Tofino & Pacific Rim

A surf town on the west coast of Vancouver Island with Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, temperate rainforest trails, whale watching and Hot Springs Cove — and winter storm watching like nowhere else.

Tofino sits at the tip of a peninsula on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Together with Ucluelet, about 40 km to the south, it makes up the Pacific Rim region; between the two lies the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, and to the north is Clayoquot Sound, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The climate is temperate maritime — mild winters and cool summers, but very wet: Jun–Sep is relatively sunny and the peak season for surfing, whale watching, bear watching and boat trips to Hot Springs Cove; gray whales pass by on their northward migration in Mar–Apr; and from Nov to Feb Pacific storms bring waves more than ten metres high, making the oceanfront hotels' storm-watching packages a winter signature. The area divides into three parts: Tofino town and nearby beaches (Chesterman, Cox Bay, MacKenzie); Long Beach, the Rainforest Trail and the Shorepine Bog Trail in the national park; and Ucluelet's Wild Pacific Trail, lighthouse and aquarium. Boat trips (whale watching, bear watching, Hot Springs Cove, Meares Island) all leave from the Tofino docks. Getting there: take the ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo, then drive about 3 hours; Highway 4 along Kennedy Lake is winding and occasionally subject to construction closures. You can also fly from Vancouver directly to Tofino on a small plane. Plan to stay 3–4 days. A day pass is required for the national park; summer accommodation is tight and should be booked months ahead; the water is cold and rip currents are strong, so wear a wetsuit for swimming and surfing and stay in areas where other people are around.

Top sights

• Long Beach – The heart of Pacific Rim National Park, a 16 km stretch of sand backed by rainforest and sea-carved rocks. It's the top spot for surfing an…
• Pacific Rim National Park Reserve – A national park reserve on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Its Long Beach unit, near Tofino, is home to beaches, rainforest and wetland…
• Hot Springs Cove – A natural hot spring on the coast that can only be reached by boat or seaplane. The hot water runs down through rock crevices into stone po…
• Chesterman Beach – The most popular beach just south of Tofino town. The waves are gentle, which makes it good for beginner surfing, and at low tide you can w…
• Wild Pacific Trail – A coastal cliff trail on the Ucluelet Peninsula. Watch giant waves crash on the rocks, see the lighthouse, and look for whales across a tot…
• Rainforest Trail – Two boardwalk loop trails in Pacific Rim National Park, winding through primeval forest of thousand-year-old western red cedars and hemlock…
• Amphitrite Point Lighthouse – A red-and-white lighthouse at the southern tip of Ucluelet, a landmark on the Wild Pacific Trail lighthouse loop.
• Clayoquot Sound – A UNESCO biosphere reserve where islands, fjords and old-growth rainforest intertwine. It is the prime place for whale watching, bear viewi…
• Meares Island Big Tree Trail – A primeval forest trail on a small island across from Tofino, home to giant western red cedars over a thousand years old, including the 'Be…
• Cox Bay – One of Tofino's most consistent surf beaches, a wide sandy stretch flanked by headlands on both sides, often hosting surfing competitions.
• Tonquin Beach – The beach closest to Tofino's town center, reached by forest trails and wooden steps down to the cove. It's a favorite spot in town for wat…
• MacKenzie Beach – A crescent-shaped cove south of Tofino with small, gentle waves and shallow water, suitable for family play, stand-up paddleboarding and bo…
• Combers Beach – A quieter stretch of sand in the middle of Long Beach, where Sea Lion Rocks, a sea stack offshore, is often home to sea lions.
• Schooner Cove Trail – A rainforest boardwalk at the northern end of Long Beach, about 1 km down to the secluded Schooner Cove beach, where starfish and tide pool…
• Radar Hill – The former site of a Cold War radar station, reachable by car to the summit, with 360-degree views over the Clayoquot Sound islands and the…
• Shorepine Bog Trail – An approximately 800-meter accessible boardwalk loop across acidic peat bog, where shore pines several hundred years old stand only as tall…
• Kwisitis Visitor Centre – A national park visitor centre built beside Wickaninnish Beach, presenting Nuu-chah-nulth culture and marine ecology.
• Florencia Bay – A hidden, long crescent bay at the southern end of the Long Beach unit, reached by steep steps down to the sand, with few people and quiet…
• Broken Group Islands – A park unit in Barkley Sound made up of more than a hundred small islands, and a famed sea kayaking and camping destination in North Americ…
• Ucluelet Aquarium – A small 'rotating' aquarium that displays only local marine life and returns the creatures to the sea at the end of each exhibit, where you…
• Tofino Botanical Gardens (Naa'Waya'Sum Gardens) – A coastal rainforest garden south of Tofino, where trails wind through native plant areas, art installations and mudflat bird-watching spot…
• Roy Henry Vickers Gallery – An Indigenous artist's gallery in Tofino's town center, designed like a traditional West Coast longhouse, selling woodcut prints and carvin…
• Tofino Harbour – The waterfront of Tofino town, where whale-watching, Hot Springs Cove tours, seaplanes and Meares Island water taxis all depart.
• Kennedy Lake – One of the largest lakes on Vancouver Island, beside Highway 4 on the way to Tofino. Its waters are warm enough for swimming and boating.

Where to eat

• Wolf in the Fog – Tofino's best-known restaurant, named Canada's Best New Restaurant by Air Canada enRoute. It serves shareable dishes ma…
• Tacofino Original Truck – Orange food truck operating since 2009 in a surf shop parking lot. Its fish tacos are a budget must-eat in Tofino.
• The Pointe Restaurant (Wickaninnish Inn) – Upscale restaurant built on a rocky headland with 240-degree Pacific views, offering a tasting menu and à la carte dish…
• Shelter Restaurant – Long-running, popular bar-restaurant in Tofino serving seafood, burgers and rice bowls from morning to night, suited to…
• Big Daddy's Fish Fry – Window-service fish shop in downtown Tofino serving tempura-style battered halibut and lingcod. It is affordable and au…

Itineraries

• Vancouver Island Island-Hopping & West Coast – From Victoria via Salt Spring Island to Tofino, returning to Vancouver via the East Coast.