Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ited to picnic tables, pit toilets, and drinking water ($21 per night, no reservations). The
gates are open mid-April to mid-October.
Food
To immerse yourself in island life, plan on dining at the
Galiano Grand Central Em-
porium
(2470 Sturdies Bay Rd., 250/539-9885, 8am-3pm daily and for dinner Fri.-Sat.,
lunches $8-13.50), which is decorated in lumberjack artifacts and has seating ripped from
old buses. Free-range eggs are the prime ingredient in the omelets, which are huge (ham
andSwisscheesefor$11).Sandwichesandburgersdominatethelunchmenu.Intheeven-
ing, the blackboard dinner menu (mains around $25) reflects whatever is in season, often
with live music playing in the background. While you're waiting for a ferry—or even if
you're not—line up at the
Max & Moritz
food wagon, in front of the parking lot at the
ferry terminal, for a combination of German and Indonesian dishes, such as
nasi goring
($7.50).
The stellar food is reason enough to dine at the
Galiano Inn
(134 Madrona Dr., 250/
539-3388, breakfast and dinner, $23-38), but the unobstructed water views cost no ex-
tra. Although the upscale dining room has a touch of Old World elegance, the cooking is
healthyandmodern,withaseasonalmenuthatusesfreshislandproduceandlocalseafood.
Professional service and an impressive wine list round out what many regard as the finest
restaurant on the Southern Gulf Islands. In summer, a sunken patio buzzes with activity as
locals and visitors from outlying islands enjoy lunchtime barbecues in a cultured garden
setting.
Information and Services
Right at the ferry terminal is
Galiano Island Visitor Centre
(250/539-2233,
www.galianoisland.com
,
9am-5pm daily July-Aug.). The Southern Gulf Islands have a
surprisingnumberofbookstores,andnonearebetterthan
Galiano Island Books
(76Mad-
rona Dr., 250/539-3340, 10am-6pm daily), down the first left after exiting the terminal
area. Stop by for works by island writers as well as Canadiana, children's titles, and some
great cook books that use local ingredients.
Most remote of the populated Southern Gulf Islands, Saturna protrudes into the heart of
Georgia Strait and features a long, rugged northern coastline and over half its land area
