Are you going to Ucluelet and Tofino?

WHere to stay...Ucluelet or Tofino and which hotel/cottage?

how many nights do you have?

We are driving RT from Victoria and have 5 days total.
So 2-3 nights.

okay, one more question to give you the best answer. Are you a couple, or a family? How many in your party? What do you want to do primarily? Beach activities, hiking, whale watching, fine dining? Both locations are great it just depends upon your primary objectives.

A middle-aged couple, in average shape. Not athletes at all.
Walking, maybe kayaking if it is very calm water, sitting around and reading, taking photos, eating outdoors.
Sounds dull doesn't it ?
Anyway that is the scoop.

not dull at all.
Ucluelet is more low key than Tofino. We usually stay there, (well because we own a place there) but it is quieter and more outdoorsy. Tofino has better beaches but is more touristy and busy. I love both, but Ucluelet is a great haven for relaxing. If you looked at the video above you can see the wild pacific trail is a huge draw to the area and highly recommended. We walk it at least once a day when we are there. A very comfortable and non exerting walk that can be as fast or a slow as you like.
I am not sure what month you are staying, but in Ucluelet there is a few nice places, one being the new Black ROck resort, right on the water and quite swish as they say. At the very least have lunch there the food is great, reasonably priced and fantastic view.
There is a fantastic boat trip on the Archepelego (sp??) that leaves from the Ucluelet dock twice a day. It will take you out on a small yaucht to the broken island group and you most likely will see bears, sea lions and whales on the way. I learned more on this trip and I have lived in the area my whole life. You can also rent kayaks at the harbour as well.
For a full condo with kitchen and seperate bedroom there is Waters Edge Resort,
and other cabins as well.
Here is a website of differnt places to choose from
http://www.uclueletlodging.worldweb.com/VacationRentalProperties/
Tofino is wonderful too. You can stay right on one of the beaches or else in town. Some quiter places are Middle Beach Lodge, Long Beach Lodge, Best Western Tin Wis is a hotel on the beach, Ocean Village is lower end but nice place on the beach. It caters to a lot of familys.
There are also lots of fantastic B and Bs on CHestermans beach. look at chestermanbeach.net
A great resteraunt is Sobos right in Tofino
You can also do whale watching and kayaking there and take a tour to hot springs cove by boat or sea plane which is great.
Tofino and Ucluelet are both great destinations and you can spend one of your three days visiting the other, it is a 1/2 hour drive between the two.

Thanks for the video and great information live42day! We will be in Tofino two weeks from today. It's good to know that the Pacific trail is a nice walk. What do you know about the rain forest trail? Is it comparable? We are staying five nights and trying to find things to do that don't break the bank and are compatible with nature.

Thanks for the great ideas. According to trip advisor, Black rock has a mosquito problem. We will be there mid-July, is it buggy at that time?
I looked into HeTinKis lodge but I cannot find it on trip advisor--its off the trail, do you know it?
In terms of a place on the most beautiful, dramatic beach, where would you stay? I am concerned about the noise level at some of the family resorts like Ocean Village since the cabins are so close. Most of the places are booked! I can get into Tin Wis, Pacific Sands, Mackenzie Beach lodge.
Opinions?

hellokittie, there's no better place to do all those "boring" things than Tofino . I've been there a whole bunch of times and can never get enough of that particular brand of "boredom"--I can stare at the ocean for hours.

You tried Middle Beach and no luck? Bummer...I've seen Tin Wis and it seems fine but don't know the other places.

I actually can get a room at Middlebeach however they got some pretty bad reviews on trip adviser ...impression of horrible staff and run down rooms. I am not sure Waters Edge still exists, it may be a time share now.
I also am considering Pacific Sands which is top rated on trip adviser. Whatya think?

Middle Beach in Tofino??? That shocks me, I've been going there since it opened and have stayed there numerous times and never had anything but a stellar experience.

Ok, I just went and read the reviews...as is so often the case with reviews on TA, you really need to throw out the best and the worst and go with the middle--I couldn't believe some of the petty things people were complaining about, honestly. It's not for people who need to be fussed over however; it's a place to enjoy peace and quiet in an atmosphere that is best described as comfortably rustic. To me, it's much more "Tofino" than the fancier places.

I have never seen a bug problem in Ucluelet or Tofino, its usually has at least enough wind to keep them away.
Waters Edge is the old Tauca Lea Resort and managed by Avia West. Middle Beach is really nice, I agree Ocean Village is not for you, i just mentioned it in case you couldnt find anything else. I have not stayed at Pacific Sands, but know people who have. It has been re done recently and on Cox Bay which is a very quiet beach (or used to be anyhow) and a lot of people surf there. Tin Wis is not high end, but fine. It is run by the local native band and is on a smaller beach, McKenzie beach, close to Middle Beach. They have a resteraunt. Quite a few weddings are held there. It is a basic Best Western hotel room but most if not all face the ocean.

Kansan. I walked the Rainforest trail years ago and remember it as being a great hike. Another great one is Schooner cove. You walk through forests and boardwalks down to the beach. If you time it at low tide you can go around the rocks and there is miles of sandy beach and basically no one around. Just make sure you get back before the tide comes in.
You have to get a day pass to park at the federal parks so I usually plan to do a couple a day of the ones that you have to pay for. Chestermans, Cox, McKenzie beach and all of Ucluelet is non paying because they are outside of the federal park.

Just wanted to add that room choice is important at Middle Beach...for example, the rooms in the original lodge are very small and basic. If you want to post what your options are, I'd be happy to give you my opinion as I've stayed in almost every room type there over the years.

I think HeTinKis lodge is a b and b.

Another thought, have you tried Long Beach Lodge?

Yes, it is way too pricey and has limited availability.
Which places are on the boardwalk/trail?

do you mean the trail in Ucluelet? Only the black Rock and The Cabins at Terrace Beach and a few b and bs. Almost everyone in Ucluelet has a b and b. Ucluelet is so small though that you can get to the trail in minutes.

In Tofino none of the hotels are on the park trails as it is a federal park and there are not any businesses on them.

so you would rather be on a trail than the beach?

A beach. However, I thought I could have it all!

hellokittie, twww.tofinovr.com We found renting a house less expensive than a hotel or lodge, plus we can make our own meals and pack picnics for outings. I see they have a July special. I emailed and they replied with a few that met our needs. Hope that helps.

Kansan, I've rented through them as well and had a very good experience--we had a nice 3 BR house on Chesterman Beach.

There are actually 2 rainforest trails btw--one on either side of the highway. I've done both several times and think they are both worthwhile. Agree that Schooner Cove is a good hike, and I also really like the hike that goes from the Wickaninnish Interpretive Center to Florencia Beach (even though you don't have to hike to get to that beach if you don't want to).

You should also be sure to go to Meares Island to see the huge trees there, whether in a kayak or by water taxi. And then there's Hot Springs Cove and so many other wonderful things...I'm envious just thinking of you having 5 days there!

I have rented through Tofino VR as well, Osprey house on CHestermans which is my 'dream house'. If you decide to rent through them and want to be on the beach choose
'beach ' on the left hand side and read carefully as some are across the road from the beach, which is not a problem but could be dissapointing if you were expecting to be right on the beach. 'Ocean' section is in Tofino and not the sandy beaches of Chestermans.

NWW, thanks so much for the info. I'll print out this thread for reference during our visit. And good to know you were happy with Tofino Vacation Rentals.

I have a question about surfing lessons. Daughter is a fair swimmer. She enjoys long distance biking so has good strength. Do you think surfing would be a wise choice? She's saving up for this and I'd hate for her to be disappointed if her skills aren't up to the skill needed.

Thanks for all the help. I promise a trip report with photos.

'surf sister' in Tofino is a good place for her to go. They cater to women surfing, because as my son who is an avid surfer says, there is a difference because women have a different centre of gravity. I have heard great things about them http://www.surfsister.com/

lots of begginers here. And the surf is not too big in the summer and there is no undertoe to speak of.

just one more thing....the water is bloody cold, so she will need a wet suit, which they rent

That video is wonderful and quite interesting, inspirational!
Still I remain concerned about that drive from Parksville across the highway to Ucluelet. Can someone comment more on its challenges or lack thereof? Best time of day to drive it?
If I took a bus are there car rentals in Tofino or Ucluelet?
Thanks.

It's fine if you just take it slowly on the curvy/windy part beyond Port Alberni. Stick to the suggested speed limit and don't get rattled if there are people on your tail wanting to go faster (I just pull over at the next turnout and let them pass). That part doesn't last for more than about 30-45 minutes or so of the 3 hour drive (if that). It's a good road, it's just got a lot of switchbacks on that part.

I would definitely do it during daylight hours.

There is a Budget car rental office at Tofino Airport.

I agree with NWWanderer. THere are a lot of locals who travel that road a lot and can seem to ride your bumper so every time you see a pull out use it. It will make you journey much more enjoyable because the sceanery is gorgeous. The bus is costly. I am sure you will not have a problem driving the road. When it says slow to 40, slow to 40. Or less. Just drive the speed you are comfortable with and stopping at the rivers and rest stops will make the journey much more enjoyable There are only a few spots that are windey and as said above do in daylight hours.

You'll be fine.

Ok, you guys are awesome.
So here is another question:
we will pick up a rental car in downtown Victoria at 6pm on a Mon. night. Lets say we want to drive until dark and stay someplace and then drive the rest of the way on Tues.
How far, where can we go for that stop?
Thanks.

It got dark last night at around 10PM. If you leave Victoria around 6PM you could make your way up to the Parksville area for the night. That would be a couple of hours drive and so you could see a bit of the Parksville area. http://parksville.travel.bc.ca/listings/quality-resort-bayside/24188/
There is a hotel on the beach which is nice called the Bayside which would take you for one night. A wonderful view resteraunt.
On your way to the west coast the next day you could stop in Coombs at the (Goats on the roof ) Market which is 10 minutes from Parksville, and then another 15 minutes is Cathedral Grove (MacMillan Park) which would be good for a 1/2 hour stroll.
From there is is around 2 hours to Tofino at a nice easy pace.

We are now having second thoughts and thinking of seeing the coast/parks in Washington within driving distance of Seattle.
It seems like the coastal areas are not accessible but for hikes such as 1, 2, 3 beachess, Rialto beach, etc.
Thanks.

HK, you might want to start a new thread in the US forum to ask about Olympic National Park.

It's not a day trip from Seattle however to the beaches (4+ hours each way).

Here's my Tofino trip photos. I'll write a trip report if anyone has an interest.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Kansan24

Looks like you had a good time. Did you daughter enjoy her surf lesson? I see you did use Surf Sister

We did have a good time. And daughter loved Surf Sister. She had a 9am lesson so it was still a bit chilly and misty. They put on the thick wet suits at the beach parking lot and then headed down to the beach for the lesson. There were two instructors for eight pupils so it was a good ratio. One guy from Germany joined the class. The pupils wore pink tee shirts to make it easy to spot them. The instructor asked everyone where they were from and why they wanted to learn to surf. Daughter replied Kansas and because she lives in Kansas.

They drew imaginary surf boards in the sand to learn how to pop up and hold their arms for balance. Then out to the water to try their luck. She was lucky to get up on her second try. The instructor had said to watch for a wave and when it got ten feet behind, to start paddling with your arms. Not princess paddles, but big girl paddles. You can see it was all good fun. One instructor spent last winter in Indonesia teaching surfing. They are very experienced.

Daughter really enjoyed her lesson. It was $75 for a two hour lesson including all the gear. She felt it was a good deal. http://www.surfsister.com/instructors.html

We leave the 7th if Aug for Tofino, staying at Harvey House B&B. Do you know it? This forum has been great but I can't seem to open the video. I see the screen with someone walking taking the picture looking down but when I click on the play icon nothing happens. Any suggestion? I would love ti view it.

HEYJUDE, Regarding Harvey house, you cant go wrong with the location and it looks like a lovely B and B. It is not on the beach but close to beach access.
THe video still works for me, i just hit the play and it comes on. I dont know what to tell you I am sorry.

Live42day, Thanks for the reply. I'll try opening your video on my sons computer. Mine is old and may not have enough memory. I have enjoyed all of the posts and am really looking forward to our trip. I'll post when I return.

book marking -- thanks

Well,we are back from Tofino, where we stayed 5 nights at Harvey House B&B which located just across the road from Chesterman Beach. The B&B was excellent with wonderful breakfasts brought to your door every morning. The owners were very helpful with suggestions on activities and restaurants. The ferry ride over to Vancouver Island from Vancouver was pleasant even theough we had rain all the way and actually all the way to Tofino. A couple of restaurants not mentioned by other posters that we really liked were: Black Rock Resort (for lunch), Long Beach Lodge, Shelter something, and we did like Sobo's. All are a little expensive but not outrageous. We spend 2 days hiking the trails of the Pacific Rim National Park. Very different from other national parks we have visited. The trails are usually through some woods, nothing challenging, to the beach where you will see whales, sea lions, starfish, and anemonies all over. Very interesting. One day we went to Ucluelet and hiked the lightouse loop. Another day we took a canoe trip to Meares Island with a native canadian indian who was excellent. The Wickaninish Center and Beach should not be missed. The entire 6 days were relaxing and at a slow pace. We enjoyed our trip but would fly another time. Flying to Seattle, train to Vancouver, ferry to Vancourver island, and then driving 3 1/2 hours and then doing it all in reverse was a little much.

I am glad that you had a good time. I dont know if you were there on the 11th but we were walking Chestermans, a gorgeous sunny day, and saw whales right from the beach. The beach was packed though, I had never seen it so many people. You really covered a lot of ground during your stay. That is great.