Tofino, Ucluelet, and the Pacific Rim
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Tofino, Ucluelet, and the Pacific Rim - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Tofino, Ucluelet, and the Pacific Rim - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Geothermal springs tumble down a waterfall and into a series of oceanside rock pools at idyllic Hot Springs Cove, accessible only by boat or air from Tofino. Here, day trips—which are offered by several Tofino outfitters—usually include a bit of whale-watching en route. Once you arrive at the park, there's a half-hour boardwalk trail through old-growth forest to the site. Another popular day trip is to Meares Island, where an easy 20-minute boardwalk trail leads to trees up to 1,600 years old.
This national park has some of Canada's most stunning coastal and rain-forest scenery, abundant wildlife, and a unique marine environment. It comprises three separate units—Long Beach, the Broken Group Islands, and the West Coast Trail—for a combined area of 123,431 acres, and stretches 130 km (81 miles) along Vancouver Island's west coast. More than 100 islands of the Broken Group Islands archipelago in Barkley Sound can be reached only by boat. The islands and their clear waters are alive with sea lions, seals, and whales, and because the inner waters are much calmer than the surrounding ocean, they provide an excellent environment for kayaking. Guided kayak and charter-boat tours are available from outfitters in Ucluelet, Bamfield, and Port Alberni. The most popular part of the park, and the only section that can be reached by car, is the Long Beach section. Besides the beach, the Long Beach section of the park is home to rich stands of old-growth forest, a wealth of marine and terrestrial wildlife (including black bears, cougars, and sea lions), and a network of coastal and rain-forest hiking paths. A first stop for any first-timer is the visitor center, which doubles as the Ucluelet Visitor Information Office. You can pick up maps and information, and pay park entrance fees here.
Perched on a point about a mile off the highway on Wickaninnish Beach, the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve's visitor center offers insights into local culture, flora and fauna, First Nations traditions, local history, and conservation efforts; don't miss the stunning life-size carving of a whaling canoe. Park rangers are on hand to answer questions. The outside deck is perfect for spotting whales, surfers, and storms.
The most accessible—and visited—section of the park is the Long Beach Unit, the highlight of which is a 15-km (9-mile) stretch of pristine forest-backed sand just off Highway 4 between Ucluelet and Tofino. Four-hour "beach walk" passes are available at Long Beach Parking Lot only. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: surfing; walking.
Trails wind through displays of indigenous plant life, and the occasional whimsical garden sculpture may catch your eye at Naa'Waya'Sum Gardens (formerly Tofino Botanical Gardens). The 12-acre waterfront site, about 2 km (1 mile) south of Tofino on the Pacific Rim Highway, is also home to a café and an affordable ecolodge. The admission fee is good for three days.
Possibly the world's first catch-and-release aquarium, this intriguing attraction on Ucluelet's waterfront displays local sea life and returns it all to the sea at the end of each season. Touch pools, tanks, and displays reveal the secrets of life right outside the aquarium's doorstep.
This craft beer microbrewery is located inside the former St. Aiden's Church. Owner Dennis Morgan transformed the building using repurposed and salvaged wood in both the bar and kitchen. Along with beers, such as the aptly named Resurrection Red Irish Red Ale and Seventh Day Kolsch, a Beer and Biologist Tour is also on offer. It includes a half-hour tour of the aquarium, followed by two hours of kayaking, and finished off with a well-deserved cold brew.
Ucluelet is the starting point for the Wild Pacific Trail, a hiking path that winds along the coast and through the rain forest in two sections: the 2.6-km (1.7-mile) loop starts near Amphitrite lighthouse at the end of Coast Guard road overlooking the Broken Group Islands; the other is 5 km (3 miles) from Big Beach Park to Rocky Bluffs. Take note of the sea-facing trees, bent at right angles in a face-off against the wild and stormy winds.
{{ item.review }}
Please try a broader search, or expore these popular suggestions:
There are no results for {{ strDestName }} Sights in the searched map area with the above filters. Please try a different area on the map, or broaden your search with these popular suggestions: