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Trips from Tofino
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Once they've wandered Tofino's streets, most people head south to explore Long Beach, or put themselves at the mercy of the boat and plane operators. Their playground is the stretch of ocean and landscapes around Tofino known as
Clayoquot Sound
. The name has gained tremendous resonance over the last few years, largely because it has been the focus for some of the most bitterly fought battles against loggers by environmentalists and aboriginal campaigners. It stretches for some 65km from Kennedy Lake to the south of Tofino to the Hesquiat Peninsula 40km to the north, embracing three major islands - Meares, Vargas and Flores - and numerous smaller islets and coastal inlets. More importantly, it is the largest surviving area of low-altitude temperate
rainforest
in North America. Quite incredibly the BC government gave permission to logging companies in 1993 to fell two-thirds of this irreplaceable and age-old forest. The result was the largest outbreak of
civil disobedience
in Canadian history, resulting in eight hundred arrests, as vast numbers congregated at a peace camp in the area and made daily attempts to stop the logging trucks. The stand-off resulted in partial victory, with the designation of new protected areas and limited recognition of the Nuu-chah-nulth tribes moral and literal rights to the land. The region remains in a precarious position, however, and if it's happened once you can be pretty sure that, where forestry interests are concerned, it'll happen again.
There are five main destinations in this region for boat and float-plane trips. The nearest is Meares Island , easily visible to the east of Tofino and just fifteen minutes away by boat. A beautiful island swathed in lush temperate rainforest, this was one of the area's earmarked for the lumberjack's chainsaw, despite its designation as a Nuu-chah-nulth tribal park in 1985. At present its ancient cedars and hemlock are safe, and visible on the Meares Island Big Cedar Trail (3km), which meanders among some of the biggest trees you'll ever see, many of them more than a thousand years old and up to 6m across - big enough to put a tunnel through. Vargas Island , the next nearest target, lies just 5km from Tofino to the north, and is visited for its beauty, beaches, kayaking and swimming possibilities. Flores Island , 20km to the northwest, is accessed by boat or plane and, like Vargas Island, is partly protected by partial provincial park status. At the aboriginal peoples' community of Ahousaht you can pick up the Ahousaht Wild Side Heritage Trail, which runs for 16km through idyllic beach and forest scenery to the Mount Flores viewpoint (886m). This is also a chance to encounter aboriginal culture and people at first hand, with tours accompanied by local guides available: see the Tofino infocentre or call 725-3309 for details and information on trail conditions.
Perhaps the best, and certainly one of the most popular trips from Tofino, is the 37-kilometre boat or plane ride to
Hot Springs Cove
, site of one of only a handful of hot springs on Vancouver Island (1hr by boat, 15min by float plane). A thirty-minute trek from the landing stage brings you to the springs, which emerge at a piping 43°C and run, as a creek, to the sea via a small waterfall and four pools, becoming progressively cooler. Be prepared for something of a crowd in summer when swimming costumes can be optional. An expensive hotel, the
Hot Springs Lodge
- a way to beat other punters by getting in an early-morning or late-night dip - has opened on the cove near the landing stage
. Finally, a forty-kilometre trip north takes you to
Hesquiat Peninsula
, where you land at or near Refuge Cove, site of a Hesquiat aboriginal village. Locals offer tours here and some lodgings: ask for the latest details at the Tofino infocentre. The infocentre is also the place to pick up information on
tours
: otherwise, contact Seaside Adventures, 300 Main St (tel 725-2292 or 1-888/332-4252), Chinook Charters, 450 Campbell St (tel 725-3431 or 1-800/665-3646)
, most of whom also offer boat tours to the above destinations. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Canada,
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