Tofino....Please help us choose time & place
 

Been wanting to see the West Coast of Vancouver Island for a long time now!
We love the Canadian Gulf Islands & San Juans, & know that we'll enjoy this area, too. Have been prevented due to health reasons...however, may try to 'go for it' this summer or late Spring.

Would you recommend the Island in late May, or would June to early July be preferable? Our Anniversary is mid-May...and often we travel to the San Juans or Gulf Islands then. Considering Tofino & more...will probably need to save a return to Victoria for another trip, due to time constraints. However, would whale watching be better in May or mid-summer? Grays & orcas?
Telegraph Cove is another possibility, altho' I'm guessing that's better in July than May.

If doing Tofino, I've narrowed it down to Middle Beach Lodge & Long Beach Lodge. Has anyone been to both?? The overall beach/forest setting...which did you prefer? They both sound really nice...the Wick Inn may be too formal for our tastes. That's what I've gathered anyway, from postings here. Any help & recent reviews most appreciated!! Thanks so much. :-)

We stayed in that area a few years ago on a houseboat that operates as a B&B. It's called Innchanter - they have a website (I think it's www.innchanter.com). Not as pricy as some of the accommodations in the Tofino area. It's docked right near the trail to Hot Springs Cove, which is a must-see if you're in that area. Have a great time!

had a drink at middle beach and the establishment looked lovely.

We stayed at Middle Beach last year. Our room was basic but with an incredible window on to the ocean. WE LOVED IT! We ate at the Wick.Inn Food is good, service staff is completely eaten up with silly pretensions...not worth it. Had a fabulous dinner at Raincoast Cafe. Great lunches at Common Loaf (buy a Tofino bar and dream of it forever). The breakfast at the Middle Beach was very good and ample. The common rooms had great views. We will go back.

I appreciate the feedback!
May I ask, cmcfong...
would you do a different type room next time, or did you find the basic room, suitable since the view was so nice? Or, would you recommend some other *type* of accomodation while there? (what do you plan to book next time, for instance?) I see there are two parts, "At the Beach" for adults...and a section called "At the Headlands". Any further advice? :-) Thanks again!!

Sorry to be slow responding, R. I just saw your post.
We took a basic room in the "at the beach" section aimed at adults without children. It was perfectly adequate for us and the ocean view window was great. I don't think I would have changed a thing. There were some nice walks on the property and it was easy to stroll down to the beach, which was deserted during our visit, for a nice after dinner walk.

I assume you have looked at the website and know the rooms at the Lodge are basic and the only luxury item there is an unbelievable view.

Thanks for the add'l info re: Middle Beach Lodge. Yes, I saw the website, but you never really know how 'basic' something is, until you see it in person. Did you happen to stay in a room w/a balcony, may I ask? (I think they have those on the lower floors.) Wonder if that's preferable...altho' having people above you (floor noise) might not be worth it. I think the higher floors are w/out balconies.

Lastly, any advice from anyone on best time to go?? Is late May too early? Our options run from mid-May to early July. Thanks again, everyone!! :-)

I haven't stayed at Middle Beach Lodge, but have stayed twice at Long Beach Lodge and would heartily recommend it. The rooms are more than basic, very new, clean, duvets, and wonderful bathrooms. The restaurant is also excellent, all rooms include a wonderful buffet (cold) breakfast, and they will pack a really nice lunch for you for $10.

My favorite part though is the lounge with a view, it is a really nice spot to sit, and read or sip on a coffee.

The weather in Tofino is generally mild. It is in a rainforest so always bring appropriate clothing. Remember, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing! July and August are especially busy here with families so if you want to have time here without so many familes then come before school lets out.

Hello, R
I am just back from Tofino - my first trip there but won't be the last. It is truly spectacular. We were quite fortunate - although it is still "storm season" we had a couple of sunny days which is apparently reasonably rare in winter. I was a bit surprized that it was still reasonably busy but apparently nothing like the summer season. I will definitely avoid high season for that reason. The access road is narrow and winding and would be a pain with camper/trailer traffic. We have friends who speak highly of Middle Beach Lodge but we stayed at Pacific Sands and were more than satisfied. There are several very good restaurants. The Schooner in town was especially good. We lunched at Long Beach Lodge a couple of times too; meals were good and it is a classy-looking establishment without being pretentious altho' we didn't find a problem at Wikaninnish either.

We spent 10 days in Vancouver and at the last minute before we left home we booked a place at The Cabins in Ucluelet, I believe a little south of Tofino. We took a ferry from Vancouver to the Island (just under 2 hours) and rented a car and drove to the Rim under 3 hours. We only stayed one night and the 2 days we spent there were the highlight of our trip. We will skip Vancouver alltogether next time at stay again in Ucluelet or Tofino. This was in early October. It was spectacular! The Cabins was unbelievable as well, we had a 3 story cabin right on the beach at a very reasonable price as it was post season. We were there just before the storm season but got a taste of it and again it was unbelievable! Can't wait to go again! Sorry, no info about Tofino, which I understand has quite a bit more to do than Ucluelet, but after being right in the city of Vancouver for over a week, we were ready for some solitude and it was breath-taking! Hope this is helful, have a wonderful time!

Thanks to you all for the fantastic feedback!! Wow! You've convinced me. I think this is the year to add the West Coast of Vancouver Island, to our special list of favorite places. :-)
Appreciate you all taking the time to assist us! Btw, Rosemary1...wild, that you posted here...as I'm a Rosemary, too! How many of those are there these days?! ;-) Thanks again, everyone.

Also, just wanted to thank you for the timing recommendations, as that's been stumping us a bit. Good point! I didn't really envision that area ever getting too crowded. (silly me, huh?) Since we still don't have kids..I suppose we *should* take advantage of some of the differences of travelling during the off-season...lower prices, less crowded, etc. Usually, we do in mid-May, at our anniversary time. This year, we considered pushing it off some. I think if we do delay things much...we should probably travel by mid-June, from what's posted here. Thanks, once again. :-)

I have a question for rosemary. Did you day trip up tto whistler while you stayed in vancouver or avoid it on your trip? thaanks
for the feedback

I have a question for rosemary. Did you day trip up to Whistler while you stayed in Vancouver or avoid it on your trip? thanks
for the feedback

Please note that high season rates will most likely be in effect starting May in Tofino. Some have high season from mid-March through to the end of October. July and August is crowded with children.

Hi Hunterwolf,

No we did not consider Whistler for that trip as we live in Colorado and really being "land-locked" we wanted to take advantage of the water. I am told again and again how wonderful it is, in fact on the Travel Channel just last night it was listed as one of the top 10 ski resorts in the world!

I'm happy to say that Vail, CO was listed as #1 which made me happy since my husband and I were married there in '96. Still haven't skied it yet though.

If you have the time, check it out! Whistler, that is. Hope this is helpful!

It's been 4 months since our trip to Vancouver and I'm still "wow'ed"!!

I like the look of the Wick Inn but may be too expensive for us!

Anything similar?

From Rosemary to another! Let us know what you decide. I can't say enough about the west coast of the Island. Please go!!!!

If you do decide to go, have a wonderful time and do a trip report for us!