Hidden gems in Tofino
Skip the tourist circuit. These Tofino spots are the ones locals actually send their out-of-town friends to.
Top spots in Tofino
Long Beach
OutdoorsPacific Rim
16 km of open Pacific sand — pinnacle BC surf spot.
Cox Bay
OutdoorsSouth Tofino
Best beginner-to-intermediate surf in town.
Rainforest Trail
OutdoorsPacific Rim Park
Mossy boardwalk through 800-year-old cedars.
Hot Springs Cove
OutdoorsDay trip by boat
Boat or float-plane to remote oceanside hot pools.
Storm Watching at Wickaninnish
OutdoorsChesterman
Massive winter Pacific swells crash the rocks.
Where to eat
Wolf in the Fog
$$$West Coast · Downtown
Foraged & sea-to-table — Canada's #1 new restaurant in 2014, still on top.
Shelter Restaurant
$$$Modern Canadian · Campbell St
Cedar-walled mainstay, oysters and braised short ribs.
Tacofino
$Mexican / Tacos · Industrial Park
Original orange food truck — fish tacos that started an empire.
Picnic Charcuterie
$$Sandwiches / Picnic · Campbell St
Pre-beach lunch boxes packed to take to Long Beach.
Frequently asked
- Locals' under-the-radar picks include Long Beach, Cox Bay, Rainforest Trail. These are the places that don't show up on the first page of mainstream travel guides.