Family Fun Tofino Getaway

Meet a Fisherman, Taste "Caught Today" Seafood

As the launching point for kayakers, wildlife-watching excursions, cultural and historical boat tours, and local fishing vessels, Tofino's harbourfront is a bustling hub of activity. The government wharf at the end of Fourth Street is a good place to greet local fisherman and buy fresh seafood and live crab. If you don't make it down to the docks, you can buy the freshest fish and shellfish to cook or take home at The Fish Store and Trilogy Fish Company.

For beautifully prepared fish and chips and halibut burgers, try local favourite Wildside Grille.

Have a Sunset Picnic on Famed Chesterman Beach

A group of beach-loving locals started the "white table cloth" sunset picnic tradition a few years ago on the sand spit in front of Frank Island on Chesterman Beach. The women and girls in the group wear party dresses and ride balloon-tyred bikes down the beach while the men and boys follow up with a cart of food and drinks, a folding table, canvas backed chairs, and candle sticks. You can easily recreate this tradition for yourself with a little planning.

Buy your picnic provisions at the Co-op Grocery Store, Beaches Gourmet, or Breakers Deli. Popular with surfers, strollers, and tide pool explorers year-round, Chesterman Beach can be accessed at any of the three public parking spots along Chesterman Beach Road or Lynn Road.

Model a "Tofino Tuxedo"

While the area gets its share of sun in the summer months, the weather in Tofino changes daily and can be often cool and rainy. It's a good idea to pack casual, layered clothing including water resistant outerwear, a warm coat or jacket, a sweater or fleece, trousers, comfortable shoes, hat, and sunscreen. Many resorts and inns provide brightly coloured rain slickers in a variety of sizes for guests to borrow during their stay. These "Tofino Tuxedos" keep you warm and dry, look great on everyone, and make for colourful family portraits!

Breathe in the Rainforest

"It smells so good!" That's the first thing most visitors say about a walk in the temperate rainforest surrounding Tofino like a fragrant blanket. Giant western cedar, amabilia fir and western hemlock are abundant in the area and many trees are more than 800 years old. A favourite family outing is the Rain Forest Hiking Trail located just 10 minutes drive from downtown Tofino off the Pacific Rim Highway. The Rain Forest Trail's two 1.2-kilometre boardwalked loops let visitors see and experience the pristine old-growth rainforest ecosystem while protecting it from damage. Interpretive signs explain and illustrate forest life cycles, history, and inhabitants. Each loop takes about 40 minutes to walk. Loop B (accessed via the parking lot) is the gentler of the two trails. Be sure to pick up a Long Beach map from the Tourism Tofino Visitors Centre for a full list of the best trails and a wealth of other information, or visit tourismtofino.com.

Written by Lynda Kaye

Lynda is a writer and public relations consultant based in Tofino and San Francisco.