On the windswept west coast of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island lies tiny Tofino, a former fishing village and the traditional home of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation of the Nuu-chah-nulth people, now a bustling community surrounded by the UNESCO Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve. Wildlife tours, forest hiking, and walks along wide sandy beaches reconnect people with nature. Powerful winter storms produce ocean swells, creating epic storm-watching opportunities and a thriving cold-water surfing scene.
Earlier this year, the Tofino Resort + Marina debuted a new experience, the West Coast Floating Sauna. Accessed only by boat, the wood-fired cedar sauna bobs in a still, secluded bay inside the reserve. The 63-room Tofino Resort + Marina, co-owned by former NHL players Dan Hamhuis and Willie Mitchell and business partner Andrew Purdey, also offers adventures from fishing to free diving, paddleboarding, and whale or bear watching.
A new multiuse pathway through Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, completed this year, connects the park visitor center to Tofino village. ?apsciik tasii (pronounced ups-cheek ta-shee), a 15.5-mile accessible trail created in partnership with the Yuulu?il?ath and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, provides people of all ages and abilities a safe and sustainable way to experience one of Canada’s most spectacular landscapes.
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