Kayaking in Clayoquot Sound is a singular experience: hidden lagoons teem with colourful sea life and there are lots of places along miles of secluded, sandy beaches where you can go ashore for a short hike through the ancient rainforest. One popular hike leads to Hot Springs Cove, a natural hot spring that bubbles up through a crack in the earth at the remote, northern end of the sound.
Situated on Vancouver Island's west coast, Tofino is literally surrounded by unspoiled wilderness. If you enjoy hiking, beachcombing or wildlife viewing, you're in for a treat! There are extensive hiking trails in nearby Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, which is also one of the best places on Vancouver Island for viewing terrestrial and marine wildlife. Gibson Marine Provincial Park's Wildside Heritage Trail extends 10 km (6 mi) across beaches and headlands before ascending to the summit of Mount Flores. Tofino is also just minutes away from an excellent nine-hole golf course - Long Beach Golf Course is nestled amongst the giant redwoods of the Clayoquot rainforest and offers breathtaking views of Barkley Sound.
Like many places on Vancouver Island, Tofino is home to a great many artists and artisans. Much of the art inspired by the wild landscapes of Vancouver Island's west coast is produced there, with Aboriginal art particularly plentiful. Masks, carvings, totems, jewellery, pottery and prints by west coast Aboriginal artists are available from a number of galleries. In fact, there is a great diversity of interesting work for sale in the area, including power-saw animal carvings, limited- edition prints, stone carvings, books, pottery, basketry and gift items.
Tofino's colourful history has strong links to the ocean; the Whale Centre Maritime Museum is the best place to see fishing and whaling artifacts. The contents of its displays, which were collected and donated by local people, include Aboriginal artifacts from the Nuu-chah-nulth culture, objects washed ashore after shipwrecks, and marine-life specimens. Another way to experience the history of the area is to walk the Wildside Heritage Trail, an ancient Nuu-chah-nulth trail rich in natural wonders and cultural significance.
One of the best family-friendly attractions in the community is the Tofino Royal Botanical Gardens, five ha (12 ac) of gardens, forest and shoreline that explore the relationship between culture and nature. They feature a children's garden, old-growth boardwalk trails, a bird-watching blind, frog pond, outdoor sculptures, gazebos and lecture huts. All the featured plants (indigenous and imported) are labelled in three languages: English, Botanical and Nuu-chah-Nulth.
Tofino has a vibrant arts scene. One of the highlights of its arts calendar is the Summer Music Festival. Chamber- and world-music concerts featuring distinguished Canadian and international musicians are presented in a variety of venues in the Tofino-Ucluelet area in July and August.
In winter, spectacular storms pummel the west coast of the island. Storm watching has, in recent years, become a tourist draw in Tofino. It involves nothing more strenuous than taking up a position behind a hotel or beachfront-restaurant window and focusing outward at the awesome force and fury of the Pacific Ocean.
Tofino is a good place to shop for arts and crafts items. A great diversity of interesting pieces are sold there, including power-saw animal carvings, limited-edition prints, stone carvings, books, pottery, basketry and gift items.
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve contains many of the most striking features of the Vancouver Island landscape: beautiful beaches, majestic forests and picturesque island chains. It has an extensive network of hiking trails, a campground and an interpretive centre where visitors can learn about the park's natural and cultural/Aboriginal heritage. The Broken Group Islands archipelago, accessible only by boat, contains some of the most stunning scenery in the park. The park is also one of the best places to see wildlife on Vancouver Island. More than 20,000 Grey Whales migrate through the park's waters from mid-March to mid-April and certain offshore islands are home to noisy hordes of sea lions. Keep your eyes open for Mink, Sea Otters, Raccoons and Black Bears throughout the park and, if you're a bird lover, watch for the waterfowl, shorebirds and seabirds that winter along the coast from November to March. Or come in springtime to view large flocks of migrating birds.
The Tofino Wildlife Management Area is another good place to view birds, particularly ducks, geese and shorebirds. Its mudflats are among the most important wetlands for migratory waterfowl on Canada's west coast. Tens of thousands of ducks, geese and shorebirds use them as a staging or over-wintering area each year.
Long Beach, the longest stretch of sandy beach on the west coast of Vancouver Island, is a preternaturally peaceful place. The regular pounding of the surf and the clean, salty air are guaranteed to calm even the busiest minds, a major reason Tofino receives so many repeat visits. If relaxation is your goal, consider a visit to Ancient Cedars Spa in the Wickaninnish Inn. It offers hot stone massages, Sacred Sea Thalassotherapy and side-by-side couples massages. All of its treatments begin with a fireside or oceanfront foot soak.
Tofino is a prime location for water-oriented -and particularly saltwater-oriented- activities. There are extensive kayaking opportunities in Clayoquot Sound as well as superb surfing and kayak-surfing conditions on Long Beach (the annual Surfjam tournament is held there). You can book a zodiac marine excursion to view many forms of wildlife, including Grey and Humpback Whales, Harbour Porpoises, Harbour Seals, Stellar Sea Lions, Sea Otters and large flocks of sea birds. If you're into deep-sea fishing, saltwater or freshwater fly-fishing, bait fishing or all of the above, you'll fall in love with the area. Catches are good year-round and the scenery is always extraordinary. Finally, you can hop on a boat or floatplane to Hot Springs Cove and take a dip in the all-natural hot springs.
In winter, spectacular storms pummel the west coast of Vancouver Island, creating waves as high as 18 m (59 ft). From November to March these waves draw surfers, surf kayakers and, more recently, storm watchers to the area. Storm watching is a relatively new tourism phenomenon in Tofino. one that generally involves nothing more strenuous than taking up a position behind a hotel or beachfront-restaurant window and focusing outward at the awesome force and fury of the Pacific Ocean.