbor Hotels
At this outstanding resort, there are many options for lodging. The resort hosts a number of different types of suites, cabins, and condos in either waterfront or resort side styles. There are suites located in the main resort area and overlooking the marina as well as condos and suites located in a waterfront area. To make a reservation call (800) 451-8910 or 360-378-9820.
If you’d like to stay somewhere off the Resort property for a little quieter getaway, there are a few options. Lakedale Resort is practically next door to Roche Harbor at a mile away and offers several different kinds of stays. In addition to regular suites in their lodge, they offer glamping and camping, yurts, and cabin stays. With three lakes to swim, fish, and more in this is a great option for families!
Snug Harbor is another option for staying near Roche Harbor, though it is around four miles away. This sweet little gem offers modern styled cabin stays with 1-2 rooms and different sized beds that overlooks the resort’s marina. They offer complimentary paddleboards, kayaks, and bikes with each room, making this resort a great stay for outdoor enthusiasts.
Roche Harbor Rentals
Whether you’ve flown in, driven onto the ferry or sailed into the marina, San Juan has a lot of rental options to offer! Don’t miss a thing with these Roche Harbor Rentals.
AirBnB
In addition to Resorts and Hotels, there are several options for AirBnBs near Roche Harbor. Four of these rentals are within a couple of miles of the Resort, while many others are scattered around with quite a few rentals in Friday Harbor. For a more customizable PNW trip get an AirBnB here.
Outdoor Adventure Rental
One of the top activities in the San Juans is sea kayaking. To avoid having to lug your kayak all the way here, rent a kayak or paddleboard with San Juan Outfitters. They offer an open-faced kayak, or classic sea kayak as well as paddleboards for an hourly rate. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon in the PNW!
Mopeds and Bikes
I recently went to San Juan Island and in between my errands had some time to poke around the island a bit. While I was driving around, I saw the cutest little red mopeds all over the place! Everywhere I went I felt like I saw them! These mopeds are rentable from Susie’s Mopeds. Not only does she have mopeds, but she has electric bikes as well! Have some fun as you make your way around San Juan Island!
To engage with the landscape a bit more, rent a bike from Meat Machine Bicycles. They’re located just a couple blocks away from the ferry terminal in Friday Harbor and offer many different types of bikes to get yourself around the beautiful island.
