Times Colonist - Tofino: The ultimate West Coast getaway
Just a five-hour drive from Victoria, Tofino is one of the best places places to visit to reconnect with nature and enjoy the West Coast food scene and culture.
By Kim Pemberton.
When Time magazine named Tofino one of the world’s greatest places in 2022, I was reminded that Vancouver Islanders don’t have to travel far for an epic getaway.
Just a five-hour drive from Victoria, Tofino is one of my family’s favourite places to visit to reconnect with nature and enjoy the West Coast food scene and culture.
Over spring break, my youngest daughter and I made the most of our three days together in Tofino by whale watching, exploring local beaches and forests, eating the best the West Coast has to offer and relaxing in a remote floating sauna on Clayoquot Sound.
The latter, highlighted in the Time article, is a new experience offered by Tofino Resort + Marina, which negotiated a lease with the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation to place a floating sauna in their territory, accessible only by boat.
The half-hour boat ride to reach the sauna is also an opportunity to look for wildlife in this UNESCO Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve. And although we didn’t spot any bears (that would happen on the drive home) or whales (later seen on a whale-watching tour), we did see plenty of eagles and a great blue heron.
As the boat rounded the corner and entered the quiet inlet, we got our first view of the wood-fire sauna sitting on an anchored dock not far from the shoreline.
Inserted into the dock were two hammock-like nets, suspended over the water, where I spent a lot of my time lounging on large pillows looking out to the wilderness that surrounded me from all directions.
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