Tangier, which is five miles long and 1.5 miles wide, is the largest and most interesting of the two. Lining the harbor, dozens of worn crab shacks stand on spindly stilts rising from the water. They meet the tour boats and take you over the island's only road, a one-lane loop through scenic marshlands. Tidy white-framed houses line the way. Or walk the loop for free, talking with the islanders you meet.
Bay views catch the eye in every direction.
The dentist comes once a week and the eye doctor once a month. A policeman represents the law, but there is no jail. If you get in trouble, you get a boat ride to the mainland.