Best Things To Do In Tofino
Tofino is one of the most stunning locations in all of BC. It’s located on Vancouver Island off the West Coast. If you like the vibe of a small surf town, then this is your perfect fit! Tofino has stunning trails and sprawled out beaches, lots of adorable restaurants and bars, surfing, fires on the beach, incredible sunsets, fishing, and so much more! In the winter you can go and storm watch and embrace the ancient rainforest.
Within 30 minutes you can be on the other side of the Peninsula in another small town called Ucluelet. Ucluelet also offers beautiful beaches and trails like the lighthouse trail where you will see stunning sights. It is very kid-friendly and can be done within 40 minutes. It also has little markets, great fishing spots and even a cute little brewery.
Getting To Tofino
Drive – From Vancouver to Tofino is about a 5-6 hour trek. Although it takes a bit to get there, it is a beautiful drive through greenery and lakes. Plus not the whole time do you have to drive. You have to take a 2-hour ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo and then from Nanaimo to Tofino is about a 3-hour drive. You can take the ferry from Tsawwassen terminal to Nanaimo or Horseshoe Bay Terminal to Nanaimo. Be sure to check the BC Ferries schedule and book your reservation ahead of time as Tofino does get busy around the summertime.
Pro Tip: Something you will want to consider when driving to Tofino right now until October 3, 2021, is road closures due to the Kennedy Hill update. Be sure to check out the road closure schedule which I linked above to avoid being stuck in 4-hour closures.
Fly – You can fly directly from Vancouver to Tofino with Pacific Coastal Airline. They offer daily non-stop service in a comfortable 19-seat aircraft. It is about a 45-minute flight so you can get there nice and quick. You can get flights for about $300.00 round trip/per person.
Things To Do In Tofino
Enjoy The Beaches
The beaches in Tofino will take your breath away. They are by far one of the biggest attractions to why people even visit Tofino. There are a handful of beaches to explore and visit. These are my favourite ones to spend time on:
Long Beach
Cox Bay
McKenzie Beach
Chesterman Beach
Tonquin Beach
Each beach offers a little something different, but all are worth checking out, even if it’s just a quick early morning walk!
A few things you can do on the beach are:
Fires on the beach – Chesterman and McKenzie Beach are the best beaches for this but be sure to check out the outdoor burning schedule to adhere to any temporary rules set by the district of Tofino.
Sunsets on the beach – What is better than a sunset on the beach? If you are looking for the best beaches to capture the full sunset from shore then Tonquin Beach and Cox Bay are your best bet.
Biking on the beach – Make sure to check the tide forecast for this, but when the tide is out, you have to bike along the beach! Chesterman would be the best beach, in my opinion, to do this at as it’s one of the largest beaches.
Grab a coffee
For such a small town, you will be surprised by how many amazing coffee shops there are. In this article, I am only going to focus on my top 3.
Rhino Coffee – This coffee shop is my number one favourite! It is centrally located in town and brews the most delicious coffee. It has really cute apparel and coffee mugs to take home as a souvenir. And let’s just talk about the freshly baked donuts! The donuts are absolutely out of this world! AND for my vegan friends, you won’t even believe the vegan donut is vegan!
Pro Tip: Because it is a very popular coffee shop, I suggest going early morning (they open up at 7 am) to avoid long lines.
Tofitian Cafe – They offer a variety of beverages from coffee to loose leaf teas sourced from around the world, top quality Matcha, freshly squeezed lemon elixirs and gourmet chocolate frothy delights. Their bakery is full of fresh goodies and for my allergy friends, there are daily rotating gluten-free and vegan items.
Savary Island Pie Company – This Coffee and Pie shop is a little off the beaten track. It’s right next to the Tofino Air Harbour so it offers INCREDIBLE views of the ocean. This company offers freshly baked pies, bread, and even ice cream! It has a very vintage vibe.
Explore Trails and Caves
Tonquin Beach Trail – This one is really easy to do as it’s only 3km, however, be sure to note that there are a handful of stairs. It will lead you right onto the grounds of the stunning Tonquin Beach.
For more on ALL the trails and hikes in Tofino, check this out.
Caves – Did you know that depending on the tide, you can see some really cool caves? The low-tide caves at Chesterman Beach are a sight to see for sure! Enter from Chesterman North and go all the way around the rock to the left of you on a low tide day. As you explore near the back of the beach you will find some really cool caves.
Eat and Drink
Who doesn’t love eating and finding some good places for a cold beer or cocktail!? Considering Tofino is a small town, you will be surprised by how many places there are for food and drink. Let me help by breaking down a few of my favourites that we regularly return to each year:
Tofino Brewery – The decor, the beer and the apparel are top-notch! The Tofino Lager and Blonde are my absolute favourite for a nice crisp easy drinking beer! They have lots of tasty little snacks too!
Tofino Craft Distillery – Located right next door to the brewery is the adorable distillery where you can try Mini-Cocktail tasters. You can also take home a craft distilled spirit, glassware, T-shirts, hoodies and even beach day or camping kits! The decor is so cute and cozy, you will love it!
Shed – This is a super family-friendly place that serves up the most incredible burgers!!! The patio is perfect for enjoying the Tofino sunshine and observing the town. It is located right downtown Tofino with a very west-coast vibe!
The Hatch Waterfront Pub – The outdoor patio offers stunning views of the ocean! It’s even been said that Orcas show up quite often right in front of the patio! The cocktails at this place are to die for! I highly recommend if you like margaritas to get the mezcal margarita! It does not disappoint! And my two little girls highly recommend the big basket of fries for a little afternoon snack!
Adriana’s – If you are a bread lover then you HAVE to stop by Adriana’s and just get a chunk of focaccia loaf! We got so addicted to it, we went every day to just get a load to rip apart with some butter. But then I had a genius idea to make our lunch sandwiches with this bread and it was a game-changer. They also have coffee and will make sandwiches for you at the shop. Try not to miss it though as it’s a little hidden. The address is 564 Campbell St, Tofino, BC.
Tacofino Bus – This Is just a no brainer. If you like Mexican food and are in Tofino, you need to get food from the original Tacofino Food Truck! The burritos are amazing!
Pro Tip: Because this is one of the most popular places to eat in Tofino, it gets really busy! They open at 11 am, so your best bet is to get there a little before 11 am and start waiting in line to beat the mad rush
Wildside Grill – Located right behind Tofitian Cafe, in the same parking lot as the Tacofino Food Truck, is the Wildside Grill. This is another great takeout option if you are headed to the beach for sunset! They are known for their fish and chips, but if you are a taco freak like myself, you can’t miss out on getting the fish tacos! Mouthwatering goodness!
Lil Ronnie’s BBQ – If you like BBQ, you HAVE to check out the West Coasts’ largest outdoor licensed patio! It is such a fun vibe right behind McKenzie Beach. They have lots of live music that regularly plays while you enjoy your meal. From bands to Monday open mic night! They offer take-out options too so you can grab your food and walk down the path to the beach for sunset or a surf!
Tofino Licks – If you have a sweet tooth, make sure you stop by and grab yourself an organic ice cream or frozen yogurt! And YES they have vegan options!!! This is located in a really cute little area at the end of the Tofino strip. The exact address so you don’t miss it is 220 Campbell street Tofino, BC.
Tuff City Squeeze – This amazing smoothie and juice bar is located right in front of Tofino Licks also at the very end of town at 220 Campbell Street. If you are a fresh smoothie lover, you have to go and get a delicious smoothie from this adorable boxcar business! They also offer some really awesome apparel!
Sandbar Bistro – Honestly this Is my favourite place to get a beer and some fish and chips. It’s located right on Cox Bay attached to the Long Beach Resort. The outdoor bistro bar offers a variety of lunch items or just go for a cold one around a little fire and watch the surfers do their thing!
Tofino Activities
The water taxi will take you to see some pretty cool things, I’ve listed a few below:
Whale Tours – They guarantee whale sightings of potentially Grey, Humpback, and Orca Whales and often you will also see Sea Lions, Seals, Sea Otters, Bald Eagles, and many species of birds.
Bear Tours – You will venture off to protected inlets at low tide in search of Black Bears along the shoreline.
Hot Springs Tour – I wanted to do this SO bad, but because of COVID this tour is currently closed, so keep checking back to see when it reopens and add it to your activity list! You will get taken along the beautiful ocean to Maquinna Provincial Park natural hot springs. Along the way, you may even see whales and other wildlife! It’s basically a two-for-one activity!
Vargas Island – Who doesn’t want a private beach to themselves just a short 15-minute water taxi ride away from Tofino. You can go and relax or do some hikes. They even offer camping on the beach for $15 / night camping fee payable to the Ahousaht First Nation. That is already on my bucket list for next summer!
Rent Bicycles
Tofino offers plenty of places to rent Bikes. Tofino Bike Co I believe has the best deals, but look around and see what’s suitable for your family! You can add all sorts of accessories so if you have little ones, they can come along for the ride too!
Paddle Board
You can rent Paddle Boards at Tofino Paddle Surf and either take a lesson or rent your gear and go out and explore on your own. McKenzie Beach is a gorgeous beach that remains very calm so it’s best for paddleboarding. The scenery is breathtaking. If you are more advanced at paddleboarding then you can also take the board to the bigger beaches and try surfing with the paddleboard.
Surfing
I obviously had to save the best for last! When you come to Tofino, you HAVE to surf! It’s the only beach in BC that has amazing surf! But maybe you are wondering where to rent your gear from?
Well, Tofino has no shortage of surf rental shops, but the BEST one in my opinion for pricing and customer service is Long Beach Surf Shop. They are super easygoing and right at the heart of town not far from the beaches at all. They will get you set up with the right sizes of gear you need and even strap your boards on your roof for you while showing you how to do it in case it is your first time!
Best Surf Beach For Beginners – Chesterman North generally has decent waves year-round and is really good for beginners and intermediate. Cox bay has a lot of whitewashes so if you are really new, you might want to just ride the whitewash for a bit and get that experience.
Best Surf Beach For Intermediate – I would say Long Beach and Chesterman North are great for Intermediate! Long beach is stunning and VERY long (hence the name). You will oftentimes see whales playing at Long beach further out in the ocean which is really cool. There is a big rock in the middle of long beach so it’s best for more intermediate surfers than beginners because you have to be cautious and aware of the rock, making sure you don’t get caught in any riptides that’ll drag you into the rock.
Pro Tip: If you don’t want to pay high parking rates then go with Chesterman. At Long Beach, you are looking at around $12 a day and Chesterman is around $6-9
Best Surf Beach For Pro – In my opinion, if you are a really advanced surfer, then nothing beats Cox Bay. The sets furthest to the back are usually very large waves so the professionals typically stick to that area.
Pro Tip: Make sure that you add to your list going for a sunset surf! It is the most amazing time to be on the water and surfing as you watch the sun go down!
Fishing
My husband has his fishing license and salmon tags so he had a great time going out almost every morning fishing! He highly recommends Tonquin beach for the best fishing! Please note a couple of things though. First, you need to have your tidal license and salmon tags if you are fishing for salmon. Secondly, If you catch a coho you can keep 4 per day and a grand total of 8 but they have to be 30cm long to keep.
Where we Stay
There is no shortage of resorts, Airbnb’s and camping for housing in Tofino. However, the number one question I consistently get asked is where we were staying. If you followed along with my Instagram stories or have viewed my Tofino highlight reel, you will have seen both places.
The first place was called the Cypre Suite. It’s just at the foot of town so it makes it really easy to get around on foot! The unit has 3 big bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a big patio and of course, a hot tub as pictured below!
The second place we stayed at, which is the same house we rented last year, is called Ray of Sunshine. This house is more on the outskirts of town and is more secluded. It is a 2 bedroom (but three beds) loft-style home with very modern and industrial decor. It has a little front porch patio and back porch patio along with the hot tub as pictured below.
Both accommodations are amazing and I would recommend them both. It just depends on what you want and the price range.
Pro Tip: If you stay in the same Airbnb as a previous year, see if you can get a discounted rate as you are a returning guest. We got a KILLER deal for next year because the host found us to be extremely clean and because we are returning guests. It never hurts to ask!
Visit Tofino
In my opinion, Tofino is a destination you have to see at least once in your life. And this article is only scratching the surface of what to see, where to eat and drink and things to do. There is so much more to do and SO many amazing places to stay! My favourite time to go to Tofino is in the summer, however, wintertime offers you the chance to do some incredible storm watching! If you want more photos and videos of our trips to Tofino, check out my Instagram Tofino Highlight reel!
Let me know if you found this article helpful or resourceful! If you have visited Tofino, what was your favourite thing to do!? Drop it below!
Xo, Asia
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