 Hiking Mount Galiano, Photo by Henny Schnare An upscale resort and spa, top-notch bookstore, art galleries, and the cluster of shops and restaurants in the village of Sturdies Bay are steps from the ferry dock. By all means bring a car and explore this long, attenuated island to the max, but environmentally aware islanders are thrilled when visitors minimize their carbon footprint.
Forested Island  Galiano is the least tamed of the major Gulf Islands because of its rocky geography and lack of arable land. Credit for this unspoiled charm is in large part due to the historical fact that fully half of the island was utilized as a tree farm by the lumber industry until the early 1990s. These former forestry lands (mostly concentrated in the island's northeastern half) remain undeveloped even though they are now privately owned. Ask for an opinion about all this from a local resident, and be prepared for an earful and an education.
If many of Galiano's 1300 full-time residents have their way, growth will remain slow and a splendid network of parks and trails will continue to evolve. Over the last two decades, such gems as Dionisio Point, Mount Galiano, Matthews Point, the Great Beaver Swamp near Pebble Beach Reserve, and the view corridor along Bodega Ridge have become protected parkland thanks to government and community initiatives. Result: Fantastic and relatively easy wilderness hiking abounds, almost always with the ocean within quick reach.
Sturdies Bay  Most of the island's restaurants, shops, galleries, the bakery and ice cream parlor are just up the road from the ferry terminal at the island's south end facing Active Pass and near-neighbor Mayne Island.
Another cluster of essential services (notably the grocery and liquor stores) are a 10-minute hike further along Sturdies Bay Road near Galiano's one old-school pub, the Hummingbird. Otherwise there are few other amenities on the island apart from Montague Harbour Marina, a summer mecca near a busy provincial park of the same name on the southwestern shoreline.
Island Life Check Galiano's pulse by reading its monthly magazine, The Active Page. Or scan the bulletin boards for word about live music at the Grand Central Emporium, Galiano Inn or Hummingbird or perhaps a Galiano Concert Society evening at the Galiano Club (aka the South Galiano Community Hall). Other posters might well focus on tai chi and yoga classes, annual gatherings like the Galiano Wine Festival, new art exhibits, community meetings regrading the new Official Community Plan, or perhaps upcoming event announcements by the Crystal Mountain Retreat Centre or Gulf Islands Film and Television School.
North and Central Galiano While the south end is home to most of Galiano's population, along with its one village and leading parks there are good reasons to trek north up the island's main thoroughfare, Porlier Pass Road. A cluster of fine artists work out of home studios in the forested central midriff near Ganner Drive. And there are lovely ocean views and shoreline access points past the Lover's Leap viewpoint (careful daredevils, no railings here).
One must-see at the northend: Stoneworld, a fantastic Bodega Ridge landscape of standing stones and ritually decorated rocks created by long-time islander Steve Ocsko.
Where to BeginThe Galiano Chamber of Commerce's information booth is on the right side of Sturdies Bay Road a few hundred meters up from the ferry dock. In the summer, a staff member is on hand to field questions. The year-round brochure rack is stocked with accommodations fliers, info on transportation rentals (kayaks, mopeds, bikes and boats) and the annually updated Galiano Visitor's Guide. The latter includes a good map and is also available for free aboard BC Ferries sailings to the island.
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