Escape to sand, surf, food and wine
A great escape is only an hour away, writes Suzanne Morphet.
On Vancouver Island’s West Coast, the village of Tofino is a popular year-round destination. But driving there from the Lower Mainland usually takes at least six hours, including a ferry ride and a stretch of sometimes-harrowing mountain road. If you fly by float plane instead, you can be in Tofino in just one hour, giving you more time for the many adventures available.
FRIDAY 11 A.M. SO LONG VANCOUVER
Check in for your 11:30 a.m. flight with Harbour Air at the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre in Coal Harbour. Enjoy a complimentary espresso at the Cockpit Café before boarding a nine-passenger Cessna Grand Caravan EX. Besides the nonstop views over Stanley Park, the Strait of Georgia and the forested mountains of Vancouver Island, the best part about flying on floats is there’s no security screening, so boarding is a breeze. Just walk on and take off.
12:30P.M.TOUCHDOWNIN TOFINO
Your plane skims the surface of Tofino Inlet, then docks at Tofino Resort + Marina, situated on the edge of town and your home base for three nights. Enjoy lunch at the Hatch Waterfront Pub, one of the property’s two restaurants. With a menu ranging from raw oysters to wood-fired pizza, and 14 craft beers on tap, you’re spoiled for choice.
2 P.M. PADDLEBOARD CLAYOQUOT SOUND
After the bustle of the big city, Clayoquot Sound feels especially peaceful. Studded with emerald green islands, the waters here are calm compared to the outer coast. Book a small motorboat from the resort’s Marine Adventure Centre to take you to a sheltered spot to launch your boards. On the way, watch for bears foraging on the rocky shoreline.
Vancouver Island boasts one of the densest populations of black bears on the planet.
7 P.M. WALK TO SHELTER
Staying at the Tofino Resort + Marina means you’re within easy walking distance of stores and restaurants including Shelter, where an eclectic menu includes buttermilk fried chicken and mussels in Thai coconut.
SATURDAY 9:45 A.M. HOT SPRINGS COVE (PENDING REOPENING)
Grab your bathing suit and join the resort’s daily 30-nautical-miles boat ride to Maquinna Marine Provincial Park, where a boardwalk leads you through lush forest to the geothermally heated springs. On a cool or rainy day, the 50 C water feels very welcome. After cascading over a rocky outcropping, it collects in small pools, one so close to the ocean that waves wash over it. On the boat ride here you may spot grey whales or orcas and sea otters. Captain Jeff is an engaging storyteller and will keep you entertained coming and going. Warning: Hot Springs Cove is so popular you’ll likely be sharing it with a couple dozen or more others. (Note: Due to community concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19 to the Hesquiaht First Nation village in Hot Springs Cove, Maquinna Marine Provincial Park remains closed until further notice.)
7 P.M. DINE AT 1909 KITCHEN
Chef Paul Moran (a recent Top Chef Canada winner) focuses on ingredients sourced and foraged from Tofino’s ocean, shoreline and forests — and you’ll get good views of all three at this waterfront restaurant. The kitchen can also cook your own catch. If you’re wondering about the restaurant’s name, 1909 is the year the post office opened in Tofino.
SUNDAY 9 A.M. BIKE THE BEACH
Rent fat-tire or city bikes from the resort and cycle for about 20 minutes to Chesterman Beach on the multi-use trail that parallels the highway into town. Almost three kilometres long and shaped like a “w” (especially at low tide when Frank Island emerges), locals like Chesterman for walking and flying kites, but the hard-packed sand is also good for cycling.
12P.M.THEPOINTE RESTAURANT AT THE WICKANINNISH INN
Park your bikes near the Carving Shed at the north end of Chesterman Beach and see what local carvers are working on (and selling) before heading into The Wick. It was the inn’s Mcdiarmid family who helped make Tofino a storm-watching destination in winter, but even on a calm day, the 240-degree view of the ocean and beach from The Pointe is spectacular. Also of note is the inn’s new wine cellar. With its extensive selection of wines and a six-metre slab of yellow cedar for a table, the cellar can be reserved for private parties. (Note: The Wickaninnish hopes to reopen to B.C. residents on June 22 and the rest of Canada on July 6.)
2 P.M. TASTE MORE LOCAL FLAVOUR
On your cycle back to town, turn onto Industrial Way, where you’ll find Tofino Brewing and Tofino Distillery. Both offer tastings of their locally flavoured creations such as Kelp Stout at the brewery and Old Growth Cedar Gin at the distillery. Continue on Industrial Way and you’ll reach the Tonquin Trail Connector leading back to town. If you’re craving more beach time, park your bike and walk to Tonquin Beach. The rock formations here provide sheltered sunbathing. This small beach is also known for its beautiful sunsets.
MONDAY 9 A.M. CHECK OUT AND GO SURFING
Your experienced and fun-loving instructors from Pacific Surf Co. will teach you how to catch a wave and maybe a new passion. Even though the water hovers somewhere between 7 C and 15 C year-round, wetsuits keep you warm.
1 P.M. WALK TO THE RESORT’S DOCK
And board your return flight with Harbour Air. Be back in Vancouver at 2 p.m. with a smile on your face.
The writer was a guest of Tofino Resort + Marina before COVID-19 shut down the province.