USA Guide
The Pacific Northwest
The San Juan Islands
The beautiful San Juan Islands are scattered across the northern reaches of Puget Sound. Every summer brings plenty of visitors, especially on the largest ones, San Juan and Orcas, so you're well advised to book your stay and transportation in advance.
Washington State Ferries sails to the islands from the harbor a few miles west of Anacortes, a gritty port 75 miles north of Seattle at the end of Hwy-20. The town is reachable via Airporter Shuttle (6am–11.30pm; 3hr trip; $33 one-way, $61 round-trip; 
1-866/235-5247, 
www.airporter.com ), which runs ten buses daily from Sea-Tac Airport and three from downtown Seattle. The ferry runs 12–18 times daily and stops at Lopez, Shaw, Orcas, and San Juan islands (5.30am–10.45pm; 1-888/808-7977, www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries ), and the slow cruise through the archipelago is a delight. Motorists should get to the port early, as there's often an hour's wait or more to get vehicles onto a summer crossing. Round-trip fares to the islands – $11.85 for foot passengers and $32–50 for a car and driver, depending on the destination and season – are collected only on the westbound journey, and there is no charge for foot passengers on inter-island trips (bringing a bike is an extra $4).
If you want to catch an early ferry from Anacortes, Commercial Avenue is lined with numerous budget hotels, the least generic of which is the hot-tub-equipped Islands Inn, no. 3401 ( 360/293-4644, www.islandsinn.com ; Price: $76-100), offering bayside views and fireplaces, while the Majestic Hotel, no. 419 ( 360/299-1400, www.majesticinnandspa.com ; Price: $131-160), is a lovely option from 1889, recently renovated into an upscale model with spa and a good onsite restaurant and bar.
As an alternative to ferry travel, Kenmore Air ( 1-866/435-9524, www.kenmoreair.com ) runs hour-long seaplane flights from Seattle's Lake Union to six stops in the San Juans ($121 one-way, $242 round-trip). A passenger-only alternative is the Victoria Clipper ( 360/448-5000 or 1-800/888-2535, www.victoriaclipper.com ), which runs from Pier 69 in Seattle to San Juan's Friday Harbor ($42–48 one-way, $65–75 return), with a 5hr layover there.