British Columbia
Tofino & Pacific Rim
Adventure 8/10 · Scenery 9/10 · Family 7/10 · Access 5/10
The place
Canada's surf capital, where old-growth rainforest meets the open Pacific. Long Beach delivers year-round swell, winter storm-watching draws crowds to the coast, and the Wild Pacific Trail hugs the headlands.
Tofino is where the road runs out and the Pacific takes over. The long beaches of Pacific Rim National Park draw surfers year-round, while the surrounding old-growth rainforest and the Wild Pacific Trail offer boardwalks and headland lookouts for those who prefer to stay dry.
Winter is a season in its own right here: storm-watching packages put you behind glass as huge swells hammer the coast. Wetsuits make surfing viable even in January, and the town's food scene — built around fresh seafood and food trucks — punches well above its size.
What you can do
- Surfing
- Storm-watching
- Sea kayaking
- Rainforest trails
