Surf
Learn to Surf at Cox Bay
A morning lesson on one of the most consistent beginner breaks on Vancouver Island, with wetsuits supplied against water that stays cold even in August.
A surf town on Vancouver Island's exposed west coast, where temperate rainforest meets open ocean on the unceded territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht, Ahousaht and Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ (Ucluelet) First Nations. Storms, whales and hot springs draw people here in every season.
Where you'll base yourself
Chesterman BeachCox BayDowntown TofinoUcluelet
Things to do
Mornings
Beach
Walk Long Beach at Low Tide
Sixteen kilometres of sand inside Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, backed by Sitka spruce and driftwood logs, with tide pools exposed at low water.
Nature
Big Tree Trail, Meares Island
A 10-minute water taxi from Tofino harbour to Wah-nuh-jus–Hilthoois Tribal Park, then a boardwalk out to the Hanging Garden through cedars estimated at over 1,000 years old.
Hike
Rainforest Trail Loop
Two short loops of raised boardwalk through dense coastal old growth, moss thick on every surface, a five-minute pull-off along Highway 4.
Garden
Tofino Botanical Gardens
Twelve acres of temperate rainforest and cultivated garden along the harbour, with First Nations art installations tucked among second-growth forest.
Kayak
Paddle the Tofino Mudflats
A guided sea-kayak paddle across sheltered inlets behind Meares Island, calm water even when the open coast is rough, herons and eagles overhead.
Nature
Combers Beach Tide Pools
A quieter stretch of Pacific Rim's shoreline south of Long Beach, sea stars and anemones in the rock pools at low tide and rarely crowded.
Afternoons
Hike
Wild Pacific Trail, Lighthouse Loop
A cliffside boardwalk loop past the Amphitrite Point Lighthouse in Ucluelet, waves breaking directly below and whales sometimes visible offshore.
Wildlife
Whale-Watching by Zodiac
A boat trip out past Clayoquot Sound in search of grey and humpback whales, migrating roughly March through October; sightings are likely but never guaranteed.
Wildlife
Bear-Watching Boat Tour
A slow boat along Clayoquot Sound's estuaries where black bears turn over rocks for crabs at low tide, best from spring through early autumn.
Surf
Surfing at Chesterman Beach
A second beach break split by Frank Island at low tide, popular with intermediate surfers and quieter than Cox Bay on a summer afternoon.
Gallery
Roy Henry Vickers Gallery
A longhouse-style gallery on Campbell Street built to resemble a traditional First Nations structure, showing the printmaker's West Coast landscapes.
Cycle
Cycle the Multi-Use Path to Cox Bay
A paved, mostly flat path running beside Highway 4 from town past Chesterman Beach to Cox Bay, an easy way to string beaches together without a car.
Aquarium
Ucluelet Aquarium
A small catch-and-release aquarium on the Ucluelet harbour holding only local species for the season, then releasing them back into the wild each fall.
Evenings
Brewery
Tofino Brewing Company Tasting
A community-owned taproom pouring Kelp Stout and Hoppin' Cretin IPA in an industrial-park unit a short walk from downtown, growlers filled to go.
Views
Sunset at Frank Island Overlook
Chesterman Beach faces almost due west, and low tide bares a sandbar to Frank Island — a short walk out for a sunset few hotel decks can match.
Dining
Dinner at a Chesterman Beach Table
An evening built around one of Tofino's destination dining rooms, Pacific seafood and local produce plated with the beach or forest just outside the glass.
Storm
Storm-Watching from a Fireside Room
November through February, Pacific storms send waves over the headlands while lodges light fires and hand out oversized windows; a genuine winter draw, not filler.
Beach
Night Walk on Long Beach
Long Beach empties out after dinner; a headlamp and the tideline make for a quiet walk with only surf noise and, on clear nights, a genuinely dark sky.
Distillery
Tofino Distillery Tasting Room
A small, certified-organic distillery pouring West Coast Gin and Old Growth Cedar Gin in a tasting room made with water from the Meares Island watershed, open into the evening.
Music
Live Music at a Downtown Pub
Tofino's small downtown strip has a rotating weekly line-up of local and touring acts in its pubs — check the week's board rather than expect a fixed night.
