Stardew Valley Ginger Island Guide

The Stardew Valley 1.5 update introduced many new and exciting things to keep us busy on our farms. It also brought to the party a new unlockable area with multiple side quests: Ginger Island. Here you will find a complete Stardew Valley Ginger Island guide, including how to unlock it and every side quest you will find there. 

Since this guide will explain every side quest in detail, you might run into some spoilers. All the information about what you get for completing each side quest will be in a separate section just underneath the side quest instructions. So if you want to keep the element of surprise, skip those sections and move on to the next side quest. 

It is also worth noting that the 1.5 update has not yet been released on mobile. The update will be coming to mobile devices, but a release date is yet to be confirmed. 

How to Unlock Ginger Island

To unlock all of the new adventures that await you on Ginger Island, there are a few things you need to do first. The first is the community center or the Joja Community Development Form. These are quests that are completed pretty late in the game, so if you’re new to Stardew Valley it might take you a while before you can embark on this new journey. 

Once you have completed the Joja Form or Community Center in its entirety, you will receive a letter from Willy, the Fisherman. In this letter, he will explain that he has something to show you in the back room of his shop. 

As shady as this sounds, all that he has to show you is a run-down boat that he hopes you will be able to fix up for him. To fix Willy’s boat, you need 5x Lightning Rods, 5x Iridium Bars, and 200x Hardwood. 

Once you have supplied Willy with all the above items, he can fix his boat. This boat is your ticket to Ginger Island. Well, actually, $1000 buys you a ticket to the island. When purchased, Willy will invite you aboard the boat and sail you over to the illusive Ginger Island. 

Fixing up Willy’s boat is the first step to embarking on your Ginger Island adventure!

Ginger Island Quests

Once you land on the sandy shores of Ginger Island, a number of tasks await you. You will see three paths: one to the north, one to the west, and one to the east. Only the eastern path will be accessible at this point. 

This path will take you to a little grove with a house at the end. On your way through the grove, you will notice your first Golden Walnut. These are a new currency on the island, and you will need them to bribe the local wildlife and complete quests. 

In total, there are 130 Golden Walnuts to find on the Island. You can find them by defeating enemies, completing quests, fishing, breaking rocks, digging them up, finding them laying around, and solving puzzles. 

The House in The Grove

Upon entering the house at the end of the grove, you will meet Leo. He is a new NPC introduced on the Island. Once you have interacted with Leo, the path to the north side of the island will open up.

Leo is one of the new NPC’s you will meet on Ginger Island

The Volcano

Once you head up the northern path, you will find yourself at the foot of a volcano. To get inside the dungeon, you will need a steel watering can at the very least in order to cool four tiles at once. Water the lava, cooling it down and creating a path you can walk across.

The Volcano works similarly to the mines but only has ten floors. There is also no elevator here, so there is no way to save your progress. The Volcano is more challenging than Skull Cavern. So the best way to complete the dungeon is by stocking up on food and bombs and setting off in the morning to ensure you have enough time to get to the end. 

Completing The Volcano Dungeon

On the tenth floor of the Volcano, you will find your prize for completing the dungeon. If you want to keep this a surprise, stop reading here and skip to the next quest guide. 

At the end of the Volcano, you will find the Forge. The Forge is a great tool that allows you to combine items, providing you with a single item that has multiple perks. 

One great combination to use is infusing something with the Vampire and Soul Sapper abilities. This would provide you with one item that gives you the ability to both gain health after slaying an enemy, and energy after slaying an enemy. 

This technique can be used on tools, rings, and weapons. You can also change the appearance of your weapons, and more. The Forge has many different advantages that are well worth exploring. 

Once you reach the end of the dungeon, a shortcut to the Forge will open up to you. So you don’t have to make it through all ten levels to get there again. 

You will need your watering can to create a path into the Volcano

Professor Snail and the Island Field Office

To get to the western side of the Island you first must bribe the nearby parrot with 10 Golden Walnuts. He will then rudely awaken the tortoise sleeping at the mouth of the path, clearing the way for you. 

Once you enter the western path, you will find another greedy parrot that demands 10 more Golden Walnuts to repair the bridge. 

Upon crossing the bridge, you will find a large boulder blocking an entrance to a cave. Blow up the boulder with a bomb, and rescue the man stuck inside. 

This is Professor Snail, and he has a quest for you. He wants you to help him complete his fossil collection. He also has a pop quiz, where he will ask how many Purple Flowers and Starfish are on the island. These answers will be included below if you don’t feel like going around the entire Island counting them yourself.  

Like all NPC’s, Professor Snail needs you to do something for him.

Completing Professor Snails’ Quest

Once you have completed Professor Snails’ fossil collection and answered the questions in his pop quiz (Purple Flowers = 22 and Starfish = 18), he has some gifts to thank you for your help. 

Professor Snail gives you 13 Golden Walnuts, a Mango Tree Sapling, a Banana Tree Sapling, and an Ostrich incubator to put in your barn. You can find an Ostrich Egg hidden in a chest in the Volcano, and by finding journal scrap #10. 

The Farmhouse

On your way to the far west side of the island, you will find some ruins. Give the greedy parrot 20 Golden Walnuts to fix it back up, and you have an entirely new farmhouse. 

Plants from any season will grow here at all times, and you don’t have to worry about any crows affecting your crops as they don’t spawn here. Maybe they are afraid of the parrots. The only downside to the Ginger Island farm is that Robin can’t build anything for you there. 

Once you have built the Farmhouse, you can also unlock the Island Trader where you can purchase seeds, and an Obelisk that you can use to fast-travel back to your farm in Stardew Valley. 

The farm acts like the greenhouse, allowing you to grow crops from any season.

The Resort

After building the Farmhouse, you will find a new parrot has set up shop in the middle of the rubble just north of where Willy drops you off on the Island. The parrot demands 20 Golden Walnuts. In return, he will transform the rubble into an Island Resort that NPCs from Stardew Valley can visit.  

Pirate’s Cove

Once the Island Resort has been built, the path at the bottom right-hand corner of the beach will become unblocked. This cove holds several more secrets. 

When it rains, you can find the Mermaid from the night market, and a new mini-game that where you can win more Golden Walnuts. 

On every even day of the month that it isn’t raining, Pirates will appear in the Cove. You can play darts with the Pirates, and will be rewarded with 3 Golden Walnuts for beating him 3 times. 

The Pirate’s have an awesome hideout in a cave on Ginger Island

Birdie’s Quest

On the Island’s west beach, you will find the Pirate’s wife, Birdie. She mentions that her husband died years ago and gives you the only picture she has left of him. 

If you give the picture of the pirate to Kent, he recognizes him from the war and gives you a Random Spice. 

Give the Random Spice to Gus, who will give you a Rose. 

Give the Rose to Sandy, who will give you a TV Remote. 

Give the TV Remote to George, who will give you a Magic Ice Stone. 

Give the Magic Ice Stone to the Wizard, who will give you a Worm.

Give the Worm to Willy, who will give you a Locket. 

Bring the Locket back to Birdie.

You will find Birdie fishing at the beach

Completing Birdie’s Quest

In return for her long lost locket, Birdie will give you some Golden Walnuts and a recipe for Fairy Dust. Fairy dust can be used to make any artisan equipment on your farm process ingredients immediately. 

Secret Room on the West Side of the Island

After collecting 100 Golden Walnuts, you can gain access to Mr. Qi’s Wanut Room on the western side of the Island. Here, you can access a Perfection Tracker, a Special Order Board, and a Vending Machine that sells items in exchange for Qi Gems. 

Qi Gems can only be collected once you have gained entry into Mr. Qi’s secret room. You can receive Qi Gems in exchange for Golden Walnuts. 

That concludes our Stardew Valley Ginger Island guide. All that’s left now is to enjoy your time on the Island! Stardew Valley often receives updates containing even more content to look forward to. So make sure you keep your eyes peeled for more Stardew Valley guides and secrets.