Tofino Vancouver Island
Tofino BC

West Coast Surfing
Paradise...among other things!

Extreme hiking on the West Coast Trail, surfing and storm watching top the list of favorite activities.

Tofino BC, is a lovely little town on Vancouver Island, that offers tourists many attractions: whale watching, surfing, fishing, camping and hiking.

It's located right on the edge of Clayoquot Sound, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, as well as next to the Pacific Rim National Park.

And, only 28 miles north is Maquinna Marine Provincial Park, with its natural hot springs.

Tofino Hotels and Accommodations

Perched on the edge of the ocean, the inn's luxurious accommodations provide beautiful vistas on all sides of ocean and forest.

However, if you are looking for economy accommodations, there are several less expensive places to stay in Tofino Vancouver Island.

The Long Beach Lodge Resort has equally lovely views, and the accommodations are comfortable, rather than luxurious.

At the Pacific Sands Beach Resort, you can take a dip at the sandy beach, close to where you stay.

Another option, you can rent one of numerous small condos and cabins in the area.

For the traveler on a tight budget, you'll also find hostels and campsites. There are of course, provincial campsites as well.

• Long Beach - is a lengthy stretch of beach from Tofino to Ucluelet, where you can find excellent camping at the Green Point Campground.

  Hiking trails range from boggy wetlands filled with life to lush green temperate rain forests.

  In addition to the natural beauty of the area, you can find great surfing here especially in the winter, although the water can get chilly.

• The Broken Group Islands - offer fantastic kayaking between the hundred or so green or rocky islets. No one lives on the islands, but you have a choice between several campsites.

• For longer stays, you can take the week-long hike along the famous West Coast Trail, a challenging route that takes you past Canada's largest tree, a 95 m Sitka spruce.

• Clayoquot Sound - If you prefer glimpsing wildlife, try the Clayoquot Sound area. You may very well see cougars, elk, bald eagles, river otters, osprey, orca whales, and dozens of other species that make their homes here.

  Though a little over a decade ago this densely-wooded area was pristine, recent laws made logging legal here, and today even the old-growth forests in the valleys are endangered.

  If you want to get a look at a true old-growth temperate rain forest before it's cut down and transformed by logging, you must see Clayoquot Sound near Tofino Vancouver Island.

• Maquinna Marine National Park is a fantastic place to visit after that long hike. A natural hot spring overflows and cascades into several natural stone pools below, forming natural hot baths.

  Its position at the edge of the ocean means that, as the water gradually cascades closer to the ocean's edge, it cools. You can find a pool that is just right for your aches and pains to soak in for an hour or ten.

  Because the springs are accessible only by boat, you'll need to find a tourism company in Ucluelet or Tofino Vancouver Island, or rent your own boat in order to get here. Campers are welcome on the north end away from the hot springs.

And the drive to get there is pretty spectacular as well!

Tofino Vancouver Island to Vancouver Island

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