Langley, Washington

We have been tempted to stop in Langley, a small town sitting on the east side of Whidbey Island, right along Saratoga Passage, but had never been able to snag a spot at the harbor. Fortunately, on an unseasonably cold week in early April, there was plenty of room.

It’s got limited docking for larger boats, but it’s a nice facility just a short distance from town. We got a spot on the outer dock, between the concrete outer dock and the breakwater.

An overhead view of harbor at Langley, with Eventide in the middle of the outer dock

I believe the port technically is called South Whidbey Harbor at Langley. There is a great little beach at the end of the docks and, at low tide, you can walk a long way south. We spotted nesting Bald Eagles keeping a watch from the trees above. Kids will have fun paying with the driftwood on the beach - our kids enjoyed it for hours.

Panorama view of the harbor at Langley, with Camano Island across the way.

Town is just a short walk up the hill and has many shops and restaurants. It’s just a couple of square blocks, but there are bookstores, coffee shops, restaurants, a grocery / general mercantile store, and several artist studios. We spent a pleasant evening and morning exploring town and grabbing a great lunch at the Braeburn.

An overhead view of Langley looking west from Saratoga Passage

The Inn at Langley sits right on the water and beachfront in front of town. We learned that originally the main pier was off this beach, but it was badly damaged in store, hence the move of it south to where the harbor is now. The beach is another great walking beach, with dramatic cliffs of glacial sediment from the repeated glaciation of the region.

Langley is a gem of spot and great place to spend a night as you either travel north or south on the inside of Whidbey Island. There aren’t many great stops immediately nearby and this little town and harbor and well worth trying to spend a night (or two) at.