Year-round vacation seekers from near and far pack up their vehicles or hop on a quick flight and head to Tofino to catch sunny beach days or seek out a spot for some serious storm-watching (come the fall/winter season). Regardless of your reason for heading over to this Vancouver Island locale, Tofino is a definite must. We love it because its perfectly suited for those on the hunt for for west coast adventure melded with just the right amount of R&R.
We’ve rounded up our top picks to ensure you retreat in style at one of BC’s most stunning holiday destinations, check them out below and start planning.
Stay
While some may prefer resort accommodation, we found it far less costly and far more private to book into Tofino Vacation Rentals where you can rule the entire house yourself. Choose from a variety of privately owned beachfront homes, cabins and condos and you’ll have an onsite kitchen, fire pits, a barbeque and views that you’ll be sure to need more than a cell phone to capture. With plenty of room to lounge and entertain in, you may never need to venture out, but you’ll want to.
Do
Throughout the year there are plenty of festivals to plan your visit around. In February the Tofino Film Festival showcases a wonderful array of films, and in March whale watchers flock to the Pacific Rim Whale Festival. In May food lovers enjoy Feast Tofino, a festival focused on locally-caught seafood and June sees the always sold out Tofino Food & Wine Festival along with the Rip Curl Pro Tofino national surfing championship. There’s fishing derby’s, lantern festivals, winter art celebrations and of course the November Clayoquot Oyster Festival and December Christmas celebrations.
Eat
The food in Tofino is superb. Seafood is king here, but there’s plenty to eat if that’s not your thing. The newcomer to the food scene is the Wolf In The Fog, but the team behind it has been cooking and serving in Tofino for years. Led by Chef Nicholas Nutting the motto here is “Fish Forage Feast” and their delightful dishes range from items such as duck confit to Jamaican fried fish. Also recently opened is Long Beach Lodge Resort beach-side Sand Bar Bistro, Tofino’s first beach side patio, where you must try the halibut-chipotle burritos and their West Coast Kennebec fries, with garlic, wasabi or porcini seasoning. Favourites for casual dining is Sobo, home of superb fish tacos and Shelter for everything from burgers to whole Dungeness crab. The Pointe at the Wickaninnish Inn is always a treat with their immaculate service and top tier dining Oceanside, and no visit is complete without coffee and donuts at Rhino Coffee House.
