Planning a week in the San Juan Islands sounds simple until the chart opens. Forty-five named islands, hundreds of coves, two countries’ worth of customs rules, and tidal currents that humble any skipper who ignores them. The working itinerary below is built around realistic day-sails — not magazine-fantasy miles. For the canonical archipelago overview see the San Juan Islands Cruising Guide.
Day 1: Shilshole Bay to Anacortes (50 nm)
Leave Shilshole at first light to catch the ebb through Admiralty Inlet. Motor or sail north past Whidbey Island. Arrive Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes mid-afternoon — time to provision at the grocery two blocks from the dock. Walk the Cap Sante headland for the first real panorama of the islands ahead. Reserve fuel here; reliable diesel gets scarce once the boat is island-hopping.
Overnight. Cap Sante Marina, Anacortes. Transient slips, full amenities, walking distance to restaurants. See the Anacortes & Fidalgo Island guide.
Day 2: Anacortes to Sucia Island (18 nm)
Sucia is the working showpiece. Leave early, transit Guemes Channel, and arrive before the weekend crowd claims the mooring buoys. Sucia is a Washington State Park — about 50 mooring buoys, no permanent facilities. Kayak the Fox Cove shoreline, hike the bluff trail, collect fossils on the northeast beach. Watch the sunset from the point with a sundowner.
Overnight. Sucia Island State Park moorings or anchor in Echo Bay. First-come, first-served. See the Best San Juan Islands Anchorages.
Day 3: Sucia to Friday Harbor (20 nm via Patos optional)
A side-trip to Patos Island (the northwest corner of the US San Juans) adds 4 miles and a working lighthouse worth seeing. Then south through Boundary Pass into Friday Harbor — the only real town in the islands. Customs kiosks at the Port of Friday Harbor dock; US citizens can clear through the CBP ROAM app. Fuel, showers, groceries, and the working best fish tacos afloat in the islands.
Overnight. Port of Friday Harbor. Book ahead on summer weekends.
Day 4: Friday Harbor — day trip to Roche Harbor and Lime Kiln
No sailing today. Rent a moped or bicycle and ride the 10-mile loop to Roche Harbor Resort (once a lime-mining operation, now an institution). Have lunch at McMillin’s, see the Afterglow Vista mausoleum, and return for sundowners in Friday Harbor. In the afternoon, anchor off Lime Kiln State Park — among the better land-based orca-watching spots on the West Coast. Resident J, K, L pods pass this point regularly from June through October.
Day 5: Friday Harbor to Deer Harbor, Orcas Island (12 nm)
Cross the short passage to Orcas Island and take a slip at Deer Harbor Marina. Orcas is the largest of the San Juans and its topography — carved by glaciers into a horseshoe shape — makes it feel bigger than it is. Rent a car and drive to the summit of Mount Constitution (2,409 ft) for a 360° view of the entire archipelago. On a clear day the view takes in the Olympics, the Cascades, and Vancouver Island. See the Orcas Island guide.
Overnight. Deer Harbor Marina or anchor in West Sound.
Day 6: Deer Harbor to Spencer Spit, Lopez Island (14 nm)
Spencer Spit State Park is a sandspit that extends into Swifts Bay, creating a protected lagoon perfect for dinghies and kayaks. Anchor off the spit or take one of the mooring buoys. Lopez has a reputation for friendly locals and excellent cycling — the roads are flat and drivers wave. Walk to Lopez Village for the working bakery (Lopez Island Creamery for ice cream as well). See the Lopez Island guide.
Overnight. Spencer Spit State Park anchorage.
Day 7: Lopez Island back to Anacortes (14 nm)
An easy last day. Transit Thatcher Pass and return to Anacortes for a final dinner ashore before the passage home.
Common working mistakes
Underestimating currents. Deception Pass, Obstruction Pass, and Cattle Pass all have tidal current that can exceed 6 knots at maximum flood. Time them or go around. See Tides & Currents.
Not reserving ahead in July–August. Friday Harbor moorage sells out. Call Cap Sante. Book Roche Harbor for a slip. Or anchor out — there is almost always room to swing a hook.
Forgetting to clear customs. Non-citizens arriving from Sidney, BC or other Canadian stops must report. US citizens can use the CBP ROAM app or call the customs line from designated reporting docks.
Practical notes
- Best season. June–September. July and August are the driest; June and September have fewer crowds and nearly as much sun.
- VHF channel. Monitor 16; working channel 68 in the islands.
- Fuel. Anacortes, Friday Harbor, Roche Harbor, and Deer Harbor. Fill up when convenient.
- Tides. NOAA station 9449880 (Friday Harbor) is the reference for the islands.
Closing notes
The 7-day itinerary above is the working San Juans introduction. The boat that returns next year extends the trip — north into the Gulf Islands, west to Stuart Island, deeper into the smaller anchorages on Shaw or Blakely. The first week is the working introduction; the second week is the sailor’s own list of which islands to revisit.
The boat that has done the working week — Anacortes, Sucia, Friday Harbor, Roche/Lime Kiln, Orcas/Mount Constitution, Spencer Spit, Anacortes — has done the canonical first San Juans cruise.
Related: San Juan Islands Cruising Guide · San Juans First-Timer Tips · Best San Juan Islands Anchorages · Orcas Island Cruising Guide · Lopez Island Cruising Guide · Anacortes & Fidalgo Island · San Juans to Gulf Islands