You stay on the boat throughout these two- to three-hour tours. Bring a camera with a telephoto lens for the best photos, since the boats must remain a safe distance away from the animals.
First Nations Dugout Canoe Tours
First Nations-owned T’ashii Paddle School (250/266-3787 or 855/883-3787, www.tofinopaddle.com) offers several excellent paddling tours in hand-carved dugout canoes, where you’ll learn about local indigenous communities and their traditional culture.
Departing from Jamie’s Whaling Station (606 Campbell St.), excursions include a two-hour Harbour Canoe Tour (late May-mid-Oct.; $65 pp), which is especially lovely at sunset; a Meares Island Canoe Tour (Mar.-Oct.; $89 pp), a four-hour paddling and hiking excursion; and a full-day Lemmens Inlet Canoe Tour (Mar.-Oct., by request only; $130 pp). Check the website for specific departure times.
SPORTS AND RECREATION
Beaches
Sandy beaches line the peninsula that stretches south from Tofino to Ucluelet. All are along the Pacific Rim Highway, listed here from north to south.
Sheltered MacKenzie Beach is closest to Tofino, with several resorts and campgrounds.
Beginning surfers hone their skills on the south end of 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) Chesterman Beach, one of Tofino’s most scenic and popular stretches of sand. Toward the beach’s north side, you can explore the tidepools at low tide.
Home to several resorts, including Pacific Sands and Long Beach Lodge, Cox Bay Beach has a popular surf break. At the bay’s northern tip, you can explore several tidal caves, accessible only at low tide. The Wickaninnish Inn is on North Chesterman Beach.
Continuing south, you’ll reach the beaches in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, including Long Beach and Wickaninnish Beach.
Surfing
Tofino is western Canada’s surfing capital (yes, Canada really has a surfing capital), with plenty of places to take lessons or catch the waves. While you can surf year-round, hard-core surfers come in winter when the waves are biggest; if you’re just getting started, summertime is warmest, with the gentlest surf.
With a crew of women as instructors, Surf Sister Surf School (250/725-4456, www.surfsister.com) specializes in teaching women to surf, although they offer lessons for both men and women.
The Surf Club Adventure Centre (250/725-2442, www.longbeachlodgeresort.com) at the Long Beach Lodge Resort is another highly regarded surf school, teaching group and private lessons.
Hiking
The Rainforest Education Society (250/725-2560, www.raincoasteducation.org) offers free one-hour interpretive walks in July and August that explore the tidepools and rainforest along Cox Bay. Check the website for the schedule and other details.
Guides from the First Nations-owned T’ashii Paddle School (250/266-3787 or 855/883-3787, www.tofinopaddle.com) lead winter Cultural Walks on the Schooner Cove Trail (11am daily mid-Dec.-Mar.; $80 pp) in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve that combine a gentle hike through the old-growth rainforest with information about local First Nations culture. Book in advance on their website.
Schooner Cove Trail
FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
In early spring, gray whales begin returning to the waters off Vancouver Island’s west coast. During the weeklong Pacific Rim Whale Festival (www.pacificrimwhalefestival.com, Mar.), you can learn more about these creatures with presentations, documentary films, guided walks, whale-watching tours, and other events.
The Tofino Food and Wine Festival (www.tofinofoodandwinefestival.com, June) is a weekend of dining, sipping, and toe-tapping to live music, on the grounds of the Tofino Botanical Gardens.
Celebrating local bivalves, the Clayoquot Oyster Festival (www.oystergala.com, Nov.) brings seafood lovers to town for oyster farm tours, restaurant events, a gala party, and plenty of oyster eating.
FOOD
For a small community, Tofino has a significant food culture, emphasizing innovative uses of local seafood and produce. Outside the summer months, many restaurants have reduced hours, so call to confirm before you set out. Except for The Pointe at the Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino’s eating places are casual; patrons often look like they’ve wandered directly off a boat because, most likely, they have.
Groceries and Markets
The area’s largest grocery store is Tofino Co-op (140 First St., 250/725-3226, www.tofinocoop.com; 8:30am-9pm daily summer, call for off-season hours). South of town, tiny but well-stocked Beaches Grocery (1184 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/725-2237) carries fruits and vegetables, baked goods, and other food items, from chips to Asian chili sauce.
Find local produce, prepared foods, and crafts at the Tofino Public Market (Tofino Village Green, 3rd St. and Campbell St., www.tofinomarket.com; 10am-2pm Sat. late May-mid-Oct.).
Modern Canadian
Oysters in a potato web? Corn-fried cod cheeks with pickled peppers? Some of the west coast’s most imaginative dishes come out of the open kitchen at S The Wolf in the Fog (150 4th St., 250/725-9653, www.wolfinthefog.com; 5pm-midnight daily; $16-32), where the second-floor dining room sparkles with polished wood and the big windows look out toward the harbor. While there’s some serious technique and respect for local ingredients here, the chefs don’t take themselves too seriously; the menu includes an option to “add foie gras to anything.” To drink, try a cocktail like The Angler, with smoked salmon-infused vodka, maple, ginger, and fresh orange, or a Cedar Sour, with cedar-infused rye. The bottom line? Good food, good drinks, good fun.
Though the name is short for “sophisticated bohemian,” airy SoBo (311 Neil St., 250/725-2341, www.sobo.ca; 11:30am-9pm daily; $16-35), with sunny yellow walls and floor-to-ceiling windows, is more refined than hippie, serving modern world-beat fare at lunch and dinner. Noon-hour dishes roam from Asian salad to huevos rancheros to pizza, while in the evening, you might try cedar-planked salmon, whiskey-braised beef brisket, or seafood stew. SoBo is justifiably famous for its smoked wild fish chowder.
Tofino’s special-occasion restaurant, S The Pointe at the Wickaninnish Inn (500 Osprey Ln., 250/725-3106, www.wickinn.com; 8am-2pm and 5pm-9pm daily; $28-48) emphasizes local seafood, foraged ingredients, and regional products. The polished staff and walls of curved windows wrapping the ocean panoramas around you don’t hurt either. You might start with ginger-cured foie gras or with a Pacific Harvest of mussel custard, kelp, clams, and pickled sea asparagus, as a prelude to snapper and shrimp paired with prawn dumplings and grilled cucumber or roast duck in a hemlock jus. There are sweets, of course, from a platter of petit fours to fancy s’mores. Can’t decide (or ready to splurge)? Choose a four- to six-course tasting menu ($85-100 pp) with optional wine pairings.
Asian
When you crave a restorative bowl of ramen, head for Kuma Tofino (101-120 4th St., 250/725-2215, www.kumatofino.com; 4pm-11pm daily; $10-14), a modern Japanese eatery. Sake and local craft beer stand up to sharing plates like crispy chicken karaage, fresh tuna tataki, and bright house-made pickles.
Mexican
Before it became a Mexican minichain with branches in Vancouver and Victoria, Tacofino (1184 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/726-8288, www.tacofino.com; 11am-8pm daily spring-fall, 11am-5pm daily winter; $4-14) was a taco truck in Tofino (“Taco-fino,” get it?). This orange truck parked behind a surf shop south of town channels a surfer vibe with tacos (try the tuna with seaweed and ginger), burritos, and slushie drinks like tangy lime-mint “freshies.” Park at one of the long outdoor tables, or take yours to the beach.
Bakeries and Cafés
From local hippies to texting teens to travelers, everyone stops into the red house that’s home to long-standing Common Loaf Bake Shop (180 1st St., 250/725-3915; 8am-6pm daily) for delectable cinnamon buns, ginger scones, breads, and muffins. They make soup, sandwiches, and pizza, too.
In an industrial building on the town’s south side, Red Can Gourmet (700 Industrial Way, 250/725-2525, www.redcangourmet.com; 7:30am-7pm Wed.-Thurs. and Sun., 7:30am-8pm Fri.-Sat.; $17-25) cooks gourmet takeout fare, from sandwiches and salads mid
day to more substantial dinner plates, such as seafood curry with smoked tofu or beef tenderloin, as well as pizza.
Tiny Picnic Charcuterie (Industrial Way, behind Red Can Gourmet, 250/889-5738, www.picniccharcuterie.com; 10am-5pm Mon.-Sat., 11am-5pm Sun. Apr.-Sept., 10am-5pm Wed.-Sat., 11am-5pm Sun. Oct.-Mar.) sells their own cured and smoked meats, with a selection of local and imported cheeses.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Tofino’s nicest accommodations are south of town, along the peninsula beaches. Book in advance for summer high season (mid-June-mid-Sept.). In winter, many lodgings offer storm-watching packages, when the big winter surf and rain rolls in.
$150-250
Once a field station for research groups, The Ecolodge at Tofino Botanical Gardens (1084 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/725-1220, www.tbgf.org; $159-239 d) is a simple comfortable lodge in the midst of the gardens. Guests gather in the great room for a continental breakfast or just to relax; you can use the kitchen to prep meals or browse the lodge’s nature library. Eight basic, colorfully decorated rooms share two large baths. Two additional suites, with private baths, have family-friendly nooks with bunk beds. There are no TVs, but Wi-Fi is included, as is garden admission.
At Jamie’s Rainforest Inn (1258 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/725-2323 or 855/433-2323, www.tofinorainforestinn.com; $229-269 d), a well-kept motel facing the woods on the inlet side of the highway, the 38 rooms have microwaves, minifridges, coffeemakers, and included Wi-Fi. The king-bed rooms have gas fireplaces, and the larger units include kitchenettes with cooktops. Ask about discounts on whale-watching and other tours from their affiliated adventure company, Jamie’s Whaling Station (www.jamies.com).
Overlooking two beaches and the offshore islands, Middle Beach Lodge (400 MacKenzie Beach Rd., 250/725-2900 or 866/725-2900, www.middlebeach.com; $155-465 d) offers a variety of accommodations. The original lodge has tiny, no-frills rooms with no TVs or closets, but the nicest of these economical units have ocean views. In the main lodge, rooms are slightly larger with wooden floors and flat-screen TVs; choose an end unit upstairs for the best water vistas. Also on the forested property are roomy cabins with kitchen facilities; some have sleeping lofts, fireplaces, or hot tubs. Your room almost doesn’t matter when you take in the panoramic views from the overstuffed chairs in the wood-beamed great room, where a deluxe continental breakfast buffet (included in the rates) is served.
Over $250
The three gold-and-burgundy guest rooms at the cedar-shingled S BriMar Bed & Breakfast (1375 Chesterman Beach Rd., 250/725-3410, www.brimarbb.com; $279-339 d) look right onto Chesterman Beach, close enough to hear the surf. On the second floor, the spacious Moonrise Room has an equally spacious private bath, while the slightly smaller Sunset Room has a private bath across the hall. The secluded Loft Unit, under the eaves, runs the whole length of the top floor. Rates include Wi-Fi and an ample breakfast, with fruit, granola, yogurt, baked goods, and a hot dish like eggs Benedict or baked french toast. Guests can help themselves to coffee and tea at all hours and store snacks in the hallway fridge.
overlooking Chesterman’s Beach from BriMar Bed & Breakfast
Even if you’re not staying at the Long Beach Lodge Resort (1441 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/725-2442, www.longbeachlodgeresort.com; $199-439 d, cottages $449-589), have a drink or a meal in the resort’s inviting Great Room, with walls of windows facing the ocean. The lodge has a highly regarded surf club, where both kids and adults can learn to ride the waves. When it’s time to sleep, choose from 41 studio units in the main lodge, with sturdy Douglas fir furnishings, or from 20 two-bedroom cottages in the forest, set back from the beach. Solo travelers: In the off-season, the resort regularly offers excellent discounts for individual guests.
Opened in 1972 on the beach at Cox Bay, Pacific Sands Beach Resort (1421 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/725-3322, www.pacificsands.com; $235-365 d, 2-bedroom unit $490-850) has grown to encompass a variety of units in several buildings. Most of the modern condo-style beach houses have two bedrooms and views across the lawn to the waterfront. In other buildings, the studio to two-bedroom units are smaller but still feel airy and beachy. All suites have full kitchens, handy since there’s no restaurant on-site, though the lobby coffee bar sells drinks, snacks, and quick meals. Rent beach cruiser bikes to go cycling or gather the gang in the gazebo to roast marshmallows.
The most deluxe lodging on Vancouver Island’s west coast is the S Wickaninnish Inn (500 Osprey Ln., 250/725-3100 or 800/333-4604, www.wickinn.com; $310-900 d), which nestles into 100 acres (40 hectares) of old-growth rainforest on Chesterman Beach. Behind the unassuming gray exteriors, the inn is filled with aboriginal art and 75 rustic yet elegant accommodations with earth-tone furnishings, gas fireplaces, flat-screen TVs hidden in cabinets that open by remote control, soaker tubs, and heated bath floors. Wi-Fi and bicycles are complimentary. The Ancient Cedars Spa has seven treatment rooms, including one set dramatically above the rocks; guests can join daily yoga classes. Local musicians perform at the Driftwood Café (named for its bar made of driftwood), which serves coffee, pastries, and light meals. The Pointe, the inn’s premier restaurant, is among the region’s finest.
INFORMATION AND SERVICES
The Pacific Rim Visitor Centre (2791 Pacific Rim Hwy., Ucluelet, 250/726-4600, www.pacificrimvisitor.ca; 8am-7pm daily June-early Sept., 10am-5pm daily May and early-Sept.-mid-Oct., 9am-5pm Tues.-Sat. mid-Oct.-Apr.), at the Tofino-Ucluelet junction, where Highway 4 meets the Pacific Rim Highway, provides information about the region. Parks Canada staff are on hand to offer visitor services for Pacific Rim National Park Reserve May through October.
Tofino Tourism (www.tourismtofino.com) has a detailed website with useful trip-planning tips. They run the Tofino Information Centre (1426 Pacific Rim Hwy., Tofino, 250/725-3414 or 888/720-3414, www.tourismtofino.com; 9am-7pm daily mid-June-early Sept., 10am-5pm daily early-Sept.-mid-June), 4.5 miles (7 kilometers) south of downtown Tofino and 15.5 miles (25 kilometers) north of the Tofino-Ucluelet junction.
Small Tofino General Hospital (261 Neill St., 250/725-4010, www.viha.ca) offers 24-hour emergency services.
GETTING THERE
Air
The Tofino-Long Beach Airport (YAZ, Pacific Rim Highway, www.tofinoairport.com) is seven miles (11 kilometers) southeast of the town of Tofino and 18 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Ucluelet.
Orca Airways (888/359-6722, www.flyorcaair.com) has regular flights to Tofino from the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport (5220 Airport Rd. S., Richmond, www.yvr.ca; year-round, one hour; one-way adults $175-220) and from the Victoria International Airport (1640 Electra Blvd., Sidney, 250/953-7533, www.victoriaairport.com; mid-May-mid-Oct., one hour; one-way adults $225-270).
KD Air (800/665-4244, www.kdair.com; one-way adults $175-225) also flies between Vancouver’s South Terminal and Tofino.
Car
A road trip from Vancouver to Tofino involves taking a ferry from the mainland to Nanaimo, and then driving west across the island; allow six hours to make the journey.
From Vancouver, drive northwest to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal and take the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay Ferry (www.bcferries.com; 1 hour and 40 minutes; one-way adults $17.20, ages 5-11 $8.60) to Nanaimo.
Although the drive from Nanaimo to Tofino is just 130 miles (210 kilometers), it takes at least three hours, longer if you stop to sightsee en route. When you exit the Departure Bay ferry terminal, follow the signs to Highway 19/Parksville. Just past Parksville, exit onto Highway 4 westbound toward Port Alberni. Check your gas; there are no gas stations between Port Alberni and the Pacific coast.
Highway 4 winds its way across the island, over and around the mountains that form the island’s spine. At several points, the road becomes quite narrow and curvy; don’t be in a rush to make this trip. If you find that a line of impatient drivers is forming behind you, use one of the pullouts to move over and allow them to pass.
Highway 4 comes to a T at the Tofino-Ucluelet junction. Turn right (north) onto the Pacif
ic Rim Highway toward Tofino; it’s 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the junction into town.
Bus
Tofino Bus (250/725-2871 or 866/986-3466, www.tofinobus.com) can take you to Tofino starting from Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station (1150 Station St.; 7.5 hours; adults $62, seniors and students $56, ages 2-11 $46). This route runs in partnership with Greyhound, which provides bus service from Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay, where you board the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay Ferry to Nanaimo. After arriving at the Nanaimo ferry terminal, you transfer to the Tofino Bus to the west coast. You must purchase a ferry ticket in addition to the bus fare.
Tofino Bus can also take you to Tofino from Nanaimo’s Departure Bay Ferry Terminal (4 hours; adults $46, seniors and students $42, ages 2-11 $23) and from downtown Victoria (6.5 hours; adults $69, seniors and students $62, ages 2-11 $36).
GETTING AROUND
Easy to explore on foot, the town of Tofino is just a few blocks square, with most shops and restaurants along Campbell or Main Streets, between 1st and 4th Streets. To travel between town and the beaches, it’s easiest to have your own car, although it’s possible to cycle or take a bus.
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