I first visited Tofino more than a dozen years ago. Located on the west or wild side of Vancouver Island, it's been discovered. And yup, the celebs have landed here, too. I don't have a problem with that, except the end result is often escalated property values and tough times for hourly wage employees to make ends meet here in Tough City.
Canadian Sarah McLachlan has a beautiful home on Chesterman Beach and fellow Canuck Jason Priestley owns Terrace Beach Resort in Ucluelet. We stayed at the nearby Reef Point Cottages before embarking on a four-day paddle trip with Blue Planet Kayaking, and found it a bit odd. Lots of gravel and the cottages are lined up in two rows facing each other. It felt like an old mining town or a movie set, ala Stepford Wives. Plus, no hairdryers and the open lofts didn't have ladders. We walked into town (about 15 minutes) and had yummy fish 'n chips at the Driftwood Inn. The next morning at breakfast, we found out that a black bear broke into the resto two nights before. So watch out for bears!
But enough about that. This town of around 1,700 people mushrooms in the high summer season, with thousands of visitors coming for one simple reason: it's so darn beautiful. The highly touted Wickaninnish Inn, where I've yet to bunk down, keeps racking up the awards from magazines such as Travel + Leisure and travel gurus like Andrew Harper. I prefer to stay at the nearby Long Beach Lodge, which is less $$. Granted, it doesn't have an in-house spa, but I had a fabulous hot stone massage on a socked-in, grey sky day several autumns ago at Sacred Stone Spa in downtown Tofino. If you prefer staying right in town, the Tofino Motel is nothing fancy, but very clean and walkable to just about anywhere. It also has harbor views.
There are plenty of outdoor activities, from whale watching with Jamie's Whaling Station to taking a water taxi to the Big Tree Trail on Meares Island with Ocean Outfitters. The Wild Pacific Trail in nearby Ucluelet features panoramic views of Barkley Sound and the Broken Group Islands of Pacific Rim National Park. It's a gravel surfaced walking trail through the forest and along the coastline for about five miles. Storm watching is a great winter sport, so don't stay away just because of a little rain.
As far as food, Tofino's Schooner Restaurant is a good choice for breakfast or lunch, and nearby Shelter is a hot spot for cocktails and dinner. I love the menu at SOBO (short for Sophisticated Bohemian), but unfortuantely they were closed the night we were in Tofino. Formerly located at the Tofino Botanical Gardens, they're now right downtown, behind The Schooner. I'm so there the next time I take a trip to the wild side of Vancouver Island.
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