Mayne Island in the Gulf Islands, British Columbia

If you want to stay overnight on the island, there are many bed and breakfasts, as well as two private campgrounds. There are no provincial parks on Mayne Island.

Population: 900

Location: Mayne Island is located in the southern Gulf Islands, between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia. BC Ferries operates a vehicle and passenger scheduled ferry service from Tsawwassen on the mainland and Swartz Bay (Sidney) on Vancouver Island. Vehicle reservations are recommended between the mainland and Mayne Island.

• Two BC Ferries approach each other in Active Pass, between Mayne and Galiano Islands

  Mayne Island is a must for history buffs. The Mayne Island Museum is housed in a jail built in 1896, known as the Plumper Pass Lockup, displaying island artifacts that include a number of artifacts from the oldest wreck in the Gulf Islands.

• Helen Point Peninsula contains the oldest recorded human settlement remains in the Southern Gulf Islands. Archaeological excavations provide evidence of three distinct occupations of the site in pre-historic times, with the earliest probable occupation estimated at 3,300 years ago.

• The Mayne Mast, located on Village Bay Road near the Mayne Street Mall, was once a Japanese farmhouse. Mayne Island was home to an active and successful Japanese community until World War II, when the residents were taken away to war camps in the interior of BC for fear of espionage. The Japanese played a very important role in the island's colourful history.

  Visit the Japanese Garden which offers you an unforgettable experience, combining the beauty of nature in a serene setting. This garden area includes a pond, bridges, waterfall, hidden garden, lovingly created torii gates and authentic recreation of a Japanese charcoal kiln.

• Active Pass Light Station, also known as Georgina Point Light Station, is a familiar landmark for ferry travellers between Vancouver Island and the mainland. The light's first keeper was Henry "Scotty" Georgeson who lit up for the first time in June 1885. Within two months he wrote to his superior requesting a fog horn. A bell was later installed, followed by a fog horn. Scotty's son, George, later became his assistant.

• Trails take you on a tour of natural beauty

  The Anglican Church of St. Mary Magdalene was founded in 1887 by Canon Paddon overlooking Active Pass on Georgina Point Road.

• The Centennial Well, located on Horton Bay Road just past Fernhill Road, is a monument built in 1967 to mark Canada's centennial celebration.

• Like most of the Gulf Islands, Mayne Island is home to a variety of artists. Galleries, shops and studios specialize in painting, pottery, fabric art, dried flowers, home preserves, jewellery and carvings.

• The Agricultural Hall hosts the oldest Fall Fair in the Gulf Islands.

• Beaches abound - sample the sand at Bennett Bay, Dinner Bay, Campbell Bay, Piggott Bay and Oyster Bay.

• Much of the beach at Miners Bay is composed of a gently sloping shelf of smooth rock. At low tide much of this table rock is revealed and makes for interesting exploration. Miners Bay is the commercial hub of Mayne Island and is anchored by the historic Springwater Lodge. Perched at the head of Miners Bay Wharf in Active Pass, the Springwater Lodge was built in 1892 and is now the oldest continuously operated hotel in British Columbia. Make your way from the ferry dock along Village Bay Road, an easy walk or bike ride.

• A beautiful sand-and-pebble beach is located on Mayne Island's east side at Campbell Bay. The trail leading down to the beach is not well marked but isn't difficult to locate. Follow Georgina Point Road east of Miners Bay to its junction with Waugh Road. Head south on Waugh, and as the road rounds Campbell Bay, watch for a shady trail that runs down the embankment to the ocean below. An overhanging forest shades the beach, providing a cool place to relax out of the sun. Big pieces of driftwood sit mired in the sand, ready to prop you up to enjoy the view as you look due east across the strait towards Vancouver.

• One of the most soulful ways to explore the Gulf Islands is in a sea kayak, sharing the water with orcas, seals, otters and sea lions that make the surrounding waters their home. Equipment can be rented on Mayne Island, and combined kayaking and camping trips are very popular. Mayne Island is located within easy paddling distance of Galiano Island, Samuel Island, the Belle Chain Islets, Saturna Island, North and South Pender Islands, Prevost Island, the Red Islets, and Saltspring Island.

  For those who come with car-top or hand-carried boats, there are numerous places to launch throughout the islands, beginning with any number of public wharfs and federal docks. A suitable location on Mayne Island is located at Horton Bay.

• Cycling is a wonderful way to travel the islands' roads and trails, and Mayne Island is perhaps the most pleasant one to cycle. You can tour the whole island in the course of any easygoing day (about 18.5 miles/30 km), with stops around its perimeter at Miners Bay, the Georgina Point lighthouse (visiting hours 1-3pm daily), Campbell Bay, Horton Bay, and the BC Ferries dock at Village Bay. As with all islands, freshwater is a precious and often rare substance. One of the few places to fill your water bottles is at Dinner Point Community Day Park, a short ride south of Village Bay. A detailed road map of the island is available at the information kiosk at the dock.

• Mayne Island's reefs offer divers exceptional underwater scenery - Enterprise Reef, Conconi Reef, Georgia Shoal and the wreck of the Zephyr await experienced divers prepared for the heavy marine traffic and swift currents that flow through Active Pass.

• Fishing: Owing to the strength of the tidal currents coursing through Active Pass between Mayne and Galiano Islands, there are plenty of nutrients in the water to attract marine life. Salmon feed in these waters, although in recent years the large chinook have all but disappeared. It's not as easy to purchase fresh seafood on the islands as you might imagine. Most islanders do their own crabbing and shrimping, but at Horton Bay on Mayne Island, you may find such delicacies for sale. Although the availability is seasonal, stop by the federal dock between 4 and 6pm and look for a truck with the personalized licence plates CRAB 4U, which says it all.

• Hike in Mount Parke Regional Park, highest point on the island, for great views of Active Pass and a beautiful view across Swanson Channel and the surrounding islands. The 270-metre climb takes approximately 45 minutes each way.

• Upswelling current bring cold, nutrient-rich waters to the surface around narrow passages between islands, such as in Active Pass, which divides Mayne and Galiano. In April and early May, thousands of Bonaparte's gulls, decked our in their black-headed breeding plumage, gather to feed on tiny shrimp or krill that float on the surface of Active Pass. Herring runs at this time of year attract California sea lions and bald eagles as well as hundreds of jet-black Pacific loons and Brandt's cormorants. One of the best places to observe all this action is from the deck of a BC Ferries vessel as it reduces speed when moving through Active Pass.

• Island Hopping: Travelling between the Southern Gulf Islands and Northern Gulf Islands can be accomplished in small hops. Each of these islands is a world unto itself, each with its own history, culture and colourful characters - each island deserves at least a day or two for exploring.