To take the true gauge of a small town, visit on a festival day, preferably one featuring a parade. Typically, half the citizenry is in the procession of floats and fire trucks while the other half cheers from the roadside.

That pretty much describes this year's Canada Day Jamboree on Galiano Island. Amid the Hula-Hoop and cake-decorating contests, the craft displays and used-book sales, the biggest draw was the Lions Club barbecue. The lineup for burgers stretched out beneath a leafy canopy of maples beside North Galiano Community Hall. No one was in much of a hurry, until rumours began to circulate that supplies of homemade fruit and berry pies were running low, which instantly set off a run in the direction of the dessert tent.

The second-largest of the southern Gulf Islands, Galiano enjoys a century-old reputation as a leisure-time destination. It's a fact of life–and nature–that there's always been more money in tourism there than in farming. Count heads and you'll find people outnumber sheep by a much wider margin here than on any other Gulf Island.

There weren't any sheep at the jamboree. Instead, the herd of people at the pie stand discussed the best beaches and hiking trails on which to meet friends or take visiting family members. When the latter only have a day or two to look around, helpful tips make quick sense of outdoor options on the 27.5-kilometre-long island.

Bounded by the Strait of Georgia on the east and Trincomali Channel on the west, Galiano's three provincial parks complement two equally impressive community land trusts. Narrow, forest-lined roads lead along rolling ridges to white-sand and shell beaches. Sheltered waters welcome boaters, and back roads beckon cyclists. You can come prepared for just about any outdoor activity, and–with advice from fellow pie eaters–cut right to the chase. When it comes to finding the warmest water for swimming, the consensus among islanders is that beaches on Galiano's rugged eastern shoreline enjoy somewhat more tolerable ocean temperatures than those on the Trincomali side. This disparity is attributed to the more languid tidal action in the strait than in the channel that separates Galiano and Salt Spring islands.

On a hot day, the best measure of which beach to choose is its proximity to the road or the trail that leads to it. On Galiano, that means Shell Beach in Montague Harbour Marine Provincial Park on the west. Runner- up is Pebble Beach in the Galiano Conservancy Association's community land trust on the east.

One look at Shell Beach's powder- white surface and you'll know where it derives its name. A close inspection of the shoreline reveals mussel, clam, and oyster middens above the high-tide line, testimony to millennia of feasting here by Cowichan and Straits First Nations people. Shell Beach slopes gently off on both sides of a concrete boat ramp from which a steady stream of kayakers and power boaters head off toward more remote settings, such as Dionisio Point on Galiano's northern end, a spectacular provincial park that in recent times has been restricted to water-only access due to a land right-of-way dispute. As far as stretching your legs for a short distance beyond Shell Beach, try the trail that circles Gray Peninsula. A stand of ancient arbutuses, whose trunks shine in shades of honey gold and strawberry red, makes this site one of Galiano's most enchanting environments.

In 1998, the Galiano Conservancy Association purchased the Pebble Beach Reserve, a large tract of previously clearcut land that is now in the process of regeneration. A three-kilometre loop trail links Pebble Beach and Cable Bay. From the trail head, most visitors take the short, gentle approach to Cable Bay for quick access to the ocean. Those of the "pleasure-postponed-is-pleasure-enhanced" school of thought should consider the slightly lengthier single-track route to Pebble Beach that leads through a western red cedar forest. An easily negotiated shoreline of sandstone stretches from there north to Cable Cove, 20 minutes away.

No shells in sight here. Instead, Pebble Beach is covered with jellybean- to egg-sized stones, with nary a flat-sided skipper to be found. Instead, look carefully and you might just spy one of the agates for which this strand is renowned. Off in the distance to the east is the reassuringly familiar profile of the Lions, a reminder that, while it may feel a world away, Galiano is almost close enough to be home–except the clean salt air seems to make pies taste better.

ACCESS: Galiano Island is a 55-minute ferry ride from B.C. Ferries' Tsawwassen terminal, 30 kilometres south of Vancouver, to Sturdies Bay at the southern end of the island. For sailing times, fares, and reservations, see www.bcferries.com/ or call 1-888-223-3779. For information on accommodation and events, including the Galiano Wine Festival on August 11, visit www.galianoisland.com/ .

Montague Harbour Marine Provincial Park is located about 10 kilometres northwest of Sturdies Bay. For information and reservations, visit www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/ . To reach the Pebble Beach Reserve, head to mid island on Porlier Pass Road and turn east for a short distance on McCoskrie Road to the well-marked trail head. For information on the Galiano Conservancy Association, visit www.galianoconservancy.ca/ .

For transportation on Galiano, including shuttle service from Sturdies Bay, contact Fly'n Riun's Taxi Galiano, (250) 539-0202, www.taxigaliano.com/ . Bicycle rentals, including pickup and drop-off, are available from Galiano Bike Rentals and Repairs, (250) 539-9906. Gulf Island Kayaking offers guided tours and rentals; contact www.seakayak.ca/, (250) 539-2442.

Fresh seafood is available from the Fishery Afloat, which visits Sturdies Bay on Saturdays and Montague Marina on Sundays. Call (250) 537-3474 for times.