Where to Stay
Pacific Sands Resort
The resort’s roomy two- and three-bedroom villas sit in the treeline framing Cox Bay Beach, so with the windows open on both floors, the steady sound of the Pacific Ocean waves will have you sleeping like a baby. When you’re not cooking up crew meals in the full kitchen (guests also have access to agourmet pantry for specialized kitchen appliances), there’s Pac Sands’ on-site restaurant: the Surfside Grill. Picnic tables on the patio keep things feeling very West Coast surf shack, but with a menu sourced from local waters and Vancouver Island growers, you wouldn’t dare call this farmto-fork classic beach fare pub
food. Another perk: a whole fleet of hybrid bikes are on standby for when you want to cycle to town— or just as far as Tofino Brewing. Private beach houses from $549 per night, pacificsands.com
Tofino Resort and Marina
From the exterior, the freshly painted black-and-white buildings of this rejuvenated resort (now under the ownership of former Vancouver Canucks Willie Mitchell and Dan Hamhuis) pop against the lush greens, blues and greys of the Tofino landscape. Inside, the 62 coastal-cool guest suites have been renovated to perfect simplicity: cozy beds, patios with a view and oh-so-Instagrammable photographic wall wraps from artist Jeremy Koreski. King rooms with an inlet view from $159 per night, tofinoresortandmarina.com