A perfect visit to Coupeville, the enchanting Pacific Northwest seaport from the 1998 cult classic, ‘Practical Magic’
Relive scenes from the famous Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman movie while exploring this quaint coastal town.
Do you remember Practical Magic, the movie that had women of the aughts casting spells with their covens and drinking midnight margaritas while dancing barefoot to “Coconuts” in the kitchen?
If not, let me jog your memory: In the film, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman portray Sally and Gillian Owens, two orphaned witches whose mother died from heartbreak due to a family curse. The girls live with their witchy aunts in a statuesque coastal mansion — the gloriously spooky, somewhat ecclectic kind with cauldrons bubbling on the stovetop. There, they are tutored in all things magic and refine their gifts for spellcasting. They light candles with a gentle blow of their breath, send flower petals floating through the midnight sky and, oh yes — bring back the possessed spirit of an evil ex-boyfriend.
It’s a feminist cult classic, one that writer Brianne Hogan described as the kind of movie that “gives us permission to embrace the ‘little witch inside of us’ and daydream” about a more magical life.
But you actually don't have to daydream to experience a nostalgic return to Practical Magic. The bewitching setting in which Sandra Bullock leaps into the arms of her spellbound lover at the farmer’s market is real. It’s Coupeville, Washington — a historic town on Whidbey Island, a seahorse-shaped isle at the mouth of the Puget Sound.
I visited Coupeville in early September. The number of events that had to go right for me to land there on the first crisp, autumnal morning of the year felt like, well, magic. The temperature was uncharacteristically cool. Orange fallen leaves crunched under my feet. Crows cawed. And as I drove along the waterfront backroad from my cozy lagoonside room at the 117-year-old Captain Whidbey Inn, a black cat with spellbinding jade eyes emerged from the bushes and sat on the side of the road.
Most importantly, I was carrying with me the giddy knowledge that talks of a Practical Magic sequel were underway between the two iconic costars. Talk about wishes being granted. If you find yourself pulled like I was to this mystical coastal setting, here’s how you can spend a perfect day-long itinerary in Coupeville.
Caffeinate with a view at Beaver Tales Coffee
Start your morning with a waterfront wake-me-up at Beaver Tales Coffee, located inside the historic Coupeville Wharf. The friendly husband-wife duo of Swinomish tribal member Tony Cladusbid and Michelle Cladusbid, an adopted member of the Tlingit tribe, own the cafe. Its profits fund education and outreach about Coupeville’s indigenous history and heritage.
“We're acknowledging the fact that this area is ceded territory of an original people who lived here, thrived here and had commerce here,” Michelle told me over a steaming cup of the house’s fair-trade Canoe Roast. “We are the only indigenous business owned by a tribal member in the town.”
Michelle explained that the couple's choice to move into the historic Coupeville Wharf location marks the first phase of a long-term project to transform the site, which sits on Tony’s ancestral land of the Lower Skagit tribe, into a cultural hub where all are invited.
Relive 'Practical Magic' with a self-guided tour through Coupeville’s charming shops and historic sites
Instead of relying on movie memories, why not explore the town where Practical Magic was filmed? Look out for these spots:
The film crew converted Toby’s Tavern into "The Catch and Fry," a fictional diner in the movie.
Molka Xete on Front Street served as "Verbena Botanicals," the shop owned by Sandra Bullock’s character, Sally.
The building at 1 Front St NW, built in 1889, originally operated as the Glenwood Hotel. It is featured in the background of several movie scenes.
A Touch of Dutch market still uses one of the facades created for the movie (it was reportedly placed over the post office).
Sally (Bullock) uses a trail twice in the movie that appears to connect the aunts’ home to the main street area. In reality, that trail cut through Coupeville Town Park.
The sign hanging out front at Kapaw's Iskreme is also a former prop that the business kept up.
Scenes set during the farmer’s market were said to have been stocked with real produce from local farms and seafood donated by Penn Cove Shellfish, which has operated in the region since 1975.
Where can the aunts’ stately (but spooky) home be found? The multi-story house with a wraparound porch was just a pop-up structure that filmmakers tore down after shooting. Most of the indoor scenes from the mansion were filmed on a Los Angeles soundstage.
If you’re on Whidbey Island around the end of October, visitors can soon attend Coupeville's upcoming Practical Magic anniversary screening. Don’t miss the torchlight parade and pumpkin race!
Grab tacos at Molka Xete Mexican Kitchen
Eat lunch at Molka Xete on Front Street, where you can enjoy a tasty Mexican-inspired meal prepared by owners Veronica and Mario Saenz, another enterprising husband-wife duo. The couple infuses flavors from their childhood upbringing in southern Texas and Mexico into menu items that span breakfast, lunch and dinner. Enjoy scrumptious carne asada, slow-cooked beef and local rockfish served with fresh avocado. For a veggie option, load up on sauteed eggplant and a Mexican-style baked potato.
As you walk from Toby’s Tavern to Molka Xete (remember: that's the site of Sally’s apothecary shop in the movie), look for the white picket fence along Front Street. It was built for the film and still stands today.
Visit the Island County Historical Museum
After lunch, walk over to the Island County Historical Museum and check out the exhibit on native communities who have inhabited the Whidbey and Camano Islands region for more than 10,000 years. Take this interactive map that identifies at least 15 groups of Coast Salish Peoples, including the Snohomish, Lower Skagit, and Kikiallus. Before contact with Europeans, Tony mentioned that indigenous communities organized themselves into family groups instead of "tribes," which he described as more of a European concept.
Explore the great outdoors
Now, it’s time to zoom out a bit and observe your natural surroundings. The geography of Whidbey Island is defined by Penn Cove, a large aquatic inlet that transforms the verdant landmass into something of a squiggle. The land immediately surrounding Penn Cove is a historical reserve known as Ebey’s Landing, which has a long history of maritime trade thanks to the warm waters flowing from the nearby Skagit River. “We have abundant shellfish here,” Eric Cheong, one of the three owners who bought Captain Whidbey Inn in 2018, told me. “This has been a huge nexus of activity for millennia.”
Tony, whose family history reaches back to pre-colonial times, affirmed Cheong’s statement: “The reserve is all of our original land,” he told me. “To the south of us was the Snohomish and the Tulalips. To the north of us was the Samish and the Lummi. There was no ownership of land, but it was ours.”
Be sure to give yourself time to explore these culturally significant natural areas. Begin with a visit to Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. Then, for a fun adventure, head to Price Sculpture Forest, a unique park where art and nature blend under the canopy. Stroll through the forest trails and admire the sculptures woven into the landscape. For an added dose of zen, walk the sculpture garden at Earth Sanctuary or hike along Wilbert Trail for scenic views. You can also enjoy the coastal beauty of Libbey Beach Park for a quiet, relaxing afternoon by the water.
Have a sunset dinner at Oystercatcher
Cap off your day with an unforgettable dinner at Oystercatcher, one of Coupeville’s favorite restaurants. My dinner on the deck provided an idyllic setting for watching the sunset over the water. Owners Sophia Kitay and Chef Ben Jones made some changes to the restaurant when they bought and reopened it in June 2023 — namely, a light rebranding and painting — but kept the original name that's been an important part of the local fabric for over 25 years. Kitay told me as I sipped a refreshing glass of orange wine that Chef Ben's menu is seasonal and focused on local ingredients, with plenty of ongoing changes to reflect what’s abundant. I enjoyed a locally sourced salad with all the essential flavors: stone fruits, beets, pistachios and burrata. My main dish, a perfectly seasoned grilled rockfish sitting atop a bold kumquat puree, delighted my palate with a tangy brightness and just a hint of spice.
Drink up Captain Whidbey Inn’s haunted history—which might make you rethink bedtime
After sunset, I turned in at Captain Whidbey Inn, a six-acre waterfront spot on Penn Cove. Nestled among fir trees, the property has a private lagoon, dock and chef’s garden out front. Turning the cool brass doorknob and stepping across the creaky wood floors of the reception area felt as magical as the town of Coupeville itself. I immediately noticed a fire crackling in the 112-year-old fireplace.
While sipping my bourbon old-fashioned at the bar, I bumped into owner Eric Cheong. A designer, Cheong has a unique connection to Practical Magic. Leading up to its opening in 2009, he worked with the distinguished design firm Roman and Williams on the Ace Hotel New York. Cheong told me that Roman and Williams founders Stephen Alesch and Robin Standefer first met one another while working as production designers for Practical Magic. This serendipitous connection took on new meaning when Cheong and his colleagues decided to purchase Captain Whidbey, a storied Coupeville establishment, in 2018.
Inspired by my bewitching day and the arrival of spooky season, I asked Cheong about ghosts. An inn so historic must have its secrets, I thought as I pried for more. He told me guests at Captain Whidbey have reported a few anecdotal sightings of a pale redheaded woman in colonial attire drifting through Room 7 and peering out through the window. He also shared a bizarre tale of floating glassware caught on security cameras behind the bar — a mystery he let me ponder without any clear answers.
Speaking of the bar, it features a poetic touch. Literally. Look closely at the tile design, and you’ll notice Morse code. The pattern is a translation of a line by David Whyte, a revered Anglo-Irish poet with ties to Whidbey. As you sip your drink, you can decode his words, hopefully adding a layer of quiet reflection to the cozy, historic atmosphere.
Now, it’s time for you to retire to bed. If you’re too spooked, perhaps you should think twice before turning off the lights, unless that is, you’re not afraid of the dark.
The author’s passion for every trip she writes about is sincere. Some trips may be hosted, but hosting organizations have no control over articles before they're published.
Megan DeMatteo is an independent journalist, editor and creative writer currently based in New York City. She has written for Dwell, Fodor's Travel, Sherwood News, Marie Claire, Insider and more. Her first trip abroad was to Costa Rica, and she's since studied in Valparaíso, Chile and Dublin, Ireland, where she performed a séance in Oscar Wilde's former dorm room.
