A Visit to Tofino: The Surf Town on the Western Coast of Canada

What to Do

The biggest draw to Tofino is the surfing and there are a number of places to surf, camps and instructors, and surf shops. Check out one of the five beaches: Chesterman Beach, Cox Bay Beach, Mackenzie Beach, Long Beach, or Wickaninnish Beach. Rent or buy gear from numerous shops like Westside Surf or Long Beach Surf shop. Lessons and surf camps can be found at Surf Sister, Tofino Surfing School and more.

Other fun activities in the area include biking, hiking, fishing, golfing, kayaking, canoeing, zip lining, bear watching, birding, whale watching, and more. Journey to Hot Springs Cove located 27 nautical miles northwest of Tofino either by a 20-minute seaplane flight or a 1.5 hour boat ride. A boardwalk trail a little less than a mile takes you through old growth forest to the hot springs.

There are also numerous artists and galleries in town to explore to get a bit more cultural after a day of being outdoors!

Where to Eat

This small town has the dining quality and quantity of a metropolitan area with vegan and vegetarian options galore, bakeries and coffee shops, restaurants and pubs, and breweries and distilleries. For fresh-baked goods or coffee try Rhino Coffee, located on Main Street and known for their home-made donuts. The Tofitian Café is on the Highway near many of the surf breaks so it makes a great stop for coffee and fresh-baked goods after a good sesh.

For a quick lunch bite, try the Tacofino Cantina food truck, open 11am-6pm every day. They offer up Mexican-inspired, west coast-influenced fish tacos, big burritos, and fresh drinks, all for under twelve dollars. Big Daddy’s Fish Fry shack serves up delicious fresh, tempura-battered fries, halibut, cod, salmon, and prawns with homemade tartar sauce and options like popcorn shrimp, scallops, coconut prawns, fish and beef burgers, chicken, chowders, Caesar salad, smoked oyster, deep fried pickles, hot dogs, crab, and Humbolt squid.

For dinner, get a little more refined and try Shed, a delicious burgers, bowls, and brews restaurant that serves only the highest quality products from local farms and waters, a common theme in the restaurants here. Open from 11:30am-10pm, there’s a variety for everyone and every meal from a breakfast sandwich to the Shed burger to a poke bowl. Wolf in the Fog is another great dinner option with a local fish and forage-focused menu. The restaurant does dinner everyday as well as happy hour and brunch on weekends. Dinner selections include crispy lingcod cheek, charred octopus, house-made pasta, and a Canadian angus ribeye.

For a taste of the brewery and distillery scene in Tofino, check out the Tofino Brewing Company for small-batch, handcrafted beer made with high-quality malted barley and pacific northwest hops. Their tasting room is open everyday from 11am-10pm where you can try a flight of their beers or take some to-go. The Tofino Distillery brews up certified organic spirits as well as craft tonics. Their lineup includes several vodka, psychedelic jellyfish absinthe, old growth cedar gin and more.

Where to Shop

There are tons of goods to be found in Tofino from handcrafted chocolates to fun souvenirs. The Factory Tofino is a creative, working space showcasing the work of three Tofino “makers”; a jeweler, a photographer, and a leather goods maker. A retail shop and gallery showcases their work and iso pen to the public for shopping and seeing the artists in action 7 days a week. Try Merge Curated Goods for thoughtfully engineered products from Canadian and International artisans. For some classic souvenirs and Tofino-related products, check out Driftwood Gifts.