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Mayne is the first island to your left if you're crossing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay - which is perhaps as close as you'll get, since it's the quietest and most difficult to reach of the islands served by ferries (one-way tickets in high season cost foot passengers $9, cars cost $35.50) and has few places to stay; fix up accommodation before you arrive. That may be as good a reason as any for heading out here, however, particularly if you have a bike to explore the web of quiet country roads. Best of several beaches is Bennett Bay, a sheltered strip with warm water and good sand. It's reached by heading east from Miner's Bay (5min from the ferry terminal at Village Bay) to the end of Fernhill Road and then turning left onto Wilks Road. Village Bay has a summer-only infocentre (daily 8am-6pm) which should be able to fill you in on the limited (currently around seven) but expanding number of B&B possibilities - though the island is small enough to explore as a day-trip. Try the three-unit Root Seller B&B , a kilometre south of the ferry terminal at 478 Village Bay Rd (tel 539-2621; $60-80; March-Oct), or the Blue Vista Resort , eight fully-equipped cabins overlooking Bennett Bay on Arbutus Drive 6km from the ferry terminal (tel 539-2463; $60-80), with handy sandy beach, park-like setting and bike rental (no credit cards). The Tinkerer's B&B on Miner's Bay at 417 Sunset Place off Georgina Point Road (tel 539-2280; $80-100; mid-April to mid-Oct), 2km from the Village Bay ferry terminal, is offbeat: it rents bikes, provides hammocks and offers "demonstrations of medicinal herb and flower gardens". For a real treat, the best food around is to be found at the waterfront Oceanwood Country Inn , 630 Dinner Bay Rd (tel 539-5074, www.oceanwood.com ; $125-175), which also has 12 smart rooms. Saturna , to the south, is another B&B hideaway: try the three-room waterfront Lyall Harbour B&B (tel 539-5577; $80-100), 500m from the ferry at 121 East Point Rd in Saturna Point, home to a pub, a shop and the infocentre (May-Sept daily 8am-6pm; no phone) which will rent you boats and bicycles. Another relatively large place to stay is the East Point Resort , East Point Road (tel 539-2975; $80-100), situated in a park-like setting near a gradually sloping sandy beach; the six cabins are fully equipped and you can choose between one- and two-bedroom units - note that in July and August there's a minimum stay of a week. The best local beach is at Winter Cove Marine Park (no campsite) and there's walking, wildlife and good views to the mainland from Mount Warburton Pike.
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