Sign in with Facebook"Tofino , Vancouver Island, B.C." Top 5 Page for this destination Tofino by Greggor58
Tofino Travel Guide: 171 reviews and 381 photos
I guess Ive been venturing to Tofino and the surrounding area of Clayoquot Sound since the early Eighties...Ive seen so much development and growth here since my first little "road run" here in a 1963 "Fod"...The "R" was missing in the front vehicle logo...
Once upon a time not too long ago it was so little known,so peaceful,and tourists so scarce that the people who lived here full time in the little little fishing village I'm sure had a difficult time making ends meet.
That particular trip we camped in some forest between a car park and the beach somewhere along the stretch of road within the borders of Pacific Rim National Park...just shy of Tofino a few kilometers...
We spent most of our time in and around here beach combing and exploring the vast stretches of wind swept beach.It was a Spring visit and the weather was a mix of this and that,rain,wind,and sunshine.Often we would end up at the end of our little adventures hunkered down around a smoky fire on the beach..In the few days that we were there I remember counting exactly ONE other group of people...in fact it was a ONE person group...and we watched him come down the beach and eventually ended up sitting with us around our fire swapping stories and sharing laughter...It was like a scene out of "Fearing and Loathing in Las Vegas"
Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations People have made Clayoquot Sound their home for several thousand years mostly sustaining a living from the sea and using the abundant forest life to build they're houses and manufacture clothing and other necessities of they're life.
Its thought that there has been permanent settlement on Meares Island for about 5000 years...Meares is an island visible from the shoreline of Tofino just a few minutes boat ride from any of the wharves that dot the shore of the village.
Europeans first set foot here in the early 1790's when Tofino was actually named for a Spanish hydrographer that accompanied a Spanish exploration expedition led by Captains Galiano and Valdez.
Don Vincente Tofino was the man's name and he was from Cadiz in Spain..
To be honest when I am in the area I don't often venture into town too much..but I use it as a base sort of...I normally try to find a quiet spot by the ocean somewhere in the area to reflect and recharge my batteries.
I will use it for a jump off spot to get OUT of town..getting somewhere amongst ancient trees or maybe hiking a trail close to the water..sometimes Ill just pop into town to pick up supplies and get OUT without spending too much time here..
The Government Wharf is where Ill pick up a water taxi to whisk me off to Meares Island,Flores Island, or maybe somewhere up the coast a little ways to visit a natural "hot springs".
I have once upon a time done some kayaking here...and participated in some pretty fun whale watching adventures..Grey whales travel by here going North and South on they're annual migration from California to Alaska...Transient pods of Orca can sometimes be seen in the waters around here...Sea Lions,seals,Bald Eagles, Black Bear and other small mammals are certainly common in the area..
Tofino is a small developing town that is surrounded by wilderness....and everything that goes along with that in a modern World...wild animals,modern development, old ways,new ways,controversy,and still to this day...plenty of natural beauty !!
Tofino still holds for me a special place in my heart and I think I will always enjoy the meaning behind being in such a place even if the present reality of the village has changed so much since my first visits here...
If you haven't ventured to this part of Vancouver Island...then I would suggest going and seeing it for yourself...its certainly still worth the small challenges you will overcome to get yourself here.Come and see it for yourself...
- Pros:Beautiful little West Coast town...
- Cons:Too many hands in my pocket thanks...
Reviews (6)
Whale watching....
Things to Do
(3)
Tofino and Clayoquot Sound are situated right alongside the North South migration route of the Grey Whale.In the Spring... more travel advice
Sea Kayaking adventures.....
Things to Do
(3)
Kayaking on the Pacific can be sometimes challenging and dangerous yet ALWAYS beautiful !! There are a bevy of... more travel advice
Visit the "Ancients"..Meares Island...
Off The Beaten Path
(3)
The ancient stands of mostly cedars is a MUST SEE when visiting the Tofino area.Its just simply AMAZING that these old... more travel advice
Explore Flores Island...."Walk the Wild...
Off The Beaten Path
(3)
You can grab a water taxi to get to Flores Island...they run regularly between Tofino and Flores Island.The boat leaves... more travel advice
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Comments (8)
Isn't BC great? Wish I had spent more time there when there was more wild and less touristy activity.
Nice page Greggor, Canadians are lucky having so many great waterways & forests close to their backyard. That photo of you & your dad lakefront with mountain in distance is a "beauty".
Looks a good place to take time out and reflect. Boy, those Trees certainly are huge!
Beautiful photos! This place is near the top of my bucket list...
Whale watching... thinking of the one who got hit by a ship last week. Nice page, Greggor. Those ancient cedars are huge!
A nice little page on a very beautiful part of Canada. Your tips on Flores Island and the giant cedar trees were excellent! I agree that it is a picturesque place to visit, but it is really 'set-up' for tourists.
Thanks for visiting my Tofino Page Greggor. I am now inspired to adding some more pictures and tips after reading yours.
Lovely pictures of Bc. Tofino must be very cool in the summer! :)