Thoughts on Vancouver Island: Tofino

I have had the opportunity to travel back and forth from Vancouver Island many times, but I mostly found myself in the heart of Victoria. There are many smaller towns which have absolutely charming attributes, and nooks and crannies waiting to be discovered. My parents took me to Tofino many times as a child, and as I venture back there as an adult, the outward appearance may have changed a little, but the spiritual heart of the town never escaped me.

Tofino is an absolutely picturesque, healing and calming place. It is located on the tip of Vancouver Island, and situated on the open Pacific Ocean. If you love beaches, and long beach walks, this is the place for you. You can literally walk the shores for hours, staring out to see, or collecting shells, or simply spending quality time with family. It is extremely relaxing, and the fresh sea air does wonders for your physical and mental state.

There are also many opportunities to engage in marine adventures. You can go to the St. James Post Whale Watching Company, or various others, and go out on the open ocean in a medium-sized yacht to look for whales, dolphins and seals. Also, at any time of year, I believe, you can take surfing lessons from “downtown” Tofino, which may be small, but extremely pleasant. There is the famous “Storm” surf-wear store where you could inquire about surfing lessons. The waves, so far as I have seen, are not as large as you may find in Mexico, Hawaii, South Africa or Australia, but they come in layers, and can be large enough to surf. We have many tourists coming from all around to surf in Tofino.

In terms of dining, there are quite a few charming restaurants downtown, one in the shape of a yacht, which is a more upscale dinner restaurant. There are some lovely caf