Connect four

More than 450 isles form the San Juan Islands – an archipelago that sits pretty between mainland Canada, Vancouver Island and Washington state’s northwestern coast – yet only four receive daily ferry deliveries of visitors. And, my, how they come. Throughout the year, more than a million folks disembark onto Orcas, Lopez, Shaw and San Juan islands.

The invasion peaks this month, when temperatures hover at a pleasant 70 degrees and the orcas are still at play. (Fret not, off-season travelers: The region boasts an annual average of 247 days of sunshine and half the rain of Seattle.)

The finest way to travel around the Puget Sound landfalls is via Washington State Ferries, the largest ferry fleet in the United States. The vessels serving the San Juan chain depart from Anacortes, on Fidalgo Island, the easternmost of the San Juans.

The boats travel west – Lopez to Shaw to Orcas to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island – and the ride can last up to two hours, depending on stops. Passengers pay only to go west; eastbound trips, including the one back to the mainland, are “free.”

Year-round boat service starts around dawn and ends long after the witching hour, with multiple departures in between. The ferries take bikes and cars (plus trucks, mobile homes, etc.), but before you queue up, double-check the timetable: With so many incoming and outgoing boats, the schedule can be difficult to crack. (Ferry officials are used to this confusion, so ask away.)

The frequency and ease of on-water travel encourage island-hopping. You can spend your entire time on San Juan Island and plan side trips to the other islands, or split your nights among two or three or even all four.

Indeed, each isle has its own personality and mystique: San Juan boasts a vital, sophisticated downtown, British-American intrigue (involving a pig) and whale-watching by shore and sea; Orcas, the largest isle and the one with the highest peak, features arts and parks; Lopez, a patchwork of farmland and beaches, is called the “Friendly Island” because of its wave-happy residents; and Shaw is a low-key affair steeped in nature.

Of course, the fun is not just land-based; getting there is equally entertaining. The boats are as large as cruise ships and come with cafeterias, capacious work/read/zone-out spaces, outdoor seating and stunning views of water and wildlife, including, if you’re lucky, the summering killer whales.

Lopez Island

Where to stay: Lopez’s lodging options are limited yet eclectic, ranging from a sleigh bed at a B&B to a futon at a campsite.

On the cushy end is the MacKaye Harbor Inn (949 MacKaye Harbor Road, 888-314-6140, www.mackayeharborinn.com ), which dates from 1904 and features five rooms with water views. Guests get free use of mountain bikes, and evening chocolates with tea and coffee; kayak rentals are also offered, so you can jump out of bed and paddle away. Rooms from $135 a night.

For a more rustic experience, Lopez Farm Cottages (555 Fisherman Bay Road, 800-440-3556, www.lopezfarmcottages.com ) offers cottages and camping on 30 acres of forest and fields. The cottages are fully kitted out, with kitchens, porches, fireplaces – and in Cottage 1, a hot tub. (The other guests have to share a communal hot tub.) Rates from $120, including a breakfast basket delivered to your door.

Campers can rough it or not: the Camp Nest ($75) is a carpeted tent with a queen-size futon, a cooler and a pantry, and a hammock outside.

The Lopez Islander Bay Resort (2864 Fisherman Bay Road, 360-468-2233, www.lopezislander.com ) is like a small, self-contained city, with 30 waterfront rooms, a marina, a restaurant and the Tiki Lounge. Rates from $135.

Where to eat: The Bay Cafe (9 Old Post Road, 360-468-3700) sits on the harbor in Lopez Village and incorporates such local ingredients as Lopez Island Wagyu beef and wild king salmon. Uptown dishes include seafood tapas, handmade spinach-and-egg fettuccine, and roasted garlic gorgonzola cheesecake. A three-course tasting menu costs $30.

Across the street, the Love Dog Cafe (1 Village Center, 360-468-2150) puts a Pacific Rim twist on its Northwest cuisine; entrees range from $18 to $30.

At Holly B’s Bakery (Lopez Plaza, 360-468-2133), sate your sweet or carb tooth with cinnamon rolls, gingersnaps, marionberry scones, caramelized-onion-and-brie French bread and more.

What to do: Lopez is mostly as flat as Kansas and therefore the best island for biking. Rent a two-wheeler from Lopez Bike Works (2847 Fisherman Bay Road, 360-468-2847; from $5 an hour) and coast past farmland, evergreen forests and water panoramas.

Do it all – hike, clam, swim, etc. – at Spencer Spit State Park (Bakerview Road, 360-468-2251, www.parks.wa.gov/parkpage.asp?selectedpark =Spencer+Spit), a, yes, spit of sand on a saltwater lagoon.

Settle in for sunsets and for seal and whale sightings at Shark Reef Sanctuary (Shark Reef Road); hike-in required.

Learn about the Lopez of yesteryear at the Lopez Island Historical Society and Museum (Weeks Road, 360-468-2049, www.lopezmuseum.org; free); the current exhibit delves into the early settlements.

Shaw Island

Where to stay: Hope you like the great outdoors: The only accommodations are 12 primitive (read: nonflush toilets) wooded and waterfront campsites at the 64-acre Shaw Island County Park (Squaw Bay Road, 360-378-1842, www.sanjuanco.com/Parks/shaw.aspx ). Rates from $14 for up to four visitors and one vehicle.

Where to eat: No dining to speak of, though you can get picnic fixings at the Shaw General Store (37 Blind Bay Road, 360-468-2288) near the ferry depot.

What to do: Formerly run by Franciscan sisters (they used to pray for every ferry passenger), the island retains a cathedral-like calm and tranquility. The main attractions are Shaw Island County Park, the Shaw Island Library and Historical Society (Blind Bay Road, 360-468-4068; free), which takes visitors back to its past as a fishing camp, and, across the way, the little red schoolhouse, built in 1890 and still operating.

Orcas Island

Where to stay: The Rosario Spa and Resort (1400 Rosario Road, 800-562-8820, www.rosarioresort.com ), an expansion of the early-1900s mansion of former Seattle mayor Robert Moran, still retains many of its upper-crust airs. The secluded property has a pool overlooking Cascade Bay, a spa, a marina with sailboat tours, a high-end restaurant and a museum that details Moran’s good life. Rates from $119.

For a place of your own, Smugglers Villa Resort (North Beach Road, 800-488-2097, http://smuggler.com/new/frame.html) rents two-bedroom condo units and townhouses with the full setup, including deck with grill, fireplace and washer/dryer. Guests have access to a pebble beach with island views, tennis courts, hot tub/sauna and more. From $139.

Closer to the main downtown area of Eastsound, the Kangaroo House B&B (Prune Alley, 888-371-2175, www.kangaroohouse.com ) offers five guest rooms named after birds, plus breakfasts so generous that they might spoil your lunch. Rates from $130.

Where to eat: Smack in town, Chimayo (123 N. Beach Road, 360-376-6394) has a protected outdoor area that lets you dine without too much street-side distraction, though just enough for entertainment value. Inside has charm, too, thanks to cheery Southwestern décor that matches the cooking. Dinner entrees, $15-$21.

Art and eats go well together at Cafe Olga (11 Point Lawrence Road, 360-376-5098; $10.75-$26), a combo gallery-restaurant that serves sandwiches, soups and seafood.

Order up simple organic breakfasts and lunches at Sunflower Cafe (29 N. Beach Road, Eastsound, 360-376-5435), such as potato pancakes ($7), pan-seared fish sandwiches ($9.50) and seafood chowder ($5.50-$6.50).

What to do: Poke around the art-strewn gardens and shelves of Crow Valley Pottery (877-512-8184), which has two locations: the cabin at 2274 Orcas Road and the downtown shop at 296 Main St.

Find additional crafts at Orcas Island Artworks (360-376-4408), a co-op of more than 60 artists near the Olga public dock; Orcas Island Pottery (338 Old Pottery Road, 360-376-2813); and Howe Art (236 Double Hill Road, 360-376-2945), which includes a kinetic sculpture garden.

You pick the lavender at Buck Bay Farm Inn and Lavender Fields (716 Point Lawrence Road, 888-422-2825).

Five miles from Eastsound, the 5,252-acre Moran State Park ( www.parks.wa.gov/ parkpage.asp?selectedpark=Moran; free) offers plenty of trails (38 miles of hiking, 11 miles of biking, six miles of horseback riding) and lakes (five freshwater).

Save your energy for the 2,409-foot-high Mount Constitution, the highest point on the San Juan Islands, and its stone observation tower. On a clear day, you can see Canada and Mount Rainier.

San Juan Island

Where to stay: Friday Harbor, the island’s hopping downtown, is chockablock with accommodations, including the Friday Harbor House (130 West St., 866-722-7356, www.fridayharborhouse.com ; from $150), which features 23 sea-air-fresh rooms with boutique-y touches.

On the opposite end of the island, the Dragonfly Inn (4770 Roche Harbor Road, 360-378-4280, www.thedragonflyinn.com ) brings the East westward with its Japanese theme. Rooms start at $175 and include an Asian fusion breakfast.

For those on a budget, the Wayfarer’s Rest (35 Malcolm St., 360-378-6428, www.rockisland.com/~wayfarersrest), near the ferry terminal, offers dorm rooms from $30 and private doubles from $70, plus a communal kitchen stocked with garden produce and fresh eggs.

Where to eat: Coho Restaurant (120 Nichols St., 360-378-6330) offers selective seating (only eight tables) in a Craftsman house and prepares meals based on its backyard bounty, such as Westcott Bay oysters, Dungeness crab cakes and lavender chicken. Dinner entrees, $25-$34.

At Steps Wine Bar and Cafe (140A First St., Friday Harbor, 360-370-5959), pair Washington wine with Washington food, such as a glass of Shooting Star Aligote with San Juan Island lamb loin chops ($28) or king salmon with Waldron Island bok choi ($29). The restaurant also offers five-course wine dinners for $100 per person.

Fuel up on Mediterranean classics at Maloula’s Garden Salsa and Hummus (1 Front St., 360-378-3788), which overlooks the harbor. Plates include gyros ($8), a BLT with hummus ($9) and kibbe ($23.95).

What to do: Friday Harbor is thrumming with shops for all tastes and adventure-tour companies, including whale-watching excursions. Orca season generally runs from May through October, but even if you don’t see killer whales, you might still spot seals, bald eagles, dolphins and other marine life.

Western Prince Whale and Wildlife Adventures (800-757-6722, www.orcawhalewatch.com ), for example, runs half-day tours led by a naturalist in a biodiesel-fueled boat. Cost: $69.

Find prime whale-watching lookout points, plus a 1919 lighthouse and a restored lime kiln, at Lime Kiln Point State Park (6158 Lighthouse Road, www.parks.wa.gov/parkpage.asp? selectedpark=lime%20kiln%20point; free).

If you miss the creatures live, catch them on display at the Whale Museum (62 First St. N., 800-946-7227, www.whalemuseum.org ; $6).

The Westcott Bay Institute of Art and Nature (360-370-5050) comprises the Island Museum of Art (314 Spring St.; suggested donation $4 per family) and the Westcott Bay Sculpture Park (Roche Harbor Road; suggested donation $5 per person), a 19-acre site dotted with 100-plus artworks and nature displays.

Learn about how the Brits and Americans almost came to blows (over a dead pig) at the San Juan Island National Historical Park (360-378-2902, www.nps.gov/sajh/index.htm ; free).

The American camp, on Cattle Point Road, includes five miles of beach and an interpretive center; the English camp, on West Valley Road, features barracks, a cemetery and the 650-foot-tall Mount Young.