Where on Van Island?
 

We are a family from Scotland with 2 teenage boys touring in July. We are doing Banff/Jasper/Whistler and then have 6 nights to relax before flying from Vancouver. Where could we chill out on Van Island? - we fancy a waterfront spot with swimming/biking/tennis for the boys and some good bars & restaurants. Is Sooke a good option?

ttt...

I would say Sooke is not a great option. Tofino would be better.

As mentioned Sooke is replete with expensive B&B's and little else-especially for your kids.
As to activities look for Ocean Kayaking as well as biking-a fabulous experience for any age group and just physically demanding enough to keep the kids interested.

tofino is beautiful. you could swim, hike, surf, bike. it's known for it's outdoor beauty not for pubs and restaurants. i'm sure some of the upper end hotels would have tennis courts. i would recommend this place for a family - get one with an ocean view so you can watch the surfers http://www.southchestermantofino.com/

Yes Tofino is great (one of the most beautiful places on earth if you ask me) but is a 6 hour drive from Victoria.
If you dont have the time for this Victoria istself is a lovely city with lots to do, good restaurants etc.
For Tofino accomadations, we have use Tofino Vacations Rentals (www.tofinovr.com) in the past and have been happy with them. Book now though for July.

My money's on Tofino as well. Assuming that you have a car, you will be able to drive to any of the hotels along the ocean front or in Tofino itself if you are looking for variety in bars and restaurants.

We always stay at any one of the B&Bs on Chesterman Beach and have never been disappointed. The beach is about a mile long and your kids can get right into surfing or kayaking.

I'd recommend the Parksville area. Lots of nice beaches, hiking, biking trails as well as plenty of restaurants and other teen friendly activities nearby (ie mini golf, movie theatre etc). Try Beach Acres Resort or Tigh Na Mara on Rathtrevor Beach. You can rent cottages right on the ocean where you can enjoy your own beach fire in he evening. I believe they have tennis courts too.

Thanks to you all for your suggestions. Tofino came out as the clear winner so we've gone with that and managed to get a suite on South Chesterman with Tofino Vacation Rentals who were great to deal with. Good advice to book now from jimmoi as there are few dates left in July. Thaks again.

I guess I'm a little late, but if you can afford it, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort near Tofino would be ideal. Fantastic accommodations and lots to do for teenagers.

Otherwise, I highly recommend Pacific Rim National Park, also near Tofino, for its fantastic beach.

Glad things worked out for you. One other thing you may not be aware of. If you are catching the ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island, take the one from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo, rather that the Tswwassen-Swartz Bay route to Victoria. It saves you about 2.5 hours driving time to Tofino.
Also, dont forget to stop at Cathedral Grove on the way (right on the highway- you cant miss it) to see the giant Douglas Firs. Its beautiful and breaks the drive up nicely.

Thanks Jimmoi - we're really looking forward to the trip. See what you mean on the ferry. On the way back we've got a couple of nights in Vancouver and having looked at the routes I wondered if we should return on the ferry from Duke Point to Tsawwassen - just to see something else? We've not got time for Victoria unfortunately. Best regards.