Gulf Islands’ best offerings include nature, tranquility

SATURNA ISLAND, British Columbia – The woman behind the counter at the general store seemed nice enough, so I popped the question.

“So, what do people do for fun around here?”

“Not much, really,” she said, shrugging. “Not now.”

I understood. Outside, it was cold and cloudy. A light rain fell, and the road leading east from the ferry harbor was deserted. In the summer, there are kayakers, hikers, bicyclists and visitors lounging on beaches — but right now, in early spring, it felt as if I had the place to myself.

I didn’t, of course. At East Point, on the far end of idyllic Saturna Island, a man walked his two dogs over a damp, grassy plain overlooking the water. A couple of tourists rode their bikes along a narrow stretch of road that offered brilliant views of the gulf and the dense forest. I met a woman who let me follow her truck to a popular lookout point, then gave me a tour of her family’s two-room vacation cabin.

Most people who come to Saturna – or any of the larger Gulf Islands clustered in the Strait of Georgia, off British Columbia – look for outdoor activities that make use of the natural resources. But even strolling along an empty beach, or sitting beneath a canopy of towering fir trees on a wet morning can make for an enjoyable trip.

There are about 200 Gulf Islands scattered between Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland, and among the largest and most popular are Salt Spring, Saturna, Galiano, Mayne and Pender – all easily accessible by ferry or seaplane and all distinctly different.

The Gulf Islands look a lot like their southern cousins, the San Juan Islands, but are even more remote. “People who go to both are looking for the same experience,” says Mika Ryan, a manager with Tourism British Columbia. “What’s special about our islands is that … all have a distinct flavor and a local feel. We almost have an island for everyone.”

Each of the larger islands has beaches and bays, hiking trails and farmland, bluffs and parks. But Salt Spring is almost cosmopolitan, with a small downtown, a variety of restaurants, a grocery store and several retail shops. Saturna is pleasantly desolate – one cafe, two general stores, thick forests and empty roads that are as likely to be occupied by deer and wild turkeys as they are by cars. Galiano is long and narrow, a feast for bird-watchers, with bays that open to views of passing ferry boats.

In two days, after rising early both mornings to drive my rental car onto ferries, I toured three islands — and viewed many others from the decks of boats operated by BC Ferries that hop from island to island, a kind of seafaring highway for residents and tourists.

It’s really the only way to see the islands, unless you opt for the more expensive and less time-consuming seaplanes, which offer their own spectacular views. But taking a ferry allows you to bring a car, a necessity for anyone wanting to explore the islands.

And unless you simply want to hunker down at a bed and breakfast or rent a cabin for a few days, touring the islands to visit beaches and lookout points is the best way to enjoy them.

Another way is to soak up the views from a distance. My first morning, after arriving in Vancouver the previous evening and taking a ferry to Victoria, on Vancouver Island, I stood on the deck of a ferry boat and watched Salt Spring Island rise impressively on our approach. Like the other islands, it’s lush and green, with rugged mountains at the southern end and homes dotting the curved shoreline.

But it’s neither small nor uninhabited. At 70 square miles and with 83 miles of coastline, Salt Spring is the largest of the Gulf Islands. It also has about 10,000 permanent residents, many of them artists or musicians and more than a few looking like leftovers from the hippie generation – long, gray hair and beards, mix-and-match clothes, peaceful smiles.

In the village of Ganges, the commercial center of the island, they blend in well with the local scenery. There are plenty of coffeehouses and bookstores along Lower Ganges Road and McPhillips Avenue, but also businesses serving the macrobiotic crowd: registered midwives, massage therapists, acupressure and biofeedback specialists.

And lots of art galleries. Many artisans live and work on the island, including painters, potters, jewelry makers, weavers and sculptors. Although I visited on a weekday, Saturdays from April to October are said to be quite popular because artists display their wares in Ganges in a farmer’s market setting. Musicians provide entertainment, and tourists can pick up a piece of art that a local created.

Perhaps to emphasize its uniqueness, Salt Spring also has its own currency. I purchased a couple of Salt Spring dollars at a visitors center and was told they’re accepted anywhere on the island at an even exchange rate with Canadian dollars (although this fact was disputed by a clerk at a coffee house). Each bill features artwork by local painters, and the bills are intended to promote local commerce and goodwill.

But to really appreciate any of the islands, it’s best to pull away from the crowds, small as they might be, and drive to the woods or beaches. South of Ganges, I followed a winding gravel road to the top of Mount Maxwell, where spectacular views overlooked Burgoyne Bay below and Vancouver Island in the distance. From a fenced lookout with benches and picnic tables, I could see the flat, motionless blue-green gulf water and unfettered coastline.

Up there, and everywhere else I traveled, I was struck by the overwhelming quiet and tranquility of these far-off places. The air was sweetly aromatic, and the absence of noise made the flight of an eagle more stirring. Not even the trees rustled.

It was even more peaceful at Saturna Island, which has about 375 residents and was my second-day stop. That morning, after rising at 4:30 a.m. to catch the day’s first ferry, I met Lorraine Beech at the Saturna Point Store. Beech lives in Victoria but owns a modest cabin near Saturna’s eastern shore, and she offered to let me follow her to East Point Regional Park. Once there, she pointed out a lighthouse and nearby beach then left me to enjoy the area on my own.

Alone, I walked out to a distant point where the San Juan Islands were clearly visible. I followed a path below a bluff to Shell Beach and marveled at the glassy waters, protected by islands on all sides, that attract kayakers and canoeists throughout the year.

I also accepted an invitation to stop by Beech’s family cabin – “It’s the one with the sign that says, ‘Life’s a Beech,”’ she said – and we visited for about an hour. The cabin is small but cozy, furnished with old furniture brought from the mainland, with windows that afford a broad view of the gulf. Killer whale sightings are not uncommon, she said; even longtime residents are still enthralled by the sight of a passing orca.

That afternoon, on my way back toward the harbor, I stopped for a solitary walk along Lyall Creek Trail, a marked path in a spacious rain forest that leads hikers through the island’s midsection all the way to Narvaez Bay on the southeastern shore. I didn’t walk nearly that far, but I was still rewarded for my half-mile trek: Out of nowhere, I came upon a waterfall overlooking a small canyon – a perfect place to enjoy the solitude.

In the distance, I could hear … was it gobbling? I wasn’t sure, but after I returned to my car and continued on East Point Road, I spotted a couple of wild turkeys ambling ahead of me. They paused once or twice to look back then finally moved aside to let me pass.

By late afternoon, I was driving my car across a ramp to another ferry – this time heading to Galiano, with a stop at Mayne Island. Galiano is 15 1/2 miles long and averages just 1.3 miles wide, and although lodging and restaurants are plentiful, so are forests and beaches.

The island has seven parks; one of them, 141-acre Dionisio Provincial Marine Park on the extreme northwest end, can be reached by boat, kayak or on foot, but it’s an hour-long hike. Once there, visitors can camp, fish, scuba dive, swim or enjoy bird-watching. The island, in fact, has more than 150 bird species, including bald eagles.

But my time there was limited. I checked into the Bellhouse Inn, a waterfront bed and breakfast near the Sturdies Bay ferry dock, then drove around a bit to enjoy the last few minutes of daylight. For dinner, I dined at Atrevida Restaurant on Madrona Drive and relished the views of boats pulling into the harbor or sailing through Active Pass, the narrow stretch of water ferries use to carry passengers from the islands to Tsawwassen, the terminal south of Vancouver.

The next morning, I drove onto one of those ferries a final time. As I exited my car and climbed to an enclosed passenger deck, I couldn’t help but marvel at the views as the boat drifted away from the island and pointed toward the mainland.

I realized then that the woman who said there wasn’t much to do on the islands was right. But that’s what made my visit so pleasurable.